DeadHappy is entering adminstration, Health & Protection has confirmed.
A former DeadHappy employee, who wished not to be named, confirmed to Health & Protection that the company entered administration with effect from yesterday morning.
The controversial life insurer closed to new business in March after Shepherds Friendly ceased underwriting its policies and it appears to be in the process of winding-up the business.
Health & Protection has attempted to contact the Leicester-based insurer but phone calls went unanswered with a recording stating: “We are really sorry but there is no one to take your call now.”
The DeadHappy site has not been updated about the development, the firm last posted on its Facebook page in March and on Twitter in 2023.
Nor did its ‘Start a chat’ feature work.
Health & Protection has attempted to contact DeadHappy founder and CEO Andy Knott but has not received a reply at time of publishing.
Evelyn Partners LLP confirmed that Adam Stephens and Kevin Ley were appointed as joint administrators of Dead Happy on 24 June.
Initial reports suggested law firm Gunnercooke was handling the administration for DeadHappy but these were incorrect.
Controversial history
In March, DeadHappy announced the closure to new business on its website and temporarily rebranded itself as DeadUnHappy, but this time it has not made any announcement of entering administration.
And earlier last year DeadHappy courted controversy by placing an ad featuring the infamous serial killer Dr Harold Shipman.
In February 2023 Health & Protection reported that the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) had told DeadHappy to avoid causing “serious or widespread” offence after banning two life insurance ads the insurer placed depicting notorious serial killer Dr Harold Shipman which attracted 115 complaints.
DeadHappy, with its logo of a smiling skull, differentiated itself from other life insurers by trying to make it easier for some people to get life insurance, it said.
The DeadHappy site states: “DeadHappy was born out of sheer frustration with existing life insurance products.
“After being consistently rejected for life insurance because of a life-long mental health condition, Andy Knott (founder of DeadHappy) came to the conclusion that the inflexible and anonymous one-size fits all policies were no longer fit for purpose, or relevant to how lives were being lived today.
“His choice was a simple one. Be one of many who are depressed without life insurance, or be the first of many to be depressed with life insurance.
“He chose the latter.”