Financial Information Forum - we want your questions

Hi there @Lady Di I’m hearing you. My story slightly different but similar and if you click on my name you can read the posts about it under superannuation. But to give you a heads up I thought I had income protection with Hesta but just before I was diagnosed and I was checking through things and saw that I didn’t and thought shit how did that happen! Anyway found out hesta cancelled my income protection without my knowledge as they sent a letter saying I needed to make a contribution or it would be cancelled (I was in between being a stay st home mum and going back to work so this was years ago now) but they sent the letter to an address I’ve never lived at! I know I should of checked my statements more carefully but who honestly does that and I most certainly would of made the contribution required had I known so one thing I recommmend everyone should do is check your insurance cover regularly.

 So I reapplied for TPD and income protection after I realised and it was 3 months after I applied and comminsure were the underwriters for hesta and back and forth with paperwork over that period they said it was lost they did it receive it etc even though I had faxed and manually posted all that was needed and they also said more info needed etc and then I got diagnosed with bloody breast cancer and rang them only to be told after 3 months of trying to sort it it hadn’t  gone through and I would have to start all over again and no my bc would not be covered!

 When I rang hesta they said it was normal for it to take this long to apply and I complained it was ridiculous but it fell on deaf ears along with the complaint about sending my paperwork to the wrong address and the dicking around with having to re send paperwork Anyway I complained to the superannuation ombudsman and they decided there are grounds to investigate the above so I’m waiting on the outcome still now. But I’m not holding my breath. Once I know I’ll let everyone know. But yes hesta blamed comminsure for the delays and it was a massive pain in the arse with them. Then also before I was diagnosed we switched banks to get a better rate and we took out mortgage insurance.

 So then when I unexpectedly got diagnosed a couple months later I thought yay I’ll put in a claim as cancer was included on the cover but no sorry you can’t claim as you have been diagnosed during the three month wait period and cant claim! Perhaps you can talk to the insurance ombudsman about your situation might be worth st least talking to them but I have no hope in hell of winning that one.  Margie. Xx