Cant get mortgage protection

wexfordquay · 13-01-2021 1:37pm #1

Hi everyone. Myself and my wife have recently been approved for a mortgage by PTSB for €150,000 pending us getting mortgage protection cover. I am a type diabetic and no insurance company will go near me. The bets I can get is Irish Life will cover me but want to postpone cover for 1 year. They will cover my wife alrite but not me. Any advice on waivers by the bank would be greatly appreciated. Thanks a million.

Lexio7 · 13-01-2021 2:08pm

I am type 1 and managed to get life insurance.

I was required to give some medical reports from my GP.

We took out life insurance with Royal London.

13-01-2021 2:10pm

I had a similar situation when I was trying to get my mortgage with PTSB. In the end they accepted the death in service cover offered by my employer (I think it's 4x annual salary) because that would cover the mortgage if anything happened. If you have similar cover it might be worth exploring that option.

wexfordquay · 13-01-2021 2:28pm

Lexio7 wrote: »

I am type 1 and managed to get life insurance.

I was required to give some medical reports from my GP.

We took out life insurance with Royal London.

I have used 3 different brokers and none could get me any cover. I will try Royal London directly myself?? If you don't mind me asking, did you get cover pre Covid?? In the middle of an epidemic doesn't help the cause. Thanks for the reply.

wexfordquay · 13-01-2021 2:29pm

Deleted User wrote: »

I had a similar situation when I was trying to get my mortgage with PTSB. In the end they accepted the death in service cover offered by my employer (I think it's 4x annual salary) because that would cover the mortgage if anything happened. If you have similar cover it might be worth exploring that option.

I am a civil servent so I do have death in service but its only 2 years which will cover about 60% of the mortgage. I will definitely mention it to the bank alrite. Thanks for the reply.

Meauldsegosha · 13-01-2021 2:33pm

Contact Diabetes Ireland, they may have details of companies that provide cover.

wexfordquay · 13-01-2021 2:39pm

Meauldsegosha wrote: »

Contact Diabetes Ireland, they may have details of companies that provide cover.

I was in touch with them and they gave me a name and number for ERM Financial who they said may be able to get me mortgage protection. I gave him a ring and he was very nice but explained to me that due to Covid diabetics are finding it very hard if not impossible to get cover. Thanks for the reply.

woodchuck · 13-01-2021 3:59pm

Have you tried the broker lion.ie? I've heard great things about them.

wexfordquay · 14-01-2021 3:36pm

woodchuck wrote: »

Have you tried the broker lion.ie? I've heard great things about them.

I was talking to Nick in Lion.ie and he was very helpful but again he couldn't do anything for me unfortunately. Thanks for the reply. Cheers.

Chiliconkeni · 15-01-2021 5:21pm

wexfordquay wrote: »

I was talking to Nick in Lion.ie and he was very helpful but again he couldn't do anything for me unfortunately. Thanks for the reply. Cheers.

Hi there, we had awful trouble getting mortgage protection as my wife had Leukaemia nearly 10 years ago. No matter how much information we gave, we were given crazy quotes - about 390 euro a month etc. When we spoke to insurers and brokers they said this is basically a rejection.

PM me if you like and I'll go through how it worked for us eventually. It is really scandalous how people with a previous medical history are treated here.

Claude Burgundy · 15-01-2021 5:25pm

No help really but its the sort of issue that the likes of Liveline might be able to help with.

I hope you get sorted.

Chiliconkeni · 15-01-2021 5:31pm

Claude Burgundy wrote: »

No help really but its the sort of issue that the likes of Liveline might be able to help with.

I hope you get sorted.

We thought of this too with regard Liveline, but people in these positions are vulnerable enough and don't really want to be airing their medical history to the nation. It is a real tough one.

Chiliconkeni · 15-01-2021 5:42pm

Mortgage Protection Rejection on Health Grounds - What We Did to Overcome it

I thought I would put this up for anyone who had issues with Mortgage Protection being denied/crazily overpriced due to health grounds. Who knows it might help someone.

