Occupation and armed forces

Occupation classes help us set premiums and the definition of disability for disability products.

All occupations can be categorised into one of five classes:

• Class 1-4 occupations are lower to higher risk occupations
• Class H is applied to housepersons, students, retired and unemployed clients

The occupation class is established when the policy is first set up. Generally speaking, your client doesn’t need to tell us about any changes in their occupation for current policies. But some older policies do require it, so it’s best to check the individual policy terms and conditions.

The table shows whether an occupation class will affect the premium and/or the definition of disability/incapacity.

Working at height usually involves additional risk, so we include this as a separate question on the application. We rate the risks by product depending on whether someone works above the Private Dwelling House (PDH) height or not.

We don’t just rate the occupation from your client’s job title, but from a positive answer (for certain occupations) to the working at heights question on the application form.

The table shows the most likely outcome if your client answers positively to the working at heights question.

All service personnel will need to complete an armed forces questionnaire when applying for cover, including those serving in:

• Army
• Royal Navy
• Royal Marines
• Royal Air Force
• Armed Forces Reserves (formerly the Territorial Army)

The questionnaire is integrated into OLP Connect, so you don’t need to complete an additional paper questionnaire if you submit via this route.

Certain occupations may attract premium loadings, such as:

• Bomb disposal
• Diving
• Aviation

Our policies don’t usually exclude war risks.

We’ll consider mortgage life cover for services personnel who are due to go on a tour of duty to an active theatre of operations within six months, or if they are currently on one. An extra premium is charged for two years.

We offer Critical Illness Cover to all services personnel, but with a ‘tour of duty’ exclusion.

The exclusion is: ‘any accident or injury arising while you are undertaking a tour of duty to an active theatre of operations or conflict’.

We would only consider critical illness cover related to a mortgage if your client is about to go on a tour of duty to an active theatre of operations or conflict.

Certain occupations may attract specific exclusions, for example, those who work in diving and aviation.

Our Income Protection plans are only available for part time Reservists who are not about to go on a tour of duty to an active theatre of operations or conflict, do not take part in any high-risk roles such as bomb disposal or aviation and will attract an exclusion for accident or injury which is linked to the armed forces.

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has an armed forces scheme and a war pensions scheme that pay out on death or disability. The amount varies depending on the length of service, rank, level of disability etc.

The MoD also has a scheme for refunding additional life insurance premiums charged because of a forces’ occupation.

We recommend your client speaks to their HR department to see if they’re eligible.