Editor's note: This brief was summarised by The Property AI Newsroom from a report by Mortgage Solutions. Read the original article for full details.
Guardian pays record £31.7m in protection claims for 2025
Insurance provider Guardian paid a record £31.7m to policyholders in 2025, a 48% increase on the previous year. The payments covered 297 life, terminal illness and critical illness claims, with 91% of all claims paid.
How the claims broke down
Guardian paid 100% of children's critical illness claims, 92% of terminal illness claims, 90% of adult critical illness claims and 87% of life claims. In total, 209 claims related to adult or children's critical illness cover, while 88 related to life and terminal illness claims.
The insurer also paid 99% of Premium Waiver claims, helping 293 customers keep their cover while unable to work due to illness, injury, redundancy, maternity leave or paternity leave. The waiver is included as standard with every Guardian policy.
Faster payouts for families
Guardian reported that 70% of life claims were paid using its integrated beneficiary nomination Payout Planner. The system identifies beneficiaries in advance and helped families receive payments up to 21 days faster on average.
Of the 29 claims Guardian did not pay, 24 were due to misrepresentation, where relevant information such as ongoing medical investigations or pre-existing health conditions had not been disclosed at application.
Carlton Hood, chief executive of Guardian, called it a record year for the insurer, saying protection works and that the company's role is to provide financial support when it is needed most.
What it means for agents and advisers
For letting agents and inventory clerks working alongside landlords and tenants, protection cover remains a key consideration when clients are planning for the unexpected. Guardian's figures underline the importance of full disclosure at application stage, as misrepresentation remains the leading reason for declined claims.
Source: Mortgage Solutions