Hi,

I’m the community manager for AskUnum and just spotted your post. I'm sorry to hear about the wait you’ve had. We can’t discuss specific cases in this public forum, but please email your details to us at: AskUnum@unum.co.uk and I’ll ask the relevant team to get in touch directly.

It’s perhaps worth mentioning that, if an insurance policy is through work, sometimes it can take time to get paperwork from employers to process and agree a claim. Generally, the more quickly we receive the information we need, the more quickly Unum can process a claim.

Best wishes,

The AskUnum team

I was in the process of posting a reply which was similar to Zeb's good advice, therefore I will just leave the factsheet about income protection published by the FOS......do send any communication to Unum by recorded delivery so that you have some dated evidence.

http://www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk/publications/factsheets/income-protection-insurance.pdf

I am sure that you have had communications with UNUM regarding the claim. has the claim been accepted, have they given any reason for the delay?

If you feel that the speed of the processing is too slow and you have had no communications regarding the claim then you should place a formal complaint and state the position that you are in.

I agree that while certain elements of a cliam may need to be verified the provider also has a respopnsibility to process the claim as quickly as possible to ensure that they are not placed under any further hardship through loss of income than is reasonably possible.

I would like to think that this has happened through an oversight but constant communication should be passed from the provider to yourself as to the claim process.

If you get no joy from the complaint (they can take up to 8 weeks to respond) then the case should be passed onto the ombudsman as 8 months to process a claim is unfair to yourself unless you fully understand the reason why the delay is taking place.

Don't go directly to the ombudsman, they will only refer it back to UNUM and they will then have a further 8 weeks to respond again

After an accident at work I made a claim on my UNUM income protection policy it has now been eight months and have received no income pay out on the policy or a decision regarding the claim.

What should be the average or acceptable time to take for an income protection policy to pay out?.

I have received no income now for eight months I have been forced to sell personal goods while I wait for UNUM to pay my income protection. I watched the TV advert that UNUM are currently running and I get most annoyed at their claim for peace of mind.