As I said earlier due to my partner's health history (leukaemia 7 years ago at time of initial application) we have had to pay around €350 a month mortgage protection for the first two years of our mortgage otherwise we couldn't get a house/mortgage. Looking back it was a disgrace. We went to loads of brokers and nothing was working. They said this €350 quote was the insurance companies' way of rejecting you basically. We had no choice but to pay it.

What we did was - in your application- under GP - instead of using regular GP we used our consultant who treated her. The consultant wrote a letter on my wife's health - basically saying she was no greater risk than anyone else etc. From that by using a broker, we now pay about €46 a month on mortgage protection which we are delighted with.

Previously where we went wrong was we would enclose this consultant's letter, but under GP write our local GP. This GP then would be contacted and he would just confirm her diagnosis and say no more. The insurance company would barely look at the letter, and instead focus on the GP's words. By not putting down our GP, and just putting down our consultant they actually looked at the consultant's letter and gave us a good mortgage protection rate.

For anyone wanting more information or to talk through this just PM me.

10pennymixup · 16-01-2021 1:41am

Doesn't affect me per se, but good on you for sharing this info.

universal123 · 16-01-2021 12:54pm

I purchased a house in January last year, Went to 3 companies a local one in Cork, lion and ERM. As far as I'm aware a poor Hba1c above a certain figure (cant remember what the figure was) is grounds for refusing you cover. Eamonn in ERM was great to deal with and said to expect a minimum loading of 200% for anyone with type 1 and it goes up the higher the Hba1c.

Lexio7 · 16-01-2021 10:22pm

wexfordquay wrote: »

I have used 3 different brokers and none could get me any cover. I will try Royal London directly myself?? If you don't mind me asking, did you get cover pre Covid?? In the middle of an epidemic doesn't help the cause. Thanks for the reply.

We used Sherry Fitzgerald as our broker for the mortgage plus all our insurance needs. However this was back in 2015.

wexfordquay · 17-01-2021 1:01pm

universal123 wrote: »

I purchased a house in January last year, Went to 3 companies a local one in Cork, lion and ERM. As far as I'm aware a poor Hba1c above a certain figure (cant remember what the figure was) is grounds for refusing you cover. Eamonn in ERM was great to deal with and said to expect a minimum loading of 200% for anyone with type 1 and it goes up the higher the Hba1c.

I have been in touch with Eamon from ERM and he is amazing. Although he has told me I will find it very hard to get cover in Ireland he has put me in touch with an insurance company in London who I have a chance of getting cover with. Failing that I’m in the lap of the Gods and hope that PTSB grants us a waiver. Thanks for the reply.

wexfordquay · 17-01-2021 1:06pm

Chiliconkeni wrote: »

Mortgage Protection Rejection on Health Grounds - What We Did to Overcome it

I thought I would put this up for anyone who had issues with Mortgage Protection being denied/crazily overpriced due to health grounds. Who knows it might help someone.

As I said earlier due to my partner's health history (leukaemia 7 years ago at time of initial application) we have had to pay around €350 a month mortgage protection for the first two years of our mortgage otherwise we couldn't get a house/mortgage. Looking back it was a disgrace. We went to loads of brokers and nothing was working. They said this €350 quote was the insurance companies' way of rejecting you basically. We had no choice but to pay it.

What we did was - in your application- under GP - instead of using regular GP we used our consultant who treated her. The consultant wrote a letter on my wife's health - basically saying she was no greater risk than anyone else etc. From that by using a broker, we now pay about €46 a month on mortgage protection which we are delighted with.

Previously where we went wrong was we would enclose this consultant's letter, but under GP write our local GP. This GP then would be contacted and he would just confirm her diagnosis and say no more. The insurance company would barely look at the letter, and instead focus on the GP's words. By not putting down our GP, and just putting down our consultant they actually looked at the consultant's letter and gave us a good mortgage protection rate.

For anyone wanting more information or to talk through this just PM me.

Hi there. I’ve only recently been diagnosed (June 2020) so haven’t really seen any kind of consultant or specialist just my GP. I’m fairly certain that in current climate we are in i.e. COVID that anyone with an underlying condition will find it next to impossible to find cover. I’m praying now that PTSB may give me a waiver. It’s my last resort at this stage. Thanks for the reply.

