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Egg Home >   Bank >    Mortgages >    Payment protection >
Legal information you need to be aware of
Egg Mortgages home
Important information
Frequently asked questions
Egg Repayment Protection - for Mortgages and Secured Loans

Accident, Sickness and Unemployment policy


Welcome to Your Repayment Protection Policy.

Under this policy the Insurer agrees to provide Monthly Benefits in the event of Disability (comprising accident and sickness) and/or Unemployment, depending on the sections You have chosen to include, on the basis of the following terms, conditions and exclusions.

This policy and Your Schedule together set out the details of the insurance contract between You and the Insurer.

In the event of You needing to make a claim please contact the Claims Helpline on 0845 120 5203*.

Eligibility for cover

If You are not in good health at the Start Date this may affect Your ability to claim under certain sections of this policy.

IMPORTANT: This policy contains general provisions and specific exclusions which define the extent of insurance cover. It is particularly important that You check that You are eligible to be covered under this policy by carefully reading the following summary of requirements.

On the Start date You must be:-

1. a named party to a Mortgage if cover has been taken to protect Your Mortgage or the first named party to Your Agreement if cover has been taken to protect Your secured loan;

2. a U.K. Resident;

3. over 18 years of age;

4. under 65 years of age;

5. in Work and have been so continuously for the previous 6 months.

If You have any enquiry regarding Your eligibility, please contact Us. Tel No. 08451 233 233*

*Telephone calls may be monitored or recorded to assist with staff training and for quality control purposes.

Meaning of words used in this policy These words are listed in alphabetical order and whenever they are used in the policy in bold typeface they have the meanings set out below.

"Agreement": Your secured loan credit agreement with Egg.

"Civil Disorder": war, civil war, military activity other than normal peace time activity, rebellion, revolution, riot or other civil commotion.

"Daily Benefit": a sum equivalent to one thirtieth of the Monthly Benefit.

"Disability": a state of incapacity resulting solely from an accidental bodily injury or sickness or disease which occurs or starts during a period when You are in Work and which wholly prevents You from doing Your Work or other work that Your experience, education or training would allow You to do. Such Disability shall be deemed to start on the day You first consult, or receive treatment from, and are certified as being unfit to work by, a Doctor.

"Disabled": You suffering from Disability and being under the continued supervision of, and receiving treatment from, a Doctor.

"Doctor": a medical practitioner practising in the United Kingdom being a fully registered person under the Medical Act 1983, other than You, Your Partner or any of Your co-habitees or relatives.

"Employment": You working for remuneration under a contract of employment and paying Class 1 National Insurance contributions.

"End Date" : the earliest of the following dates:-
  1. the date of Your death; or
  2. the date You reach the age of 65; or
  3. the date on which You permanently retire from Work; or
  4. the date on which a premium due has remained unpaid by You after allowing a 25 day period of grace for premium payment; or
  5. the redemption date of Your Mortgage or Your Repayment Date.


If two (or more) named parties are covered by this Policy, then, in the event of i, ii or iii, above applying to one of the named parties, full cover shall remain in force under the Policy in respect of the other named party/ies.

"Insurer": AXA Insurance UK plc, registered number: 78950 whose registered office is 5 Old Broad Street, London EC2N 1AD.

"Maximum Benefit Period": The maximum number of months (as shown in Your Policy Schedule that Monthly Benefit will be paid in respect of any one claim under this policy.

"Monthly Benefit" : Means either of the following:
  1. if cover has been taken to protect Your Mortgage the current contractual monthly repayment due under Your Mortgage including an additional amount to cover Your Egg Home Insurance premiums and the monthly premium due under this Policy, as at the commencement of Your Disability or Unemployment. If You do not have an Egg Mortgage or an Egg introduced Mortgage then the Monthly Benefit will be the amount shown on Your Schedule; or
  2. if cover has been taken to protect Your Egg secured loan the monthly amount (or the monthly equivalent if payments under the Agreement are made other than on a monthly basis) due from You to Egg under the original terms of the Agreement.


"Mortgage" : a mortgage agreement in respect of residential property in the United Kingdom.

