Protection support for advisers

If you have already registered to use the Zurich Life Protection Platform (LPP), you will have access to the LPP adviser portal. The pre-app tool can be launched by clicking ‘Pre-App UW Tool’ in the left hand menu.

If you haven’t yet registered for LPP, please register your firm and each individual user by visiting www.zurichintermediary.co.uk/lpp-registration and following the on-screen instructions. You will then be given LPP adviser portal access within 48 hours. The tool can be launched by clicking ‘Pre-App UW Tool’ in the left hand menu.

Log in to the LPP adviser portal and click on ‘Pre-App UW Tool’ in the left hand menu.

We recognise that easy access to an experienced underwriter can be really helpful, particularly when it comes to more complex cases or multiple disclosures. Once you’ve obtained your pre-app results through to tool with your corresponding ZPA reference, you’ve got options.

You can:

• Chat with one of our underwriting team ‘in the moment’ using our new live chat service.
• Email our dedicated pre-app underwriting team, including your ZPA reference.

Here’s how:

• To chat with us, simply click on the ‘Chat with an expert’ option shown on screen from your pre-app results page. We’ll ask you to fill out a few details so we can identify your case, after which we’ll connect you directly to one of our experienced underwriters.
• To email us, simply email your pre-app enquiry with your ZPA reference to our pre-app underwriting team who’ll be happy to help. We’ll respond to your questions as soon as possible (usually within 24-48 hours) but remember, you’ll need a ZPA reference so please complete your pre-app before emailing to help speed things up.

Use the search box at the top of the ‘Medical’ menu to search for the condition – most conditions are included in the tool but may be under a different description. If you still can’t find the condition you’re looking for, choose ‘Symptoms of ill health’ in the Medical menu and select ‘Something else’. You will then be prompted to email us with the pre-app reference number – please give us the details of the condition you would like our guidance on in your email.

Yes, the tool will show you any indicative outcomes based on your clients’ disclosures. For large cases (over £1m for life/CI, over £50,000 for IP), the tool will not display the automatic evidence that is required for limits.

We offer a Large Case pre-planning service to discuss complex financial arrangements over the amounts above. You can find more information on Large Case pre-planning and how to contact us for support on large cases at www.zurichintermediary.co.uk/underwriting.

Yes, our pre-application tool refers to the same rules used for applications. Whenever our underwriting rules change, the pre-app tool is updated at the same time, so it is completely aligned.

Automated, indicative decisions to accept, refer or decline are provided immediately. Once we’ve provided your results if you have any follow up questions you can:

• Chat with one of our experienced underwriters ‘in the moment’ using our new live chat service.
• Email our dedicated pre-app underwriting team, including your ZPA reference.

Here’s how:

• To chat with us, simply click on the ‘Chat with an expert’ option shown on screen from your pre-app results page. We’ll ask you to fill out a few details so we can identify your case, after which we’ll connect you directly to one of our experienced underwriting team.
• To email us, simply email your pre-app enquiry with your ZPA reference to our pre-app underwriting team who’ll be happy to help. We’ll respond to your questions as soon as possible (usually within 24-48 hours) but remember, you’ll need a ZPA reference so please complete your pre-app before emailing to help speed things up.

Please complete a pre-app using the tool – in most cases you’ll be given an indicative decision immediately. If the tool can’t give you a decision, you will be prompted to email us with the completed pre-app reference number and your questions, and an underwriter review the case further for you.

As part of our commitment to make it easier for you to do business with us, the pre-app tool is our initial channel of choice, for all pre-application underwriting enquiries.

This powerful 24/7 digital tool has been carefully crafted with your needs in mind, providing fast, flexible, and accurate, indicative decisions in just a few clicks.

By using the pre-app tool first, this means less time on the phone for you, and more time for our experienced underwriters ensuring a quicker submission to issue timescale on those applications you choose to proceed with.

And once you’ve got your results, if you need to discuss them, you’ve got options:

You can:

• Chat with one of our experienced underwriters ‘in the moment’ using our new live chat service.
• Email our dedicated pre-app underwriting team, including your ZPA reference.

Here’s how:

• To chat with us, simply click on the ‘Chat with an expert’ option shown on screen from your pre-app results page. We’ll ask you to fill out a few details so we can identify your case, after which we’ll connect you directly to one of our experienced underwriting team.
• To email us, simply email your pre-app enquiry with your ZPA reference to our pre-app underwriting team who’ll be happy to help. We’ll respond to your questions as soon as possible (usually within 24-48 hours) but remember, you’ll need a ZPA reference so please complete your pre-app before emailing to help speed things up.

Yes. If you submit an application to us with between 2-6 policies associated to it, we’ll discount the policy fee on each policy within that application by £1.25. To benefit from the discount all policies must be put through in the same application. If a policy is submitted on a different application at a later date for the same customer the policy discount will not apply.