Chiliconkeni · 17-01-2021 5:13pm

wexfordquay wrote: »

Hi there. I’ve only recently been diagnosed (June 2020) so haven’t really seen any kind of consultant or specialist just my GP. I’m fairly certain that in current climate we are in i.e. COVID that anyone with an underlying condition will find it next to impossible to find cover. I’m praying now that PTSB may give me a waiver. It’s my last resort at this stage. Thanks for the reply.

That's very unfortunate. I would definitely speak to your GP, and see exactly what they are basing their refusal on. Perhaps a redrafting of the letter might also help.
You could always get in touch with a consultant at some stage in the future for your care and ask them to provide a letter. Sometimes restarting your application also can work - with a new application no. etc., as often they seemed to just look at the previously rejected one, and reject again.

It's a joke that they are refusing anyone with an underlying condition without it being based on scientific evidence. Hopefully, you get sorted. Multiple brokers were telling me that Royal London is the last resort for a lot of places for mortgage protection.

Wish you the best of luck with it.

heytheredemons · 18-01-2021 11:28am

Not sure if you tried Laya Healthcare, a friend of mine managed to get cover through them with a few health issues (not sure on Diabetes though, but worth a check anyway!)

Claude Burgundy · 18-01-2021 1:21pm

Chiliconkeni wrote: »

We thought of this too with regard Liveline, but people in these positions are vulnerable enough and don't really want to be airing their medical history to the nation. It is a real tough one.

I agree its a tough decision.

wexfordquay · 18-01-2021 2:11pm

Chiliconkeni wrote: »

That's very unfortunate. I would definitely speak to your GP, and see exactly what they are basing their refusal on. Perhaps a redrafting of the letter might also help.
You could always get in touch with a consultant at some stage in the future for your care and ask them to provide a letter. Sometimes restarting your application also can work - with a new application no. etc., as often they seemed to just look at the previously rejected one, and reject again.

It's a joke that they are refusing anyone with an underlying condition without it being based on scientific evidence. Hopefully, you get sorted. Multiple brokers were telling me that Royal London is the last resort for a lot of places for mortgage protection.

Wish you the best of luck with it.

Thanks for the advice. Very much appreciated.

wexfordquay · 18-01-2021 2:12pm

heytheredemons wrote: »

Not sure if you tried Laya Healthcare, a friend of mine managed to get cover through them with a few health issues (not sure on Diabetes though, but worth a check anyway!)

Thanks for the advice but unfortunately I have tried them and no joy.

Laura2021 · 18-01-2021 2:16pm

Has anyone had trouble getting mortgage protection if taking immunosuppressants for a transplant?

spaceHopper · 18-01-2021 3:46pm

Try https://lion.ie/ they were very helpful with to me.
I have haemochromatosis (iron overload that can f1ck up you liver and heart) we were applying for a mortgage for an extension. I'd gotten all my paperwork together, letter from consultant, letter from nurse treating me to say it was going well... in the in the end I got insurance from Irish Life but Lion were very good to deal with.

Because you've only been diagnosed a wet weekend you have no history of treatment, that's probably your biggest problem.

wexfordquay · 18-01-2021 4:47pm

spaceHopper wrote: »

Try https://lion.ie/ they were very helpful with to me.
I have haemochromatosis (iron overload that can f1ck up you liver and heart) we were applying for a mortgage for an extension. I'd gotten all my paperwork together, letter from consultant, letter from nurse treating me to say it was going well... in the in the end I got insurance from Irish Life but Lion were very good to deal with.

Because you've only been diagnosed a wet weekend you have no history of treatment, that's probably your biggest problem.

Hi there. Thanks for the reply. I was talking to Nick in Lion a few times and yes he was very helpful and nice and gave me some good advice but ultimately he couldn't find any place that would insure me. I think between only been diagnosed recently and Covid it is next to impossible for anyone with underlying conditions to get cover.

spaceHopper · 20-01-2021 2:16pm

wexfordquay wrote: »

Hi there. Thanks for the reply. I was talking to Nick in Lion a few times and yes he was very helpful and nice and gave me some good advice but ultimately he couldn't find any place that would insure me. I think between only been diagnosed recently and Covid it is next to impossible for anyone with underlying conditions to get cover.