"Normal Pregnancy and Childbirth Related Conditions": Any symptoms which normally accompany a pregnancy and/or childbirth (including those related to multiple pregnancy) and which do not represent an unusual or significant hazard to mother or baby.

"Partner": Your husband or wife or the person (whether or not of the same sex) who You permanently live with in a similar relationship.

"Period Of Insurance" : the period from the Start Date to the End Date.

"Pre-existing Condition" :
  1. a condition for which treatment and or advice has been suggested by a Doctor in the 12 month period prior to the Start Date which re-occurs within 24 months after the Start Date; or
  2. a condition which has been diagnosed by a Doctor during the 12 month period prior to the Start Date which re-occurs within 24 months after the Start Date; or
  3. a condition, whether diagnosed or not, for which significant and substantive symptoms were experienced or for which investigations have been commenced by a Doctor in the 12 month period prior to the Start Date which re-occurs within 24 months after the Start Date; or
  4. a chronic or continuing disease that You were aware of at the Start Date.


"Repayment Date": the date on which the final repayment or payment under the original terms of Your Agreement become due.

"Schedule": The document which provides details of Your individual cover under this policy.

"Self-Employment/Self Employed": You actively working alone or in partnership with others and paying Class 2 National Insurance contributions and being assessable to Income Tax under Schedule D Case I or II or the equivalent under another tax jurisdiction.

"Start Date": the start date of Your cover as shown in Your Schedule.

"Unemployment/Unemployed" : You being entirely out of Work and being registered for work with the relevant Government agency and in receipt of Job Seekers Allowance (or the equivalent benefit should this change). You must be actively looking for Work.

Additionally, if You are Self-Employed Your business must have totally and permanently ceased to trade as a direct result of it being unable to pay its debts as and when they fell due.

If You are a woman who has reached statutory pensionable age You will be considered as Unemployed if You provide evidence throughout the period of Your claim that You are looking for Work.

"United Kingdom" : England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland.

"U.K. Resident": a person who lives lawfully in the United Kingdom for at least 40 weeks in any 52 week period throughout the Period of Insurance.

"We, Us, Our": Egg, a trading name of the Egg group of companies including Egg Banking plc, (registered number: 2999842) and Egg Financial Intermediation Ltd (registered number: 3828289). Registered in England and Wales. Registered Offices at Citigroup Centre, Canada Square, London E14 5LB.

"Work": being in Employment or Self-Employed.

"You, Your" : a U.K. Resident who has applied for this insurance and has agreed to pay the appropriate premium under this policy and who at the Start Date is:-
  1. a named party to a Mortgage if cover has been taken to protect Your Mortgage or the first named party to Your Agreement if cover has been taken to protect Your secured loan;
  2. over the age of 18;
  3. under 65; and
  4. in Work and has been so continuously for the previous 6 months.
Where a legal statute is referred to in this policy it shall mean the statute as amended at the relevant time.

General Conditions

These conditions explain the rules of the policy.

1. This insurance shall be for monthly periods and the premium shall be due monthly on the same date as the monthly repayment under Your Mortgage or Your Agreement. During the Period of Insurance this cover shall automatically be renewed on the same date provided the premium is paid and is accepted by the Insurer.

2. No provision or condition of this policy may be waived or modified except by an endorsement signed by an authorised official on the Insurer's behalf.

3. If any information provided by You or anyone acting on Your behalf to Us or the Insurer is inaccurate or if You fail to disclose any information which might reasonably affect the Insurer's decision to provide insurance to You, Your right to any benefit under this policy shall end.

4. You must not act in a fraudulent manner

If You or anyone acting for You

  • make a claim under the Policy knowing the claim to be false or fraudulently exaggerated in any respect; or

  • make a statement in support of a claim knowing the statement to be false in any respect; or

  • submit a document in support of a claim knowing the document to be forged or false in any respect; or

  • make a claim in respect of any loss or damage caused by Your wilful act or with Your connivance.

