How do I claim waiver of premium?

Waiver of premium is an add-on that keeps a protection policy going when illness or injury stops you working. If your plan includes it, the insurer covers your premiums for you and you do not lose the cover¹. It usually costs extra, and it is normally chosen when you first apply rather than added later².

The claim itself is straightforward in shape: tell the insurer, complete its claim form, and let it gather evidence from your employer and your doctor. What varies is the detail. One insurer takes claims on two different phone numbers depending on your policy number, and describes its online claims form as the quickest route¹. Another asks you to keep paying premiums while it assesses the claim¹. A third suspends premiums straight away once you notify it and agree to any steps its claims specialist recommends⁴.

This page covers what the benefit does, why eligibility usually depends on the original application, how to start a claim, how to choose between an online form and the phone, and what happens if the insurer says no.

What waiver of premium does for your policy

The benefit is a premium payment mechanism, not a payout. While you are off work ill and the claim is accepted, the insurer pays the premiums that would otherwise come out of your account, so the policy stays in force and the cover is not lost⁷. Age UK's jargon checker describes it as a feature on a personal pension plan or life insurance plan that guarantees your contributions will be paid for a period of time, usually by the insurer, if you are ill or lose your job⁵.

The detail sits in the policy wording. Zurich says it will start paying premiums once the claim is accepted, for as long as you remain incapacitated as defined in the policy terms and conditions, and that it will regularly review the claim to check you still meet the relevant requirements¹. That review matters: the benefit is not a one-off decision.

It also ends on its own terms. Zurich states it will not pay premiums after the waiver of premium benefit on the policy ends, which may be before the actual policy ends, and that payments stop if evidence shows you are no longer incapacitated or if the incapacity is excluded under the benefit¹. Royal London's older policy conditions take a similar line: the benefit is not provided, and premiums continue to be payable, for any period before the insurer receives written notice of the claim and satisfactory evidence of incapacity⁹.

Waiting periods differ by product. Legal & General's Whole of Life Protection Plan waives the premium after 26 weeks if the policyholder cannot work due to illness or injury, as an option available for an additional cost⁶. Dentists Provident's foundation plan waives premiums for the duration of a claim from the month after the claimant has received benefit payments for a total of three months, and refunds the premiums paid for those three months¹⁰.

You can only claim if you added it when you applied

This is the single most common reason a waiver of premium claim cannot be made. Nationwide states it twice, on its critical illness and life insurance claim pages: you can only make a waiver of premium claim if you chose to add it to your policy when you originally applied².

That does not mean every policy is the same. Some products include it automatically. Exeter's Income First income protection includes waiver of premium as standard¹¹. Phoenix Life says that during any claim where it is paying money to the policyholder, the monthly premium does not have to be paid¹². Royal London offers Waiver of Premium (Sickness) as an add-on to its tailored plans¹³, and Legal & General's whole of life plan offers it as an optional extra at additional cost, subject to eligibility criteria and restrictions⁶.

Adding it later is unusual but not unheard of in the wider insurance market. The Post Office's travel insurance excess waiver can be selected when taking out the policy or added later to an existing policy through a self-service portal¹⁴. That is a different product with a different purpose, but it shows the principle: whether an add-on can be bolted on afterwards is a product-by-product question, and the answer is in the terms.

How to make a waiver of premium claim

The process follows a pattern across insurers, even where the wording differs.

1. Notify the insurer. Aviva asks policyholders to tell it about a waiver of premium claim by phone or online so it can get the process under way⁴. Zurich directs claimants to its online claims form or to the phone line for their policy¹.
2. Complete and return the claim form. Aviva's process is to complete and return a claim form after the initial notification⁴.
3. Consent to evidence gathering. Aviva writes to your employer, if you have one, and your doctor to confirm the details⁴.
4. Keep paying premiums unless told otherwise. Zurich states you need to maintain your regular premiums as normal while it confirms whether the claim has succeeded¹.
5. Wait for the assessment. Zurich says it starts paying premiums once the assessment is complete and the claim is accepted¹.

