Insurers made me feel 'like a murderer' after the death of fiancé

clock

A grieving woman says she was treated like a murder suspect by an insurer who had refused to payout the pension of her late fiancé.

The accusations against Belinda Wells, 53, were made by Sun Life Financial of Canada, as she tried to see through the final wishes of partner Paul Coventry, the Daily Mail reports. He died suddenly on February 19, 2011 as a result of a disastrous nursing error. Wells had written to Sun Life to ask why it took so long to pay £10,430 to Mr Coventry's estate. But a claims assessor for the firm wrote back saying they couldn't hand over the cash because: "UK law prohibits us from paying any monies to a person that may have committed a crime from which they may profit." The letter als...

To continue reading this article...

Join Professional Adviser for free

  • Unlimited access to real-time news, industry insights and market intelligence
  • Stay ahead of the curve with spotlights on emerging trends and technologies
  • Receive breaking news stories straight to your inbox in the daily newsletters
  • Make smart business decisions with the latest developments in regulation, investing retirement and protection
  • Members-only access to the editor’s weekly Friday commentary
  • Be the first to hear about our events and awards programmes

Join

 

Already a Professional Adviser member?

Login

More on Protection

Paymentshield brings back unemployment cover

Paymentshield brings back unemployment cover

Migrates mortgage protection and IP book

Jaskeet Briah
clock 25 June 2025 • 2 min read
Mind the gap: How to protect the self-employed

Mind the gap: How to protect the self-employed

'The financial resilience of self-employed clients is essential'

Ryan Griffin
clock 23 June 2025 • 3 min read
Protection and pensions: Overcoming challenges faced across both sectors

Protection and pensions: Overcoming challenges faced across both sectors

'Pensions and protection aren't often spoken about in the same sentence'

Paul Yates
clock 11 June 2025 • 4 min read