Then the Insurer

  • shall not pay the claim;

  • shall not pay any other claim which has been or will be made under the policy;

  • may at its option declare the policy void;

  • shall be entitled to recover from You the amount of any claim already paid under the policy;

  • shall not make any return of premium;

  • may inform the police of the circumstances.

5. Should You find that the cover does not meet Your needs and You wish to cancel this policy, You may do so within 30 days of the Start Date shown on Your Schedule. To cancel Your policy simply return Your Schedule and this policy to Us marked 'cancelled'. Provided You have not made any claims under the policy, any premiums You have paid will be refunded.

6. The Insurer may at any time change any term or condition of this policy including the premium payable by giving not less than 30 days written notice of such change to You at Your last known address.

7. The Insurer may terminate insurance cover under this policy by giving not less than 90 days written notice to You at Your last known address. If a substitute scheme is being offered 30 days written notice of termination will be given. The Insurer's termination will not affect the Insurer's liability for events occurring during the Period of Insurance which may give rise to a claim.

8. You may terminate Your cover under this policy by giving not less than 30 days written notice to Us.

9. It is not possible for You to transfer Your rights under this policy.

10. All benefits payable under this policy to meet Your Egg mortgage, insurance commitments or Egg secured loan repayments shall be paid to direct to Egg, otherwise benefits shall be payable to You.

11. All premiums for this policy must continue to be paid whilst You are claiming Benefits under this policy.

12. It is a pre-condition of the Insurer's liability that You comply with all parts of this policy and that You take all reasonable steps to minimise the Insurer's risk and ongoing liability under this policy.

13. Insurers share information with each other to prevent fraudulent claims via a register of claims. A list of participants is available on request. Any information You supply on a claim, together with information You have supplied on any application form and other information relating to a claim, will be provided to the register participants.

14. The Insurer is covered by the FSCS, which is triggered when an authorised firm goes out of business. In this unlikely event You may be entitled to compensation from the scheme. Compensation under the scheme for:

  • Compulsory Insurance in full.

  • Non-compulsory insurance is protected in full for the first £2000 and 90% of any amount above this threshold.

Full Details are available at www.FSCS.org.uk

Important Information about Your cover

Unemployment


The terms and conditions will vary according to how Your Unemployment comes about and the nature of Your employment contract at that time, therefore it is important that You tell Us as soon as possible, in writing, of any change that may affect this insurance, for example, a change from Employment to Self-Employment or vice versa. If You are in any doubt about whether a particular change in Your circumstances need to be advised to Us, then please ask.

The terms and conditions for policyholders who are in Employment will differ from those who are Self-employed.

If You are Self-Employed Yourbusiness must have totally and permanently ceased to trade as a direct result of it being unable to pay its debts as and when they fell due. The onus will be on You to provide such proof of this in the event of any claim. (Such evidence may include bank statements, accounts and other verification that the business is no longer viable).

Policyholders who are working on fixed-term contracts of employment will need to fulfill certain criteria in order to qualify for benefit under the Unemployment Part of this policy as detailed in section B - Unemployment Insurance. Whatever type of employment contract You hold, any period of Unemployment which is notified to You or begins during the first 30 days of Your cover (60 days if Your Mortgage was more than three months old at the Start Date) will not qualify for the payment of Monthly Benefit.

To be considered as Unemployed, You must be in receipt of Job Seekers Allowance. This requirement may not apply if You are Self Employed because You may not qualify for Job Seekers Allowance, provided You are receiving National Insurance Credits.

If You commence Work outside of the United Kingdom during the Period of Insurance You will be able to claim subject to all other terms and conditions provided that proof of Your continuing Unemployment is provided by the appropriate Employment Office in the United Kingdom.

Disability

If You commence Work outside of the United Kingdom You will be able to claim subject to all other terms and conditions provided that proof of Your continuing Disability is provided by a Doctor resident in the United Kingdom.

Change of claim

Should the nature of Your claim change from Disability to Unemployment, or vice versa, this will not be treated as a new claim but will be considered a continuation of the original event subject to the Insurer not being required to pay more than the Maximum Benefit Period as shown in Your Schedule.

