Halifax Mortgage Insurance

[RJRB]

Could I make a further suggestion.

I had a major issue with a Halifax ISA where I knew I was 100% in the right,but the Halifax were determined to do me out of a considerable amount of interest.

 

I pursued it to Head Office level and got nowhere.

Went to the Financial ombudsman,who failed to grasp the points I was making ,took an age and I rarely received 2 responses from the same person.. I never received a firm decision but it wasn't looking hopeful.

I read an article by Annie Shaw then financial correspondent in the Daily Express on another issue, but suggesting the complainant contact the ombudsman.

At the time I was fuming at that lot,so I wrote to Annie Shaw with the bare details of my problems.

At her request I emailed full details.She then spoke to a senior official at Halifax and within days I had an apology and arrangement to re-instate my ISA resulting in a payment of some £3000 of interest,which I had virtually written off.

There was no charge from Annie,but I was so surprised and delighted with the outcome.

It seems the threat of bad publicity forced their hand.

I have just looked up Annie Shaw and she is contactable.

Good luck with your claim but in my experience don't hold out too much hope of support from the ombudsman.

[cherriepie]

Could you pm me with her contact details please? I would be very grateful. Thanks

[RJRB]

I have sent you a PM.

[mlfc]

Could I make a further suggestion.

I had a major issue with a Halifax ISA where I knew I was 100% in the right,but the Halifax were determined to do me out of a considerable amount of interest.

 

I pursued it to Head Office level and got nowhere.

Went to the Financial ombudsman,who failed to grasp the points I was making ,took an age and I rarely received 2 responses from the same person.. I never received a firm decision but it wasn't looking hopeful.

I read an article by Annie Shaw then financial correspondent in the Daily Express on another issue, but suggesting the complainant contact the ombudsman.

At the time I was fuming at that lot,so I wrote to Annie Shaw with the bare details of my problems.

At her request I emailed full details.She then spoke to a senior official at Halifax and within days I had an apology and arrangement to re-instate my ISA resulting in a payment of some £3000 of interest,which I had virtually written off.

There was no charge from Annie,but I was so surprised and delighted with the outcome.

It seems the threat of bad publicity forced their hand.

I have just looked up Annie Shaw and she is contactable.

Good luck with your claim but in my experience don't hold out too much hope of support from the ombudsman.

A few of the Sunday papers have this type of column and they love this kind of case where you've been sold something you can never claim on. I've used the Independent (questionsofcash@independent.co.uk) and the Sunday Times and it's been successful each time. All the best

[RJRB]

I have now PM'd you the contact I had.

Good luck

[cherriepie]

If you have mortgage insurance with the halifax and you need to make a claim please beware you will only be allowed to claim once on your policy, as I have found out to my cost. I took out a policy with this bank in 2008 as I have my mortgage with them. I had to make a claim because I became ill shortly after and couldn't afford to pay the mortgage. This claim was paid. 7 years later I needed to claim again, similar situation except this time I've been refused. I sent all the evidence they asked for. The halifax contradict themselves. Firstly if you only work part time and don't pay NI contributions you get nothing, then they change their minds and state you can only claim once over the lifetime of your policy however long you have it for and all the years you pay your premium you are actually paying them back for what they've paid you. In laymans terms it's only a loan. I asked the Financial Ombudsman for help and a year of fighting my case they have refused my claim. So what I've paid in premiums since then covers what I got the first time I claimed. I looked through the terms, even the small print and nowhere does it state anywhere you have to be paying NI contributions or that you can only claim once. So please check your policy and make sure you are getting what you pay for. Shortly after they refused my claim I cancelled my policy and went elsewhere. What is the point of having insurance if you can only claim once over the lifetime of a policy? No one can predict the future.

[SnailyBoy]

If you have mortgage insurance with the halifax and you need to make a claim please beware you will only be allowed to claim once on your policy, as I have found out to my cost. I took out a policy with this bank in 2008 as I have my mortgage with them. I had to make a claim because I became ill shortly after and couldn't afford to pay the mortgage. This claim was paid. 7 years later I needed to claim again, similar situation except this time I've been refused. I sent all the evidence they asked for. The halifax contradict themselves. Firstly if you only work part time and don't pay NI contributions you get nothing, then they change their minds and state you can only claim once over the lifetime of your policy however long you have it for and all the years you pay your premium you are actually paying them back for what they've paid you. In laymans terms it's only a loan. I asked the Financial Ombudsman for help and a year of fighting my case they have refused my claim. So what I've paid in premiums since then covers what I got the first time I claimed. I looked through the terms, even the small print and nowhere does it state anywhere you have to be paying NI contributions or that you can only claim once. So please check your policy and make sure you are getting what you pay for. Shortly after they refused my claim I cancelled my policy and went elsewhere. What is the point of having insurance if you can only claim once over the lifetime of a policy? No one can predict the future.

 

On what grounds did the Financial Ombudsman refuse your claim?

[cherriepie]

It was refused on the basis I already had a claim in 2008 and has more than compensated me for my current claim. Basically what I received was more than what I've paid in premiums every month. I can't claim for mis-selling me the policy either because of a previous claim even though they knew I only worked part time.

Edited August 10, 2015 by cherriepie

[Cyclone]

It seems dishonest to keep taking premiums from you if they knew that they would deny any future claim.

[cherriepie]

Exactly my point. When I phoned to make a claim I was on long term sick and my husband lost his job. We were living on half my wage of approx £300 a month. My premium was roughly £70. When I explained our circumstances to them they assured me my claim would be paid and to keep paying my premium until it's sorted. It was precious money we had to allocate. We were really struggling to pay all our bills out of what we had left but they didn't care! We were left with a year of mortgage arrears which we've had to pay back now.