The evidence stage is where most of the time goes, because it depends on third parties. The insurer needs to establish that you meet the definition of incapacity in your policy, which is why it approaches your doctor and, where relevant, your employer.

Online form or phone: choosing how to claim

Both routes exist, and the right one depends on your insurer rather than on any general rule.

Zurich describes its online claims form as the quickest and easiest way to notify a claim, and also publishes phone numbers for policyholders who prefer to call¹. Aviva accepts notification by phone or online⁴. Where an insurer offers both, the online form usually creates a dated record of the notification, which matters because Royal London's conditions treat the date the insurer receives written notice as the point from which the benefit can run⁹.

Phone lines are the better fit where the claim is complicated, where you want to ask what evidence will be needed before you start, or where you do not have your policy documents to hand. They are also the only route with some insurers.

The pattern across UK claims generally is that both channels are normal. Attendance Allowance can be claimed online, on paper or by phone¹⁶, benefit claims usually involve a form on paper or online or a telephone call¹⁷, and Northern Ireland's Discretionary Support takes applications online or by phone¹⁸. Bereavement Support Payment can be started by calling the Bereavement Service helpline on 0800 151 2012, by downloading a form to print and post, or by asking a local Jobcentre Plus to send a paper form¹⁹. The Financial Services Compensation Scheme can be claimed by phone on 0800 678 1100 or by post²⁰.

What phone number do I call to make a waiver of premium claim?

There is no single number. Each insurer runs its own claims lines, and at least one splits them by policy number.

Zurich takes waiver of premium claims on 0370 240 0073 for policies starting with PR, and on 0370 243 0827 for policies not starting with PR¹. That is the clearest illustration of why the policy number matters: the same insurer, the same benefit, two different lines.

For any other insurer, the number is on the policy schedule, in the claims section of its website, or in the policy booklet. Where a claim is made by phone, it is worth having the policy number, your National Insurance number and details of your GP to hand, because the insurer will need to identify the policy and start the medical evidence process.

How do I check whether my policy includes waiver of premium?

Three places will tell you.

• The policy schedule. This is the summary issued when the policy starts, listing the benefits and any add-ons you are paying for.
• The policy terms and conditions. These set out what the benefit does, when it starts, how long it lasts and what counts as incapacity. Royal London's conditions, for example, run to a defined benefit with its own notice and evidence requirements⁹.
• The insurer. If the documents are unclear, ask. Insurers hold the record of what was applied for and what was accepted.

The distinction between having the benefit and not having it is stark. With it, an illness that stops you working does not put the policy at risk. Without it, the options are a payment holiday or a repayment plan, and Cavendish Online advises speaking to your insurer before deciding¹⁵. Term life insurance, whole of life insurance, critical illness cover and income protection pages all describe the same fallback position where the plan does not include waiver of premium⁷.

One related point is worth knowing, because it affects what happens if your health changes after the policy starts. Once a policy is in place, the premiums cannot be increased, and as long as you made full and honest disclosures on your application and keep paying, the policy cannot be cancelled²¹. Which? states the same for a cancer diagnosis: once a policy is in place, the premiums cannot be increased²². A few insurers allow a declaration that you have given up smoking, and will reduce premiums, but most will not discount an existing policy²¹.

If the claim is turned down

A declined waiver of premium claim usually turns on the definition of incapacity, on whether the benefit was included at all, or on the evidence. The first step is to ask the insurer for its decision in writing and the reasons for it.

If you remain dissatisfied, protection insurance complaints can go to the Financial Ombudsman Service, which is free to consumers. The ombudsman's published approach to insurance complaints shows how it weighs the evidence and what it expects of firms, including in disputes where the customer and the insurer disagree about what a policy covers²³.

Where the problem is money rather than the decision itself, free and impartial help is available. MoneyHelper offers guidance on protection insurance and on complaining about a financial firm, and debt advice charities can help where premiums have become unaffordable. If the insurer has failed and cannot pay, the Financial Services Compensation Scheme can be claimed by phone on 0800 678 1100 or by post²⁰.