Could you get your GP to put you down for the vaccine? Would it help?

wexfordquay · 27-01-2021 4:11pm

Hi all. Just a quick update on this one. I got a waiver from PTSB for my mortgage protection. There was a few conditions attached to the waiver like we had to clear a small loan we had from the Credit Union. But all's well that ends well thank God. Thanks for all the replies. Very much appreciated.

hellojoe21 · 27-01-2021 10:45pm

wexfordquay wrote: »

Hi all. Just a quick update on this one. I got a waiver from PTSB for my mortgage protection. There was a few conditions attached to the waiver like we had to clear a small loan we had from the Credit Union. But all's well that ends well thank God. Thanks for all the replies. Very much appreciated.

Great to hear! Congrats

Anyone knows what happens in this case though if you dont have mortgage protection and god forbid, something happened to you? What happens the mortgage?

angel eyes 2012 · 27-01-2021 10:53pm

Laura2021 wrote: »

Has anyone had trouble getting mortgage protection if taking immunosuppressants for a transplant?

Yes, in 2014, most banks wouldn't quote us. Eventually BOI granted a waiver, so we only have to pay mortgage protection cover for one person.

HennyL · 27-01-2021 11:16pm

wexfordquay wrote: »

Hi all. Just a quick update on this one. I got a waiver from PTSB for my mortgage protection. There was a few conditions attached to the waiver like we had to clear a small loan we had from the Credit Union. But all's well that ends well thank God. Thanks for all the replies. Very much appreciated.

Glad to hear you could get the waiver. We were in similar position recently, type 1 diabetic couldn’t get cover due to COVID. Brokers don’t deal with Laya Life but their re-insurers are not Irish and from the people I’ve spoken to, many who can’t get cover from the big six life companies are getting cover there. This could be an option if you wished to try get cover rather than being left without.

This issue was raised in Leinster house by Dessie Ellis recently, response given to him was more or less wait until the pandemic is over to buy a home. An unrealistic and out of touch response. You could contact Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission for info on your rights if you wanted to take this further under grounds of discrimination with the insurer (considering you would be insurable if we weren’t in a pandemic yet others without underlying illnesses can still obtain cover easily while in pandemic also - it’s a bit of a niche and doesn’t fall under an exclusion).

There seems to have been quite a few impacted during COVID and losing out on buying their homes so I would recommend that those people contact Insurance Ireland, Central Bank & local TD’s as there should be some measure in place to prevent this from happening during these unprecedented times.

Best of luck with your new home!

jex30 · 19-02-2021 12:11pm

Does anyone have experience getting a mortgage protection waiver without any death in service benefits or life cover in place. My wife and I are approved for a mortgage without any issues but I have been declined by 3+ insurance underwriters. After discussing with the BOI, they were unprepared to offer a waiver. Does anyone have a similar experience or more luck with other mortgage providers? Thanks!

DubLad69 · 19-02-2021 12:32pm

jex30 wrote: »

Does anyone have experience getting a mortgage protection waiver without any death in service benefits or life cover in place. My wife and I are approved for a mortgage without any issues but I have been declined by 3+ insurance underwriters. After discussing with the BOI, they were unprepared to offer a waiver. Does anyone have a similar experience or more luck with other mortgage providers? Thanks!

I know it would be bad to do so, but I think I would lie to the insurers in this situation. When applying I'd tell them that I was perfectly healthy, never been to see a doctor apart from my yearly check up. Then they won't even ask to see medical files. I'd be screwed then if anything every happened, but I just wouldn't be able to just give up on buying a house.

I'm not saying that you should do that, just that it must be so hard and frustrating to deal with.

Gael23 · 20-02-2021 4:29pm

Contact Nick McGowan at lion.ie

Mrs OBumble · 20-02-2021 4:55pm

DubLad69 wrote: »

I know it would be bad to do so, but I think I would lie to the insurers in this situation. When applying I'd tell them that I was perfectly healthy, never been to see a doctor apart from my yearly check up. Then they won't even ask to see medical files. I'd be screwed then if anything every happened, but I just wouldn't be able to just give up on buying a house.

