Duty to Take Reasonable Care

Your duty of disclosure

When you apply for life insurance cover, you are treated as though you are applying for insurance cover under an individual consumer insurance contract. When you apply for cover under a consumer insurance contract, you have a legal duty to take reasonable care not to make a misrepresentation to us before the contract of insurance is entered into.

A misrepresentation is an answer that is false, an answer that is only partially true, or an answer which does not fairly reflect the truth.

This duty also applies when extending or making changes to existing insurance, and reinstating insurance.

If you do not meet your duty

If you do not meet your legal duty, this can have serious impacts on your insurance. Your cover could be voided (treated as if it never existed), or its terms may be changed. This may also result in a claim being declined or a benefit being reduced.

Please note that there may be circumstances where we later investigate whether the information given to us was true. For example, we may do this when a claim is made.

Guidance for answering our questions

You are responsible for the information provided to us. When answering our questions, please:

  • Think carefully about each question before you answer. If you are unsure of the meaning of any question, please ask us before you respond.
  • Answer every question.
  • Answer truthfully, accurately and completely. If you are unsure about whether you should include information, please include it.
  • Review your application carefully before it is submitted. If someone else helped prepare your application (for example, your adviser), please check every answer (and if necessary, make any corrections) before the application is submitted.

Changes before your cover starts

Before your cover starts, you must tell us about any changes that mean you would now answer our questions differently. As any changes might require further assessment or investigation, it could save time if you let us know about any changes when they happen.

If you need help

It’s important that you understand this information and the questions we ask. Please contact us and ask for help if you have difficulty understanding the process or answering any of our questions.

If you’re having difficulty due to a disability, understanding English or for any other reason, we’re here to help and can provide additional support for anyone who might need it. If you want, you can have a support person you trust with you while speaking with us.