# Obese husband refused (mortgage protection) life insurance



## cemel69 (12 Jul 2008)

Hi

I hope someone can avise me what to do. We are in the process of trying to buy our first home.

Now I find out that my husband has been refused mortgage protection life insurance. He is very obese with a BMI of 48. I also may have trouble being a type 2 diabetic but at least they did not refuse me outright. I have to do a full medical and see from there.

What are we going to do now. If we can't get the life insurance for my husband we might not be able to get the mortgage and lose the house.

I have been told by our broker that it is unlikely that any insurance company will take on my husband. 

Is there anyone who has had a similar experience and how did you get on.

Thanks


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## ClubMan (12 Jul 2008)

*Re: obese husband refused life insurance*

Remember that you are not tied to the lender (or their life assurance underwriters) for mortgage protection life assurance. You can shop around. Try a few more places and maybe another broker. If you can't get any or "reasonably priced" cover then the _Consumer Credit Act _allows for lenders to waive the normal requirement for owner occupiers to have mortgage protection life assurance. They are not obliged to do this but you will need to ask the lender. If it is not too late (and depending in your circumstances) then you might even be able to shop around for a lender who is more flexible and maybe even competitive.


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## cemel69 (12 Jul 2008)

*Re: obese husband refused life insurance*

Thanks clubman.  I have just been reading about the waiver.  I have no idea if the lender (First Active) will consider this.  I hope with the current credit crunch that this won't put them off completely.  Our broker is sending us some information about another type of insurance policy (serious illness i think) which we could get for him but obviously this won't be for the same amount of cover.  Hopefully this might help if we are looking for a waiver.


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## ajapale (12 Jul 2008)

In the past there have been several posts on this issue here. Try searching waiver, diabetic, mortgage protection.

You could contact DFI (diabetic federation ireland). They might be able to put you in touch with brokers/providers who specialise in this type of cover.


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## rmelly (12 Jul 2008)

ajapale said:


> In the past there have been several posts on this issue here. Try searching waiver, diabetic, mortgage protection.
> 
> You could contact DFI (diabetic federation ireland). They might be able to put you in touch with brokers/providers who specialise in this type of cover.


 
The biggest problem is the obesity surely, not the diabetes?


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## ajapale (12 Jul 2008)

This question of mortgage protection being declined (for any number of medical and other reasons) is one of the most commonly asked question on AAM.

The DFI are one of many organisations that has experience in getting solutions and work arounds for people.

Mortgage protection 
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Mortgage protection
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Mortgage protection insurance waiver?
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Mortgage protection joint life both declined
Family history / serious illness cover 
do i have to get life assurance with mortgage
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mortgage protection - refused
Life Assurance problem
Refused for mortgage protection
Mortgage protection insurance medical (diabetic)
Shop around 
Life assurance/mortgage protection


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## cemel69 (12 Jul 2008)

Thanks for all the advice and links to other posts.  We will have to wait and see.  Hopefully I will get life insurance for myself and the bank will accept the waiver for my husbands life insurance.


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## enoxy (13 Jul 2008)

Could he go on a diet and tackle his obesity? I don't want to sound harsh but sounds like a no-brainer to me.


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## cemel69 (14 Jul 2008)

enoxy said:


> Could he go on a diet and tackle his obesity? I don't want to sound harsh but sounds like a no-brainer to me.


 

I am hoping that this will be the shock that he needs to do something about his weight.  However, we have already found a house which we want to buy and don't want to have to wait another year or two for him to lose weight before we can get the insurance to get a mortgage.


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## JJ1982 (14 Jul 2008)

enoxy said:


> Could he go on a diet and tackle his obesity? I don't want to sound harsh but sounds like a no-brainer to me.


 
Surely this little piece of advice is not relative to the financial question asked


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## Brendan Burgess (14 Jul 2008)

Hi JJ

It's ok to raise issues which have a direct bearing on the subject even if they are not the actual question asked. For example, people often ask about restructuring loans and they get suggestions to trim their expenditure.

Brendan


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## JJ1982 (14 Jul 2008)

Fair enough Brendan. my point was just that the OP is not responsible for her husbands weight so I didnt think that being told that losing the weight was the no brainer way to go was helpful.

I understnd the guidlines now though.


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## rmelly (14 Jul 2008)

JJ1982 said:


> Fair enough Brendan. my point was just that the OP is not responsible for her husbands weight so


 
Yes, but he is, and he's a party to the mortgage etc.


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## Jimbobp (14 Jul 2008)

Not sure why your broker would be sending you information on serious illness cover. If your husband can't get life cover from that company, he probably has 0 chance of getting SIC cover, which is underwritten more stringently. Did your broker try Caledonian Life? Last case I had with an obese client, that company loaded by 100% but the client got the policy. If the broker is submitting to a new insurer, then make sure you give as much detail as possible to them. Also, if your husband has had a medical for the last insurance company, aks any new company to accept this, most will and it will save him going for repeated medicals and may save time.

Best of luck


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## rmelly (14 Jul 2008)

Jimbobp said:


> Also, if your husband has had a medical for the last insurance company, aks any new company to accept this, most will and it will save him going for repeated medicals and may save time.


 
They are first time buyers. I would imagine that if he had had a previous medical, either it was too long ago for it to be accepted/relevant (he may not have been obese), or it would have warned him about the issue in which case the current situation wouldn't have come as a surprise/shock.


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## Jimbobp (14 Jul 2008)

OP said that her husband was refused MP cover - this was probably after he went for a medical with the company that refused him. My advice was to ask new company to request the medical from company that refused him the policy.


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## rmelly (14 Jul 2008)

Jimbobp said:


> OP said that her husband was refused MP cover - this was probably after he went for a medical with the company that refused him. My advice was to ask new company to request the medical from company that refused him the policy.


 
Sorry, I thought you were talking about a medical for a previous insurer that he had a policy with (or for employment etc) rather than the medical for the insurer that just refused cover.


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## cemel69 (15 Jul 2008)

Hi

thanks again - some interesting points.  My husband was refused outright.  The insurance company in question would not even consider a medical which I cannot understand.

We are also going to try Caledonian life through our mortgage broker.  Maybe they will at least request a medical.  

Re: - serious illness cover - this is a special group scheme which we can join as I am a member of the diabetes federation of ireland and it doesn't require a medical.  Cover is limited but it would be better than nothing.

Again thank you all for your advice.


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## cemel69 (13 Aug 2008)

Just an update.  We could not get cover with any insurer for my husband.  However, I was successful getting cover for myself and luckily our mortgage lender has accepted this.  So we can go ahead with the purchase of the house.  Thank you all for all your advice and help.


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