First Published August 2006 … Edited May 2010.
Are you facing questions about your same sex partnership? Chris advises one client being asked about his relationship on a Life Assurance application.
John is concerned about disclosing his Civil Partnership status to a Life Assurance company as he would effectively be ‘outing’ himself. He’s applying for £450,000 of Life Assurance and Critical Illness Cover to the age of 65.
John Said…
‘I’m worried about answering personal questions about my relationship and then being asked to take a HIV test by an insurance company. By ticking their Civil Partnership box, I’d be confirming my sexuality on the application form’.
This is an area that I’ve been helping to address with the Association of British Insurers. I’m pleased to announce that the ‘Married/Civil Partnership’ question is to share the same tick-box on application forms—so sexuality cannot be identified.
In line with the HIV and Insurance Guidelines (September 2005), applicants will not be asked directly about their sexuality in any way. The ‘Gay Question’ has been removed from all Life Assurance, Critical Illness and Income Protection applications.
John Continued…
‘We registered our relationship only a couple of months ago, so these types of issues are all very new to us. I want to make sure that my partner is protected properly and my mortgage is paid off in the event of death or serious illness.’
Here’s a guide to answering Life Assurance Questions
Any confirmation of your Civil Partnership should be in the same box as the marriage question. This way you will not be disclosing your sexuality. Obviously if you make a joint application for Life Assurance then the company is going to be aware of sexuality.
(Since this was written the Equality Act has reinforced these guidelines. See below for more details).
You may consider holding separate Life Assurance policies, if you are particularly concerned about submitting a joint application. This can also be a useful way of providing double insurance, providing the costs are reasonable.
There is no direct ‘Gay Question’ on Life Assurance applications any more, but you will be asked about your sexual behaviour. ‘You will be asked ‘Have you been exposed to the risk of HIV infection? HIV can be caught through unsafe sex, intravenous drug abuse, blood transfusions’.
And John?
In this case our sponsors arranged Life Assurance and Critical Illness Cover for £450,000 to cover John’s debts and outstanding Mortgage. He disclosed his partnered/married status without directly disclosing his sexuality, and was not required to take an HIV test.
Editors Notes …. May 2010
All Life Assurance providers now ask ‘single males’ for a HIV test only when applying for Life Assurance Income Protection and Critical Illness cover for amounts of over £1,000,000. Pink Finance is extremely proud to have paved the way for the LGBT community to be treated equally by the insurance industry.
Chris Morgan is the Marketing Manager of Compass www.compassindependent.co.uk , The Gay Mortgage and Insurance Advisers and editor of Pink Finance www.pinkfinance.co.uk The Gay Finance Magazine. He was a consultant to the Association of British Insurers on Gay and HIV and Insurance issues between 2003 and 2008.