Mortgage Protection Decision Reference 2022-0074

• Case Outcome: Rejected
• Reference: 2022-0074
• Date: 02 March 2022
• Year: 2022
• Subject Matter: Mortgage Protection
• Finantial Sector: Insurance
• Conducts Complained Of: Claim handling delays or issues,Failure to process instructions in a timely manner

Decision Ref:

2022-0074

Sector:

Insurance

Product / Service:

Mortgage Protection

Conduct(s) complained of:

Claim handling delays or issues

Failure to process instructions in a timely manner

Outcome:

Rejected

LEGALLY BINDING DECISION OF THE FINANCIAL SERVICES AND PENSIONS OMBUDSMAN

The Complainants hold a mortgage payment protection policy with an insurance company

(the “Provider”).

The Complainants’ Case

The Complainants incepted the policy in 2003. They assert that in March 2020 the First

Complainant was self-employed "when suddenly the country was placed into lockdown

...[and] business literally fell off a cliff overnight.” The First Complainant says that he

"suddenly had no income." The Complainants assert that they availed of the Pandemic

Unemployment Payment and a mortgage payment break from their mortgage provider.

The Complainants state that they contacted the Provider to make a claim under their

mortgage payment protection policy but were advised that it was "extremely busy with

claims and this would take a considerable amount to time to process." The Complainants

contend that they completed forms and uploaded them to the Provider's website.

The Complainants say that they received correspondence from the Provider dated 10 June

2020, stating that due to their failure to reply to their letter dated 6 May 2020, it

was withdrawing the claim unless [the Complainants] contacted them within 7 days.