Following an extensive platform review, we’re delighted to announce that we’re launching an updated version of our Protection Platform application journey, on 15 July!
What did the review involve?
Over the past 18 months, we’ve conducted a comprehensive review of our PP application journey - our first full review since 2018 - identifying opportunities to improve and enhance the adviser and customer experience.
Our review has been carried out in close collaboration with all PP insurer partners and their reinsurers, ensuring the updated version meets the needs of all stakeholders. The final version we’re launching has been signed off by all partners.
So, what’s changed?
A range of questions have been refined across the application to make the journey clearer and easier for customers to understand.
The application flow and structure have been improved with new and updated sections that group related questions together, with some questions now repositioned into more appropriate sections. The updated journey has been restructured as follows, outlining each section and its key highlights:
Your job and working environment
We’ve introduced this new section, containing all appropriate occupation-based questions
The ‘work environments’ question is now asked in this section, rather than at the end of the application journey
Environment option "General labouring or using heavy machinery” has been removed, as the job or percentage of manual work disclosed provide the sufficient information required
Earnings will be captured for both Life and of CI where cover is over £1m and £500k respectively
New question “Are you in the Armed Forces Reserves?” will be asked unless the customers job
Click here for a screenshot of this section (Your job and working environment)
Your lifestyle
Smoker and non-smoker questions are now asked in this section, logically alongside alcohol and drug use
The smoker question has been extended to help customers answer correctly if they’ve only ever vaped, used e-cigarettes, etc.
Alcohol consumption question now asks about ’single measures of spirits’, to gather more accurate disclosures of spirit consumption
Alcohol support and drug support are now captured separately
The ‘last 10 years’ recreational drug use question includes new answer option "I've used prescription or non-prescription medication more frequently or at higher doses than directed”, to capture disclosures where customers have developed a dependency on such medications
The ’travel’ question sees the addition of "North America, Australia or New Zealand” alongside the UK and European Union, as countries customers do not need to disclose
New question "Do you have any plans to move outside of the UK in the next 6 months?” has been introduced to meet insurer eligibility requirements
Click here for a screenshot of this section (Your lifestyle)
Your physical health
Height and weight are now asked in this section, as this information reflects physical health
All physical health questions are now asked in this single section, removing the need for the “Your physical health continued” section that’s seen in the existing journey
‘Have you ever’ conditions are now captured via one question, and ‘last 5 years’ conditions via two questions, regardless of the product(s) selected
Example conditions in the ‘last 5 years’ question are asked at the end rather than at the start, i.e. "In the last 5 years have you had anything that has affected your:”..."Lungs or breathing, for example, asthma or sleep apnoea"
Click here for a screenshot of this section (Your physical health)
Your mental health
This now contains just two questions - ‘last 5 years’ and 'Have you ever'
Serious mental health conditions have been removed from the 'Have you ever’ question, replaced by "Been admitted to hospital, referred to a psychiatrist, or been in contact with a crisis team for a mental health issue” that, when selected, will allow the customer to disclose their condition
The single ‘Have you ever’ question combines the above “Been admitted…” option, plus options regarding eating disorder, suicide, self-harm, or thoughts of either
A key improvement made to our journey removes the repeated asking of the suicide and self-harm questions when mental health condition(s) are disclosed. Only when the main application question doesn’t disclose suicide, self-harm or thoughts of either will they be asked just once more when mental health condition(s) are disclosed.
Click here for a screenshot of this section (Your mental health)
Your general health
The ‘last 3 years’ question has improved wording, plus additional help text to advise customers they don’t need to disclose “Well-person checks or employment medicals that have had no adverse findings and did not require any follow up"
The ‘last 3 months’ question has two new options - "Unexplained weight loss" and "Any other symptom that I'm planning to consult a medical professional about", plus extended wording for the “mole or skin blemish” option, which has been updated to "A mole, freckle or skin blemish that's bled, become itchy or painful, or changed in appearance"
Click here for a screenshot of this section (Your general health)
Your family history
We’ve introduced this new section, focused solely on family history
The family history question has been updated to ask about relatives before the age of 60
Click here for a screenshot of this section (Your family history)
Your hobbies and pastimes
We’ve introduced this new section, focused solely on hobbies and pastimes
'Caving or potholing’ is a new addition
'Armed forces (including reserves)’ has been removed, as this is now captured in the “Your job and working environment” section
‘Rugby' and 'Mountain biking’ will now be asked for all PP defer periods
'Competitive horse riding' has been updated to 'Horse riding’ to capture non-competitive forms of interest to insurers
Click here for a screenshot of this section (Your hobbies and pastimes)
Your existing cover and applications
We’ve introduced this new section, to capture existing cover and applications for the products being applied for. Currently, this is asked in the ‘Lifestyle’ section alongside non-linked questions.
Life and CI questions will be asked for all cover amounts, "(it's currently only asked when cover is £250,000 or more), ensuring insurers have a complete view of any existing cover or cover being applied for.
Click here for a screenshot of this section (Your existing cover and applications)
What this means for you
These changes make the application journey clearer, more structured, and easier for customers to complete, while supporting more accurate disclosures.
Go live: 15 July
No action is required. The updated journey will be available automatically.