Sorry to hear about your loss.
Mortgage protection plans assume an interest rate of 6% and decrease over time using that assumption. As interest rates have been below that for a number of years, there should be a surplus amount of cover. So after the bank have taken the money they need to discharge the debt, the surplus will be paid to you. The same applies if you had a level term policy (one that stays the same). The bank only take what they need and the actual cover does not decrease in line with your actual mortgage, just assumptions.
Steven
http://www.bluewaterfp.ie (www.bluewaterfp.ie)