Evidence for underwriting
Find out more about our medical and financial evidence limits and the types of medical evidence we might ask for.
Why we ask for evidence
We’ll automatically ask for some types of medical evidence from your client if they’re a certain age or if they request a certain level of cover – even if they have no known medical conditions. This is so we can apply the correct terms, based on complete and accurate information at the application stage.
Automatic evidence also protects your client if they need to claim, because we’ll factor any increased risks into the cost of their cover.
How to use our interactive medical limits tool in OLP Connect
You can use our Pre-sale Underwriting tool in OLP Connect to get an indication of terms for medical limits.
Speak to a Pre-sale Underwriter
Need more help? You can contact our team in two ways.
Call us
You can call our Pre-sale Underwriting team on 0370 333 3699.
We’re open Monday to Thursday 9.00am to 5.00pm and Friday 9.00am to 4.00pm.
We may record and monitor calls. Call charges will vary.
Contact us
Get a fast and accurate indication of terms with our Pre-sale Underwriting form, available to you any time.
Just fill in your client’s details, and one of our Pre-sale Underwriters will email you an indication of terms.
Types of medical evidence
This is the most important piece of underwriting evidence, as it forms the basis of the contract. Please make sure answers are precise and accurate so we can get your client on risk as soon as possible.
The Declaration of Health (DOH) is an opportunity for your client to tell us about any changes to their health or other relevant circumstances since their application was submitted.
The information is valid for 3 or 6 months depending on the amount of cover. After this period, a DOH can be used to extend the validity of the application, provided the application date is less than 12 months old. A new application will be needed if the application is more than 12 months old.
- A DOH is only valid for two months from the date the client signs the form
- Once the underwriting decision or validity date has expired
- When the requested policy start date is beyond the validity date
- When the direct debit is not collected within 60 days of the policy start date
You can complete an Electronic Declaration of Health on behalf of your customer in OLP Connect.
| Type of cover | Sum assured | Medical information is valid for (from date of application or medical examination) |
| Life Cover | £500,000 or below | 6 months |
| Over £500,000 | 3 months | |
| Critical Illness Cover (CIC) | £350,000 or below | 6 months |
| Over £350,000 | 3 months | |
| Income Protection Benefit (IPB) | Any amount | 6 months |
Changing the application
We’ll also need a DOH if your client wants to:
- Extend the policy term by more than five years
- Increase the sum assured by more than 10% of the original sum for Life and Critical Illness policies. Any increase less than £10,000 does not require a DOH even if it’s more than 10% of the original sum assured
- Increase the sum assured by more than £30,000
- Increase the sum assured for Income Protection Benefit to more than 10% of the original benefit
- Reduce deferment periods for Income Protection Benefit
- Add any optional benefits
This form allows your client to give us information about existing cover, earnings, net worth and last year's profits (for Key Person cover).
A financial questionnaire that gives information about your client’s income, concurrent and existing cover, and details relevant to their personal needs.
For higher sums assured or complex applications, this form may need countersigning by a third party such as an accountant, solicitor or bank manager who is independent of the application.
A financial questionnaire that gives information about income, concurrent and existing cover and details relevant to your client’s business needs.
For higher sums assured or complex applications, this form may need countersigning by a third party such as an accountant, solicitor or bank manager who is independent of the application.
A specially trained nurse or underwriter contacts your client to speak to them about a medical condition they have disclosed on the application form, or about their general health for age sum assured purposes.
This is a short questionnaire that’s sent to your client’s GP, instead of a General Practitioner’s Report. It asks specific questions relating to a condition that has been disclosed by your client.
A maximum of two targeted reports will be issued per customer; above this a Patient Health Report (PHR) will be issued. A PHR will always be requested over age sum assured limits, irrespective of the disclosed conditions.
This is a report based on your client’s medical records. The report covers:
- The current health of your client, including any treatment that has been prescribed, any outstanding investigations and any certified time off work
- Any relevant past medical history, including details of any investigations that were undertaken
The report can be requested either as part of the age sum assured evidence or due to medical disclosures made by your client.
These are based on your client’s medical records and are completed by your client’s GP. The reports cover:
- Cardiovascular – Body Mass Index (BMI), blood pressure (BP), cholesterol, diabetes and impaired glucose tolerance
- Lifestyle – alcohol, smoking and drug use
- Mental health
- Recent referrals for further investigations
This is a standard industry format report, based on your client’s medical records and is completed by your client’s GP. The report covers:
- The current health of your client, including any treatment that has been prescribed, any outstanding investigations and any certified time off work
- Any relevant past medical history, including details of any investigations that were undertaken
- Details of any medical conditions that have occurred within the immediate family
It can be requested either as part of the age sum assured evidence or due to medical disclosures made by your client.
This is a report based on a screening performed by a nurse at a convenient place for your client such as at work or home. It can be requested either as part of the age sum assured evidence or due to medical disclosures made by your client.