BENEFITS

SECTION A - ACCIDENT & SICKNESS INSURANCE
(Your Schedule will show if You have chosen this Cover)

The Insurer will pay:-

Daily Benefit, payable monthly in arrears, if, during the Period of Insurance, You suffer Disability.

Please note payment of Daily Benefit is subject to the following conditions:-

1. You must have been
  1. Disabled for a continuous period of at least 30 days after which Daily Benefit shall become payable; and

  2. Daily Benefit shall then become payable in respect of each additional consecutive day that You are Disabled until the earliest of the following dates:-
    1. the date on which You cease to be Disabled or fail to provide proof that You are Disabled; or
    2. the date on which You return to Work; or
    3. the date on which the Insurer has paid Monthly Benefit for the Maximum Benefit Period; or
    4. the End Date.


2. No benefit is payable for the first 30 days of Disability.

3. The maximum Monthly Benefit payable under the Accident & Sickness Insurance Section of this Policy is £2,000.

4. If the Insurer stops paying Monthly Benefit because Monthly Benefits for the Maximum Benefit Period have been paid in respect of any one Disability claim then You will not be entitled to any further Daily Benefit under the Accident & Sickness Insurance part of this policy until You have returned to Work for a continuous period of at least 6 months if Your Disability results from the same cause or condition.

5. If You have received Monthly Benefit for less than the Maximum Benefit Period and You suffer a subsequent period of Disability where two periods of Disability, are separated by six calendar months or less the Insurer will treat this as one continuous claim.

6. Subject to paragraphs 4 and 5 above, You will not be entitled to any further Daily Benefit under the Accident & Sickness Insurance Part of this Policy until You have returned to Work for a continuous period of at least one month.

7. Benefit shall not be payable under the Accident & Sickness Insurance Section of this policy if You are currently receiving benefit under the Unemployment Insurance part of this policy.

8. Where joint cover has been chosen the proportion of Your monthly repayment shown on Your Schedule shall be payable.

EXCLUSIONS - What is NOT covered.

The Insurer will not pay benefits if Your Disability results, directly or indirectly, from:-
  1. intentionally self-inflicted bodily injury; or
  2. Normal Pregnancy and Childbirth Related Conditions (see Special Notes below); or
  3. Your consumption of alcohol or You taking drugs otherwise than under the direction of a Doctor (provided that such direction is not given due to Your treatment for drug addiction or dependence); or
  4. Civil Disorder; or
  5. any psychotic or psychoneurotic illness, mental or nervous disorder or stress or stress related condition unless the condition has been diagnosed by a Consultant Psychiatrist and You are under continued supervision of and receiving treatment from a Consultant Psychiatrist; or
  6. backache and related conditions unless there is radiological evidence of medical abnormality resulting in Disability; or
  7. a Pre-existing Condition; or
  8. ionising radiations or contamination by radioactivity from any nuclear waste from the combustion of nuclear fuel or the radioactive, toxic, explosive or other hazardous properties of any explosive nuclear assembly or nuclear component thereof.
Special Notes:

When a claim is made by You for a pregnancy or childbirth related condition, the Insurer may refer to a Doctor who specialises in Obstetrics for an opinion as to whether the condition is a Normal Pregnancy and Childbirth Related Condition. The Insurer will consider this opinion to be final.

SECTION B - UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE (Your Schedule will show if You have chosen this Cover)

What is Covered.

The Insurer will pay:-

Daily Benefit, payable monthly in arrears, if, during the Period of Insurance, You become Unemployed.

Please note payment of Daily Benefit is subject to the following conditions:-

1. i. You must have been Unemployed for a continuous period of at least 30 days, after which Daily Benefit shall become payable; and

ii. Daily Benefit shall become payable in respect of each additional consecutive day that You are continuously Unemployed until the earliest of the following dates:-
  1. the date on which You cease to be Unemployed or fail to provide proof that You are Unemployed; or
  2. the date on which You return to Work; or
  3. the date on which the Insurer has paid Monthly Benefit for the Maximum Benefit Period in respect of any one Unemployment claim; or
  4. the End Date.
2. No benefit is payable in respect of the first 30 days of Unemployment.

