Legal & General increases immediate cover

Immediate cover is where risk is assumed for an applicant before they are fully underwritten and is suitable for people who need protection urgently. Legal & General has also extended critical illness immediate cover to include those applications taken out for personal loan / mortgage protection, not just for business cover.

The new limits are:

• Life maximum sum assured - £3 millionj (previously £2 million)
• CIC maximum sum assured, business cover - £1.5 million (previously £1 million )
• CIC maximum sum assured, personal loan / mortgage protection - £1.5 million (not previously covered)

Russ Whitworth, underwriting and claims director for protection said: "Immediate cover helps people who need cover straight away, which means we assume risk for them while they are being fully underwritten. This tends to be for high net worth and business applications while we gather the necessary medical evidence For example, by upping the maximum levels of immediate cover that we are prepared to give, we are being more generous and more competitive."