A mortgage payment protection insurance UK policy could be your lifeline

If you have taken any notice of the negative side of taking out a mortgage payment protection insurance UK policy then you might think twice about purchasing the cover. However, mortgage payment protection insurance as a product can be a lifeline if you have made sure that a policy is suitable for your needs and you fit the criteria outlined.

Mortgage payment protection insurance UK policies are taken out if you have a mortgage and are worried that either through accident, sickness or unemployment you might be out of work and therefore suffering from a lost income. A policy could provide you with a tax free sum of money each month - typically after you have been off work for 31 days - and continue to pay for up to 12 months, and in some cases, up to 24 months. However it isn’t a lifeline for those that are ineligible for claim as, with all insurance, there are exclusions within all mortgage payment protection insurance UK policies.

Finding this valuable information so that you can ensure a policy is suitable for your needs can be harder than it sounds unless you know where you look to get it. Buying your policy alongside your mortgage from the high street lender is not the way to go as they give very little information at the time of purchase. In fact, high street lenders are notorious for making huge profits on the sales of all payment protection policies, of which mortgage payment protection insurance is just one. Due to this they monopolise the sector and sometimes do not give out essential advice but often mislead the consumer into believing the cover has to be taken with them at the time of purchasing a mortgage.

Certainly, some companies have been fined for the lack of information the give and not ensuring that a policy is in the best interests of the consumer. This was highlighted by a super complaint by the Citizens Advice which sparked an investigation into the sector by the Financial Services Authority (FSA). Following this investigation several companies were for not having the consumer’s best interest at heart.

There are alternative ways of buying a mortgage payment protection insurance UK policy if you want a financial lifeline. The best way to ensure you get a quality product is to shop around for the cover and get several quotes from standalone providers. A standalone provider will be more ethical than his high street counterparts and will ensure that you have access to the vital information needed to make a decision. One of the main causes of mis selling was due to the many exclusions within mortgage payment protection insurance UK policies. For example, if you don’t work full time are retired or self employed then a policy is a waste of money. However, mortgage payment protection insurance UK policies have been sold to people such as this because they weren’t aware of the exclusions. If you want mortgage payment protection insurance in the UK to give you a financial safety net, then shop around, learn as much as possible about the key facts and exclusions in a policy and buy your cover with the certainty that you could claim should you need to.