Life and critical illness payouts increase at L&G

Legal & General has paid increased combined death and critical illness claims for the fifth year running.

The provider paid a total of £373m combined death and critical illness claims, bringing its five year total to £1.6bn in death and critical illness claims.

An average payment per critical illness claim was £58,449m.

A total of £226m was paid out on life claims with 2.2% declined overall. I£147 was paid out on critical illness with 8.2% declined overall.

This total was split into 2.8% for non disclosure in its various forms and 5.4% for not meeting policy definitions.

Russell Whitworth, Underwriting & Claims Director at Legal & General said: "Less than 2% of claims in 2010 were repudiated purely for medical non-disclosure. It is essential we continue to do everything we can to ensure customers understand what they are covered for under the terms of their policy so that we are able to pay as many claims as possible.

"I am proud of these figures; they demonstrate how we have helped nearly 33,000 people, over the last five years, making their lives easier at an extremely difficult time."