Protection products cater well for LGBTQ+ communities.
But underwriting questions could be worked on and there are fears that right wing attitudes connected to the election of Donald Trump in the US could be detrimental to progress made across the sector.
This is according to protection experts participating in a panel debate at Health & Protection’s Protection Forum at the Ham Yard Hotel in London today.
Richard Purcell, client solutions director at Pacific Life Re, (pictured left) said: “I think the products at the core work, but I think it’s more the underwriting questions can be worked on a bit more. But there are no material changes I would make.”
Amy Potter, senior advice manager, protection at L&C Mortgages, (pictured right) agreed: “Product wise I agree, it just comes back to application and rewording things like gender to gender assigned at birth to make sure we’re not getting the risk of non disclosure and making sure that our clients are seen and heard too.”
But asked whether attitudes connected to Donald Trump’s election in the US could be an issue, John Pawley, talent selection manager at Reassured, (pictured centre) said there is always a worry.
“I think there’s a lot going in politics being driven from America that can be seen in the UK as well,” Pawley said.
“And there probably will be backlash as people’s opinions do change and people follow the opinions of the bigger voices in politics in the industry.
“But I think it’s really down to us as an industry and the senior leaders in the industry and decision makers to have the backing of the LGBTQ+ community to not go backwards and still look forwards.
“If you have that, people will follow and hopefully stick with it.”