Very foolish approach.

Insurers aren't doing this for the LOLZ. They would prefer to sell you insurance. But they know the likelihood of a claim - and that effectively means the likelihood of your not being able to pay the mortgage.

Getting the mortgage in the first place is the simplest part, for many people. Keeping it paid for the full term is the hard bit.

wexfordquay · 26-02-2021 12:05pm

jex30 wrote: »

Does anyone have experience getting a mortgage protection waiver without any death in service benefits or life cover in place. My wife and I are approved for a mortgage without any issues but I have been declined by 3+ insurance underwriters. After discussing with the BOI, they were unprepared to offer a waiver. Does anyone have a similar experience or more luck with other mortgage providers? Thanks!

Hi there. I am lucky enough to have gotten a waiver but a couple of days after I received the waiver this crowd https://www.pulse-insurance.co.uk/about-us/
came back to me through my broker and said they would give me cover. It was a little bit more expensive than usual but not bank breaking. The broker I used was Declan Griffin in ERM Financial solutions. Extremely helpful. I'm not sure what your circumstances are but I found it impossible in Ireland to get cover as I'm a type 2 diabetic. I hope this helps and good luck.

bleaks · 28-01-2022 3:38pm

Hi folks,

Think it's a good idea to have an appointment with your doc prior to applying, just for a checkup and discuss whether we'd have anything to worry about on our application, etc? OH was off work due to stress for a few weeks last year (mostly because she hated her work environment), and had previously been on anti-depressants many years ago, short term. Would hate for a bad medical report to affect our chances of getting it or rocket the price for fairly common conditions experienced by a lot of people from time to time. We're both relatively young and healthy people.

OwlRabbitDuck40 · 12-08-2022 11:17am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/116349141#Comment_116349141

I created an account just to second this! I know this is an old thread but when I was having difficulty getting mortgage protection insurance I was trawling the web looking for advice so I thought I would add my experience in case it helps someone.

I had a terminal cancer diagnosis in my youth so I was expecting to have issues, but it was 16 years ago so it was obviously incorrect! I was hopeful there wouldn't be a problem. I first got turned down by Royal London through a broker, and the broker told me if Royal London don't cover you, no one will.

Only because the bank required three rejections before they look for a waiver, I went to VHI. They assured me they would cover almost anyone, but when they got back the GP report, they also refused to cover me. This is three months later now and I was convinced I wouldn't be able to get cover.

Thanks to this thread I went to Nick and Hannah at Lion.ie and they were so fast and helpful; they took my medical history and checked with their contacts and were optimistic that Irish Life would cover me. So I got the GP report for the third time and waited for what seemed like an eternity to hear back from them - the request went to their CMO and finally, they said yes!

It's a slightly higher premium then I would like to pay, so hopefully with the new EU laws they are bringing in, there will be a way to reduce it in the future, but I'm just so delighted to be offered cover. I can't recommend Lion.ie highly enough for their professionalism and thoroughness. They are super quick to respond and if they can help you, they will.

you2008 · 12-08-2022 11:43am

Hi all

Never had mortgage before, Dose anyone know below quote is a good price?

14-08-2022 7:59am

Sounds about average, but the price is dependent on the amount covered and any health issues.

Absolute Zero · 16-08-2022 9:32am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119462712#Comment_119462712

New account with 1 post full of praise for lion.ie, thats definitely not dodgy 🙄.

My partner called them with the same issue and he straight away said no and didn't go any further or offer any advice so the raving reviews we are seeing here from 1 post accounts is not all the truth either. Perhaps it was because she is foreign but what do I know?

If you can provide 3 decline letters to BOI they can possibly waiver or provide a deal for your mortgage protection. It is possible for the underwriter to agree to a reduced MPI amount to help you with repayments.

igord · 17-08-2022 9:39am

How likely is a waiver though? We are dealing with this situation right now and had one-half refusal (joint MPI/one applicant refused), and now applied to two more in hopes of a different result. In case of the 3way strike, we will need to try the waiver, just checking if someone actually managed to get one with BOI?

