Critical & Serious Illness Decision Reference 2025-0211

• Case Outcome: Rejected
• Year: 2025
• Reference: 2025-0211
• Date: 22 December 2025
• Subject Matter: Critical & Serious Illness
• Finantial Sector: Insurance
• Conducts Complained Of: Lapse/cancellation of policy,Delayed or inadequate communication, Dissatisfaction with general customer service

Decision Ref:

2025-0211

Sector:

Insurance

Product / Service:

Critical & Serious Illness

Conduct(s) complained of:

Lapse/cancellation of policy

Delayed or inadequate communication

Dissatisfaction with general customer service

Outcome:

Rejected

LEGALLY BINDING DECISION OF THE FINANCIAL SERVICES AND PENSIONS OMBUDSMAN

The Complainant incepted a Life Assurance Policy with the Provider on 22 August 2012.

This complaint relates to the Provider’s refusal to cancel the Complainant’s policy from 29

November 2020, the date of his written cancellation instruction, and refund him the direct

debit premium payment it collected from his bank account on 1 December 2020.

The Complainant’s Case

The Complainant says he emailed his Broker on 30 November 2020, attaching a letter

dated 29 November 2020 instructing the Broker to cancel his policy with the Provider with

immediate effect.

The Complainant says the Provider nevertheless collected the monthly policy premium of

€143.19 from his bank account by way of direct debit on 1 December 2020 and did not

cancel his policy until 22 December 2020.

The Complainant says he is certain that had a claim arisen between 29 November 2020,

the date of his written instruction to cancel the policy, and 22 December 2020, the end

date of the policy, it would have been very difficult to get the Provider to admit the claim.