Planet Insurance

Insurers and re-insurers are experts in long-term group risk in all kinds of areas.

Last month's issue included a fascinating article on the concept of outsourcing disability benefits to the mutual insurance sector and an income replacement top-up which would be paid in addition to State Benefit (page 6 COVER Aug 2010).

At the time of writing it has certainly been a season of manifestos.

In the horse trading between the Government and Opposition that took place in the run up to the election the Equality Bill received Royal Assent.

In the run up to the election, there are changes on the horizon for regulating insurance, particularly in the area of consumer protection.

The politics of long-term care funding has become very contentious in the run up to the election and the debate has moved from a relatively rational debate on options for the future to emotive political point scoring.

As we approach the election it is worth looking at the Conservatives' ideas on welfare reform.

Last year in COVER, I raised the concept of a consumer focused quality standard for IP (QS) which would be underpinned by an Office of Fair Trading (OFT) approved code of practice.

In November, the UK Forum for Genetics and Insurance (UKFGI) published a report which it commissioned from Professor Sandy Raeburn and myself which suggested possible options for improving the genetics moratorium.

In September the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) published company specific complaints data for the first time while the ABI has published company aggregated data.