Why Is Suicide Not Covered In Life Insurance?

If you pass away due to suicide or intentional and serious self-injury within the first year of taking out a life insurance policy, then your life insurance doesn’t cover this. This also applies in cases where, in our reasonable opinion, the insured person took their own life.

By putting this one-year policy in place, we can reduce the financial incentive for someone to tragically take their own life in the hope of triggering a life insurance pay-out, however unimaginable that may seem. Beyond this period of one year, this exclusion does not apply and so we will assess all life insurance claims as we would any other claim where someone has passed away.

How To Assess Life Insurance Suicide Claims?

Depending on the circumstances surrounding a death, it may be investigated by a coroner, who may ask for a post-mortem or hold an inquest. If the coroner concludes that the death came as a result of suicide or intentional and serious self injury, the life insurance policy will be cancelled, if the death occurred within a year of the policy start date.

However, even without the coroner’s verdict of suicide, we may decide in our reasonable opinion that the insured person took their own life. We’ll consider the method and timing of the death, any documentation left by the deceased or anyone else, and the evidence available from the time and location of the death.

Does A Mental Health Condition Affect A Life Insurance Claim?

There is no single factor behind why someone might take their own life, but as the Samaritans have observed, mental health issues as well as alcohol and substance misuse, can play a role. When you apply for life insurance, you’ll need to disclose any mental health conditions you have, the severity of your symptoms, details of any medication you take, the date you were diagnosed and confirmation of any hospital admissions or specialist referrals.

For most applications where the anxiety, depression or stress is considered mild, we are able to offer cover on our standard rates. Depending on the severity of your mental health condition, we may charge higher premiums, or decline to offer cover.

Conclusion

If you are having suicidal thoughts, you should first and foremost get the support you need – we’ve listed some resources below. This is so because these acts may leave your loved ones in deep trouble after you are gone.  

Also read: All You Need to Know About Term Life Insurance

Tips for a Smooth Life Insurance Claim Settlement

Disclaimer: This article is issued in the general public interest and meant for general information purposes only. Readers are advised not to rely on the contents of the article as conclusive in nature and should research further or consult an expert in this regard.