The whole business is so shady and unregulated that it makes me sick. No clear rules on MPI, can't do it ahead of other steps in the mortgage process (without being sale agreed upon), just a step that can mess up your whole life and be left out for subjective interpretation...

How can the UK, Canada, and Aus have mortgages without compulsory MPI but Ireland puts in law with the worst of everything?

amdublin · 17-08-2022 8:23pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/116075197#Comment_116075197

Nothing happens the mortgage. It needs to be paid back. Either the person who is still living continues to pay the mortgage every month. Or else the house needs to be sold to pay off the mortgage.

spaceHopper · 18-08-2022 1:03pm

@igord

There is nothing to stop you taking out life cover before you have gone sale agreed. Or at least getting quotes.

If you know you have or have had a medical condition that could throw up problems then it's up to you to get ahead of it and have your paperwork in order.

We built an extension on 2018 and I'd been diagnosed with Hemochromatosis, or Iron overload that can damage your liver and heart. It's easily treated and managed.

When we applied for a mortgage top up I had a letter from my consultant, that I was diagnosed on time and expected to live a normal life span.

I'd a letter from the nurse treating me that I was responding well to treatment and I'd set of blood test. I'd no problem getting insurance as result.

I spoke to Nick in Lion, he was very helpful, but ended up going with Irish life as we already had a policy with them from our first mortgage.

igord · 18-08-2022 1:21pm

How do you take out a MPI cover without knowing the mortgage amount? Also where exactly do you get the detail which conditions are accepted and which are not. Just for clarity only thing I have is a well-regulated elevated blood pressure (same as 10-20% people over 40).

spaceHopper · 19-08-2022 1:55pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119489028#Comment_119489028

First time around I got a quote for 260 as I knew we would be borrowing that or less and we got a level pay policy. Second time I got a reducing cover one for a little more that we intended borrowing to give a buffer. Its a quote and a run through the questions to see if there are any catches, you don't need the exact figure just prove you can get cover.

If you've high blood pressure see if your health insurance covers a check up medical and get one, you can give the results to the insurance. That is if you are confident it will be ok. That might get you over the line.

igord · 19-08-2022 8:30pm

Thanks for that info, I will see how it goes with other two insurers we applied with and then figure out our next steps. The one that declined didn't even send the reason after a full week to us. They even said they can review again pending further medical evaluation with no details to it. I called each day during review to check if they need any further info and the answer was that they have all they need. I don't like it one bit.

Maz2016 · 23-08-2022 11:43pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/115930649#Comment_115930649

Amazing tip. Thank you

igord · 24-08-2022 8:06am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119513254#Comment_119513254

I don't get it, how does that even work? If you don't put down your GP, to whom does the PMA go to then? A consultant would not have your full medical history and could not answer the questions in the PMA. If in the second stage in a follow-up to the PMA you could point them to a consultant's letter and/or consultant for detailed answers, that would be beneficial, I can see that. But the insurance companies don't want to engage with you, just your GP. If your GP does not provide the detail needed and does not clarify everything properly (which seems to have happened to me) you are going to get a refusal or a steep rate at best. Again, I feel the 'system' is seriously flawed.

24-05-2023 2:28pm

Hello,

We had applied for mortgage protection and got it approved. We still have time for the drawdown. I had a medical test from my office and waiting on results. Do I need to share the results with the insurance provider since it's already approved?

I am a bit worried because of our family history with type 2 diabetes and High blood pressure.

Do people will type 2 diabetes or pre-diabetes and high Blood Pressure get mortgage protection?

During the test they we checking my blood pressure and it was high because I was nervous.

Please advice if i should inform the insurance company Incase the report indicates higher readings.

We have already signed contracts and paid the deposit and worried about this.

phormium · 24-05-2023 2:54pm

Yes I would, if you have not yet activated the mortgage protection then you are obliged to advise them of anything new that happens, read the small print to see their actual wording but I'd be surprised if it doesn't say something to that effect.

Depending on what if anything comes out of it that will determine if there is a change in the policy, my BP is always sky high when a doc is taking it, white coat syndrome! They usually insist I do a 24 hr monitor thing which I hate but it's usually relatively ok on that.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120635372#Comment_120635372

Cant get mortgage protection

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