Yes, we need the customer’s email address as this is used as the logon to their portal, where they will be able to view their policy documents and change basic details like their address or direct debit. If the policy is joint life, please ensure both lives provide a separate email address as both lives are given their own customer portal access.

Before you have issued the policy as long as you have input payer details, you can edit (including add) by returning to the ‘payment details’ screen. After you have issued the policy you will need to call Zurich Life Servicing on 0370 850 4419.

You can choose to give up some or all of your commission to reduce the customer premium. This is done by inputting the desired percentage of your entitlement you wish to receive.

If commission flex is chosen, the whole premium will be reduced, including any premiums for additional benefits such as fracture cover, and any multi policy discount.

This can be done at either the quote or decision stage of the online application journey, but cannot be amended once you proceed past the ‘Decision’ screen.

Commission can only be paid on a non-indemnity basis for own life cases, with checking in place to confirm this. Where an own life case is submitted on an indemnity basis we will cancel the policy and ask you to re-submit a new application selecting non-indemnity commission terms.

As well as your own life, the following relationships are also deemed within the ‘own life’ definition. They apply to the submitting adviser, as well as any other adviser, employee or director of the adviser firm:

• Spouse / partner
• Children or step children
• Parents or step parents
• Brother, sister, step brother or step sister
• Spouse of any person listed above
• Business associate or employee of your adviser firm

We have changed the way this works for business submitted on the platform. An additional 10% Lautro commission may be payable for business submitted using the ‘Interactive’ underwriting route (subject to your distributor arrangement).

It is important an accurate policy start date is provided, please do not issue the policy until you know the start date. Once a policy is issued, the start date is fixed and can't be changed. The policy would then need to be cancelled and a new application submitted.

For Life, Life & Critical Illness, Critical Illness and Income Protection policies we have 3 categories of smoking:

• Non-smoker - not smoked for at least 5 years
• Ex-smoker - not smoked for between 1 and 5 years
• Smoker - has smoked in the last 12 months

Not all portals have the facility to quote on an ex-smoker basis, so we will see some cases being quoted on portals as non-smoker, but if and when they come through to Zurich we find they are an ex-smoker, there will be a price increase for these cases.

For Whole of Life policies:

• Non-smoker - not smoked within 12 months
• Smoker - smoked within 12 months

You can find out more information by selecting the lifestyle tab on our underwriting page.

This can occur when you quote as a non-smoker on the portal but when you access the Zurich Life Protection Platform, if the customer has smoked within the last 12 - 60 months they will be reclassified as an ex-smoker and the quote will be adjusted to reflect this.

Yes, the last month of the policy will be a part month and this will be reflected in the final premium.

• 120 days after an underwriting decision has been made.
• After a period of 365 days of inactivity.

Once an application has been cancelled it is not possible to reverse this, so a new application may need to be resubmitted if the customer wishes to reopen.

No. If you fully complete the application journey online there is no requirement for any paper documents.

No. All applications need to be submitted before evidence can be requested. This is to ensure the correct evidence is requested and the appropriate chase cycle is in place.

When you dial 0370 850 4419, you will be met with four options:

• To discuss an application in progress, please press 1
• For password reset or registration queries, please press 2
• For support with using the portal, please press 3
• To discuss an existing policy, please press 4

Upon selecting options 1 or 4, you will be presented with a final set of options to enable us to get you to the correct New Business or Servicing team. Options 2 and 3 will take you straight to our E-Support team.

Please choose the right option for your query so that you can talk to our dedicated teams as quickly as possible.

Policies can be put in trust online, as part of the application process, without the need for a customer signature. This applies to the following products:

• Personal Protection
• Whole of Life
• Business Protection
• Relevant Life

Completing trusts online avoids duplication, will ensure that fields are completed fully and speed up the process of writing the trust. The process reduces the number of common errors that come with paper submissions.

If the policy has already been issued, then you must use a paper trust. Trusts are valid per policy, therefore if more than one policy is being applied for please ensure each policy going into trust has its own trust form.

If the application is still in progress then an online trust can be added and there is no need for a paper trust. Once a policy is issued, then the trust must be done via paper.

Yes a Customer portal is available and customers can view policies, access the document library for their policies and make basic changes online (change address, change direct debit). Customers will get an email to register to set this up after their policy(s) have issued.

To help your customers find their way around we’ve also created a useful guide to the portal. This contains everything they need to know to make the most of managing their policy, their way.

• Your guide to the Customer Portal (3.5 MB/PDF)

The Life Protection Platform comes with contractual change capability allowing you to change your customer's policies to meet their changing needs.

The changes available include:

• increases and decreases in cover
• increases or decreases to the policy term
• adding and removing policy options or life assured benefits (some restrictions apply)

This can be done by yourself on your portal. You need to find the policy in My Policies, then click Servicing, and then amend the policy details as desired. If the change involves an increase in risk we will carry out further underwriting to confirm whether or not we can offer the change and on what terms.

• Zurich Protection - contractual change and flexibility of cover (895.8 KB/PDF)