3. The maximum Monthly Benefit payable under the Unemployment Insurance Part of this Policy, is £2,000.

4. If the Insurer stops paying Monthly Benefit because Monthly Benefits for the Maximum Benefit Period have been paid in respect of any one unemployment claim then You will not be entitled to any further Daily Benefit under the Unemployment Insurance part of this policy until You have returned to Work for a continuous period of at least six months

5. Where You are Unemployed for two periods separated by less than 6 calendar months the Insurer will treat this as one continuous claim.

6. If, whilst You are Unemployed You wish to commence temporary work then, provided You have first contacted the Insurer and have given the Insurer full details of the temporary work and have received the Insurer's agreement, if the temporary work does not continue for more than 6 months the Insurer will not, during that period, pay Monthly Benefit but will treat Your claim as suspended and will thereafter commence, or resume, payment of Monthly Benefit as if You had one continuous claim.

7. Benefit shall not be payable under the Unemployment Insurance Section of this policy if You are currently receiving benefit under the Accident & Sickness Insurance Section of this policy.

8. Where joint cover has been chosen the proportion of Your monthly repayment shown on Your Schedule shall be payable.

EXCLUSIONS - What is NOT covered.

The Insurer will not pay Unemployment benefits if :-
  1. You became Unemployed or received verbal or written notification of Unemployment within 30 days of the Start Date (60 days if Your Mortgage was more than three months old at the Start Date) or at the Start Date You knew or in the reasonable opinion of the Insurer You had reason to believe You were to become Unemployed; or
  2. Your becoming Unemployed is in any manner voluntary; or
  3. You are, at the date You become Unemployed engaged in Work:-
    1. from which becoming Unemployed is a seasonal occurrence ; or
    2. under a fixed-term contract of employment or contract for services, the term of which will expire before the termination date (for circumstances where this exclusion will not apply see Special Notes below).
  4. Your becoming Unemployed results directly or indirectly from:-
    1. Civil Disorder; or
    2. ionising radiations or contamination by radioactivity from any nuclear waste from the combustion of nuclear fuel or the radioactive, toxic, explosive or other hazardous properties of any explosive nuclear assembly or nuclear component thereof; or
  5. You were employed on a temporary basis or employed by an employer for a specific task or job and the completion of this task or job has resulted in Your Unemployment; or
  6. If You are in receipt of a payment in lieu of notice Your Unemployment will not be deemed to have started until the final day after the period covered by the payment in lieu of notice and Your entitlement to benefit will not start until 30 days after the expiry of the period for which You have received payment in lieu of notice.
  7. You become Unemployed as a result of Your own act, omission or negligence.


Special Notes

Exclusion (iii. b.) will not apply in the following circumstances:

1. You become Unemployed due to the expiry of, or during, a fixed term contract and You have been employed on an yearly renewable contract which has been renewed at least once.

2. You become Unemployed due to the expiry of, or during, a fixed term contract and You have been in employment for a total unbroken period of 2 years or more with the same employer.

In addition, if You are unable to meet the employment criteria in 1 and 2 above, and Your contract has been terminated before the due expiry date, You will be eligible to claim benefit for the period until the original expiry date of the fixed-term contract, subject to Monthly Benefit being paid for the Maximum Benefit Period.

How to make a claim

In the event of You needing to make a claim please contact the Claims Helpline on 0845 120 5203*

*Telephone calls may be monitored or recorded to assist with staff training and for quality control purposes.

You may contact the Claims Helpline using TypeTalk, Telephone 08001 0845120 5203.

Notice of any claim should be given within 120 days of the date of the event giving rise to that claim together with, at Your expense, such information and proof as the Insurer may reasonably require. If such notice and information is not given within this 120 day period then, other than in exceptional circumstances, no benefits will be paid in respect of the claim.

Throughout any period for which Disability or Unemployment benefits are claimed You should provide, at Your expense, such proof of continued Disability or Unemployment as may be reasonably required by the Insurer, and other than in exceptional circumstances, no benefits shall be payable for any period for which the required substantiating proof is not provided.

