The Exeter Income Protection Insurance
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The Exeter Income Protection – Introduction
Overview
Established in 1927 as The Exeter Family Friendly Society, “The Exeter” is one of the UK’s largest mutuals.
With no shareholders to please or dividends to pay, The Exeter are vocal on putting people before profit. Profits are re-invested to keep premiums affordable, improve policies, pay out on claims quickly and ensure high levels of service.
Their income protection policies come with a number of member benefits as standard.
Contact Details
Website: www.the-exeter.com
Income Protection Claims Line: 0300 123 3201
Online Claims: www.the-exeter.com/make-a-claim/
Address: The Exeter, Lakeside House, Emperor Way, Exeter EX1 3FD
FCA Register: https://register.fca.org.uk
The Exeter Customer Reviews
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The Exeter use Trustpilot to collect reviews for their life insurance, income protection, health insurance and cash plans. As of May 2024 they have a total of 823 reviews of which 88% have provided either a 5 or 4 star rating. Read The Exeter’s Trustpilot Reviews.
The Exeter 2023 Claims Report
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The Exeter’s Income Protection Claims Statistics state that the organisation paid out on 96% of claims in 2023. Of the 40 claims that the company were unable to pay, 68% of these were due to misrepresentation.
According to The Exeter’s “Why Us” webpage, The Exeter strives to assess claims fairly and may consider paying claims in certain situations where other insurers might not. However, all claims are subject to the terms and conditions of the policy.
Reasons policyholders claimed
Industry Awards
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The Exeter has a 5* Defaqto rating for its Income First policy and in 2023 have won various awards including Best Customer Service Provider, (The Right Mortgage Awards) and Best Insurer for Protecting the Income of People with Higher Risk Occupations, (Protection Guru Awards).
The Exeter Income First
In 2021 The Exeter launched its “Income First” policy which consolidated the insurer’s two previous policies “Income One” and “Pure Protection”. The move helped to simplify The Exeter’s offering and streamline the application process for new members.
Income First can be highly tailored to suit the needs of new policyholders and is available to a wide range of occupations.
The underwriting and application process is aimed to be as straightforward as possible. For example, those under the age of 42 will not be asked to provide routine medical evidence that may be required by other insurers. Additionally, The Exeter only ask for proof of income for policies that have a. monthly benefit of over £6,250 or the fixed benefit option.
Please note: The information provide below should not be considered advice on the suitability of any particular policy for the reader. For a free consultation and full market review speak with Black Lion Insurance today on or request an Income Protection Quote from The Exeter Online.
Monthly Benefit and Maximum Cover
Income First policies provide cover from £500 to £10,000 per month. The maximum amount of cover that can be applied for is up to 60% of the first £100,000 of personal annual taxable income and 40% thereafter.
Incapacity Level
The Exeter will only consider the policyholder’s ability to carry out the tasks of their “own occupation”. Policyholders can make a claim if they “are totally unable to work due to illness or injury”.
Medical Exclusions
The Exeter have no blanket exclusions although policyholders may have exclusions added to their policy due to pre-existing conditions or illnesses or if they enjoy hazardous pastimes.
Deferred Period
The Exeter offer 4, 8, 13, 26 and 52 week “Waiting Period” as well as a “Day 1 cover” and a 1 week deferred period which are likely to be more suitable to self-employed tradespeople who have no sick pay benefit.
Benefit Period
The Exeter offer new policyholders the option of set the “Claims Period” of their policy as either;
Long-term cover: Continues to pay the monthly benefit if the policyholder is unable to work due to illness or injury for the full duration of the policy.
Limited claim period: Reduces the cost of the monthly premiums versus those of a policy with long-term cover with claims periods set to either 2 or 5 years.
Policy Duration
The minimum duration is 5 years although can not end before the policyholder’s 50th birthday and must end before the policyholder’s 70th birthday.
Minimum Eligible Criteria
To apply for The Exeter’s Income First policy applicants must at least meet the following criteria:
- Aged between 18 and 59 years old at the start of the policy.
- In employment or be self-employed and working a minimum of 15 hours per week.
- Be registered with a NHS GP for the last 3 years.
- A UK resident for at least the last 3 years.
Additional Policy Features
HealthWise App
The main benefit offered to Income First policyholders is the HealthWise app which provides a number of health services.
In November 2023, The Exeter announced a number of enhancements to HealthWise that come at no extra cost. The following services can now be accessed by Income First policyholders and their immediate family members;
- Remote GP Appointments: Unlimited consultations via phone or video call with UK-based GPs able to provide clinical advice, make referrals and issue prescriptions.
- Physiotherapy sessions: Up to six consultations a year. Access a network of over 5,000 physiotherapists across the UK with treatment either via the app or in person were required.
- Mental Health support: Up to six remote consultations per year with trained specialists to assess and treat issues such as anxiety, depression and addictions.
- Dietitian & Lifestyle: Remote consultations with registered dietitians and lifestyle and nutritionalists to help with special dietary needs and improve overall wellbeing.
- Second medical opinion service: Access a second medical opinion on a diagnosis.
Annual Health Mot
In addition to the above, the policyholder can also access an Annual Health MOT which is an at-home pin prick blood test that checks 20 different markers to flag a number of potential health issues. Policyholders receive a personalised report and follow up GP consultation.
According to The Exeter’s HealthWise – Feel Better Faster PDF which you can download here, these health beenfits could be worth up to £2,080 per year.
Travelling Abroad
The Exeter’s Income First policy is designed to protect those who live and work in the UK. However, policyholders that suffer an injury or are diagnosed with an illness whilst in a covered country* may still be able to receive up to 3 monthly benefit payments. After 3 months they must return to the UK to continue receiving the benefit.
*As of November 2023, the countries listed in The Exeter’s policy documentation include: The EU, Australia, Canada, Channel Islands, Gibraltar, Iceland, Isle of Man, New Zealand, Norway, Switzerland, USA.
Indicative Quotes
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Example Monthly Premiums shows price of quotes obtained for The Exeter's Income First policy with level cover & guaranteed premiums. Quotes are for a non-smoking individual with a low-risk, office-based occupation (such as Administration, Accounting, Human Resources, IT, Marketing, Software etc). Policy ends on 65th birthday of the insured.
| Policy Type | Age | Monthly Benefit | Deferred Period | Benefit Period | Example Monthly Premium |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Income First | 30 | £1,500 | 4 weeks | 2 years | £20.33 |
| Income First | 30 | £1,500 | 4 weeks | 5 years | £30.13 |
| Income First | 30 | £1,500 | 13 weeks | 34 years | £20.19 |
| Income First | 30 | £1,500 | 4 weeks | 34 years | £34.29 |
| Income First | 40 | £2,500 | 4 weeks | 2 years | £37.66 |
| Income First | 40 | £2,500 | 4 weeks | 5 years | £58.12 |
| Income First | 40 | £2,500 | 13 weeks | 24 years | £46.68 |
| Income First | 40 | £2,500 | 4 weeks | 24 years | £81.92 |
Please Note: These example monthly premiums are based on quotes obtained from The Exeter using information of an individual described above. They are intended for illustrative purposes only and to assist readers better understand and compare the potential price differences between the insurance policies listed. These quotes are not personalised or tailored to specific individual circumstances and may not reflect the actual monthly premium or terms that an individual with a similar overview may receive. For accurate, up-to-date advice and personlised quotes readers should contact Black Lion Insurance.