Information collected during the screening includes:
- Your client’s medical and family history
- Drinking and smoking habits, height and weight, blood pressure
- Urinalysis (including cotinine test if your client is a non-smoker), peak flow reading
Your client must supply a telephone number so that the nurse can contact them to arrange the appointment.
This is a report based on a screening performed by a nurse at a convenient place for your client, such as at work or home. It can be requested either as part of the age sum assured evidence or due to medical disclosures made by your client.
Information collected during the screening includes:
- Height and weight
- Blood pressure
- Urinalysis (including cotinine test if your customer is a non-smoker)
This is a report based on a medical examination completed by your client’s GP or an independent doctor provided by a third party.
It can be requested either as part of the age sum assured evidence or due to medical disclosures made by your client.
Information collected during the examination includes:
- Your client’s medical history
- Medical details about your client’s immediate family
- Drinking and smoking habits
- Examination of your client’s heart and chest function
- Blood pressure
- Urinalysis
- Cotinine test (if your client is a non-smoker). This is sometimes performed as a saliva test or sometimes as part of the urinalysis
Checking Your Details form for clients
Checking Your Details (CYD) forms are sent to your client once a policy number is produced.
The form includes all possible amendments that have been made since the application was submitted. Only risk information is shown to your client.
It’s important your client checks the information and makes any amends. Amendments can potentially cause the terms to change, which may delay the application going on risk. An underwriter will review any amends.
To reduce the chance of this happening, please double check the following before submitting the application:
- The spelling of your client’s name
- Their date of birth
- Their occupation details
- The document is signed and dated
Depending on the stage of the application there may be:
- No change to the decision – a letter is issued to the client thanking them for the information and that there is no change to the decision.
- New decision made – if the application has been authorised it will be reissued with the new terms,
- If the application has not been authorised the new terms are applied and we’ll send a new offer letter.
- Further information required – an underwriter reviews the information and decides if further investigation is needed.
If the case has been authorised, we’ll send a letter to your client telling them we need further information and will maintain cover for 60 days whilst we carry out this review. However, if we can’t obtain the information within this time period at the end of the 60 days, the policy will be cancelled.
If the case hasn’t been authorised, we’ll write to your client telling them the original decision has been removed and the underwriting process restarted.
Types of medical tests
Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) test
>A blood sample test is required as part of age sum assured evidence, or based on your client’s answers to application questions. Whenever possible we will not tell you that your client is required to undergo an HIV test.
Please read our HIV policy for more details.
Cotinine test
We request a urine analysis when a non-smoking client is required to undergo an examination either as part of age sum assured evidence or due to a medical disclosure they have made.
The test can distinguish between passive and active smoking.
Electrocardiograph (ECG)
Normally requested as part of larger age sum assured evidence. An ECG measures the electrical activity of the heart. It’s a valuable tool in detecting past and present problems relating to the heart. The test is performed during exercise using a treadmill.
Blood tests
Usually requested for larger sums assured but can also be requested if the underwriter requires further clarification. The test can include many tests such as liver function tests, lipids, renal function test, full blood count and glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA1c).
HIV policy
We continue to follow the Association of British Insurers (ABI) latest Guiding Principles for HIV and Life Insurance, dated July 2016.
The guiding principles are voluntary, set out industry good practice and have been developed by the ABI in consultation with its members and relevant stakeholders.
Read the most recent statement of guiding principles for HIV and Life Insurance PDF size: 168KB
Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) is caused by the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). The body's immune system is damaged by the virus and results in opportunistic infections or rare types of malignancy.
Despite advances in treatment HIV and AIDS remains extremely relevant to the underwriting process.
Customers with late stage HIV are currently declined by Legal & General. However, we will consider offering cover to customers who tell us that they are HIV positive (on interactive applications only) due to an improvement in therapy which has led to an increase in life expectancy.
Interactive applications in OLP Connect will request additional information which will be assessed. A point of sale decision will advise if cover is not possible or if additional medical information will be needed to assess the application further.
Customers who do not apply through our interactive application route will continue to be declined at point of sale.
The following circumstances will result in a HIV test being requested:
- Evidence request for customers under age 60 applying for life cover, where their total cover is £1,500,001 or above
- Routine evidence request for customers aged 40 or older applying for an Income Protection policy where cover is £4,001 or above
- Routine evidence request for all customers of our Income Protection policies where cover is £6,251 or above
- Being resident or visiting in a non-UK country with high HIV prevalence within the last five years
- Having been diagnosed with a sexually transmitted disease(s) with long-term health implications
- Intravenous drug use over five years ago (if within five years the case will be declined)
- The application form asks whether a customer has ever tested positive for HIV or whether a result is outstanding
- The customer is not asked whether they have ever had a negative HIV test
- If a customer refuses to undergo a HIV test we will be unable to offer cover