The Insurer may require You, at its expense, to be examined by a medical examiner of its choice. If You fail to attend any such examination, no further benefit shall be payable.

The Insurer may also arrange for an agent to visit You. The purpose of any such visit will be to gather details relating to Your claim in order to ensure an accurate assessment. It is essential that You make Yourself available for any such visit. If You fail to do so, no further benefit shall be payable.

When making a claim for Unemployment, Your claim may be selected for Back to Work Assistance. This specialised service is designed to provide help, guidance and assistance with Your job search and is provided at the Insurer's expense.

If Your claim is selected, Your claim details will be provided to the Insurer's Back to Work Assistance service provider, MENTOR Professional Services Ltd. The full address for MENTOR Professional Services is available upon request.

Caring for our customers

We realise that things can go wrong and there may be occasions when You feel that we have not provided the service You expected. When this happens We want to hear about it so We can try and put things right. If You have cause for complaint it is important You know We are committed to providing You with an exceptional level of service and customer care.

Who to contact?

The most important factors in getting Your complaint dealt with as quickly and efficiently as possible are:
  • to be sure You are talking to the right person and
  • That You are giving them the right information
So We begin by establishing Your first point of contact:

Step One - initiating your complaint:

Does Your complaint relate to

A Your Policy?
B a claim on Your Policy?

If A You need to contact the Customer Relations Team, Egg Mortgages, Waterfront West, Brierley Hill, DY5 1LU. Telephone: 08451 233 233 and follow the options for Mortgage Servicing. Or e-mail at cro.support@egg.com

If B You need to contact Egg Mortgages, St Andrews House, Portsmouth Road, Esher, Surrey, KT10 9SA. Telephone 0845 300 3197.

We expect that the majority of complaints will have been quickly and satisfactorily resolved at this stage but if You are not satisfied You can take this matter further.

Step Two - contacting AXA Head Office

If Your complaint is one of the few that cannot be resolved by this stage write to the Head of Customer Care who will arrange for an investigation on behalf of the Chief Executive:

Customer Care
AXA Insurance
Civic Drive
Ipswich
IP1 2AN
Or You may use e-mail customercare@axa-insurance.co.uk

Or telephone 01473 205 926 or fax 01473 205 101.

Step Three - beyond AXA

If the Insurer has given You their final response and You are still dissatisfied You may refer Your case to the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS).

The FOS is an independent body that arbitrates on complaints about general insurance products. It will only consider complaints after the Insurer has provided You with written confirmation that their internal complaints procedure has been exhausted.

Financial Ombudsman Service
South Quay Plaza
183 Marsh Wall
London E14 9SR

Telephone (0845) 600 6666 Fax (020) 7964 1001

Referral to the Financial Ombudsman will not affect Your right to take legal action against Us.

The Law Applicable to this Contract
You and the Insurer are free to choose the law applicable to this contract. In the absence of an agreement to the contrary the law of England and Wales will apply. If You reside in Scotland or Northern Ireland the law applicable to that appropriate country will apply.

The Legal footnote
Egg banking plc sells payment protection insurance only on behalf of AXA Insurance plc, Egg Banking plc and AXA insurance plc are authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority. This can be checked on the FSA's register by visiting the FSA's website at www.fsa.gov.uk/register or by contacting them on 0845 606 1234.

Confidential and independent counselling
Your Policy includes a confidential and independent counselling programme. The service provides You and Your immediate family with assistance, practical help and guidance on:

i. medical information;
ii. stress counselling.

Telephone: 0845 300 2081 and quote 'Mortgage Benefit Protection'. Lines are open 24 hours a day 365 days a year.

There is also an unemployment support helpline available which includes:

i. access to a job vacancy database;
ii. practical help and guidance on returning to work;
iii. personal and legal advice.

Telephone: 0845 300 2082 and quote 'Mortgage Benefit Protection'. Lines are open 9 to 5 Monday to Friday.

Fully trained professional and advisory staff operate these helplines.

These services are free of charge except for the cost of Your telephone call.