Non-Disclosure and the Duty to Answer Fairly

UK consumer insurance law asks you to take reasonable care not to make a misrepresentation. “I forgot” is a weak defence when medical records say otherwise.

What “answer fairly” means

Read each question. If it asks about GP consultations in five years, list them. If you are unsure, say so — insurers can investigate. Reckless or deliberate misrepresentation can void a claim entirely.

Common tripwires

Blood pressure readings, mental health referrals, abnormal smears, and “it was nothing” investigations appear in notes. Family history questions have defined degrees of relatives — follow the form, not your intuition.

After you are accepted

Keep acceptance schedules and any special terms. If you need to increase cover later, new disclosures apply to the increase. Do not cancel old cover until new cover is on risk.

Practical next steps

Treat this topic as a decision with paperwork attached. Write down the household facts that matter — who depends on income, which debts must clear, and which workplace benefits already exist — before you compare products. A clear brief stops glossy quotes from steering the plan.

When you speak to an insurer or adviser, ask for definitions and exclusions in writing, and keep PDFs of every illustration you rely on. Markets and underwriting change; your notes are the audit trail.

• Confirm what cover you already hold (personal and workplace).
• Size need against obligations, not round marketing numbers.
• Align wills, trusts, and nominations with the policy.
• Never cancel old cover until replacement is on risk.

Mistakes families make here

The common failure mode is optimising for the cheapest monthly figure while ignoring structure: joint versus single policies, accelerated versus additional benefits, and whether a trust exists at all. Another is letting group benefits create false confidence until a resignation removes them overnight.

Build a short annual review habit. An hour with schedules and nomination forms prevents most emergency weekends after a diagnosis or redundancy.