Since we stared our campaign to highlight the discrimination the gay community face from the Life Assurance Industry, we've received many emails and letters sharing real life experiences.

We've selected examples where people have been asked personal questions on their sexuality, have been required to take HIV tests and have been subjected to inflated premiums. The following is a collection of real life responses that illustrate how the gay community's basic human rights are being over-stepped.

Godfrey Valentine – Kings Lynn

I am a mainstream IFA with only a handful of, that I know about, gay clients!

Recently I tried to arrange a straight-forward Insurance Against Death policy for one of them, to support their mortgage. The prejudice that I encountered was a real eye-opener. Legal and General told me (I paraphrase) "Every one of them (I assume they meant to say 'gay males') will be rated, and then 100% will be declined". This was followed by laughter. When I naively queried this, the person confirmed that in reality he wasn't joking. The client had arranged his mortgage through Lloyds Bank so was offered life cover through Scottish Widows. Bad move for the bank's adviser when he had to backtrack later when he discovered the client was "ineligible". Not for his health but for his honesty. He admitted he had had an AIDS test in the past, which, as I'm sure you already know, is the kiss of death when life insurance is the issue.

What to do? If specialist advisers can succeed where people like me have failed then all power to you. I fully support what you are doing and will be spreading the word amongst other IFAs here in Norfolk. Keep plugging away; you're making a difference.

Paul – Milton Keynes

I would like to say that my partner and I have been together for 13 years now. We do not have sex with other men, or use drugs, etc. However, two years ago, when we moved house our lives were turned upside down by Legal & General. They made us undergo HIV Testing and asked hundreds of very personal questions, before letting us have life cover. My premium was 'loaded', (I think that's the term used). My mortgage adviser said that the £7,000 of cover that I needed would cost me a maximum of £10.00 per month, but when all the paperwork came through, I found I had to pay £14.17 per month. I contacted both my mortgage adviser and Legal & General wanting to know why the premium had been 'loaded', but up until now no one will give me an explanation (not that I really need one). I already knew it had been 'loaded' because I'm gay. To make matters worse, up until then, our doctors never knew we were gay, but now both our doctors' files have HOMOSEXUAL written on the outer cover of our doctor's notes for all to see.

Just thought I would share that with you.

Steve

I was recently asked to fill in such a questionnaire and was then asked to undergo an HIV Test, which I did. I was shocked at the intrusive nature of the questions asked, but figured, as I had nothing to hide, I would go ahead and answer the bits I could.

On receiving the 'all clear' on the HIV Test, I was stunned to find that the insurer in question (a large mainstream insurer) wanted an extra premium to cover "Unspecific Risks". This extra premium was almost 100% of the original quoted figure. Needless to say, it was consigned to the bin!

My GP was also quite surprised that I had been forced to undergo an HIV Test. Why didn't they test for Cancer, Diabetes etc, as well?

Anyway, hope you are successful at bringing about change. It's not before time!

Pink Finance Comments

Remember, the most powerful way of getting our message across is to vote with your feet, and take your business to companies that will treat you with respect and recognise your basic human rights. Pink Finance will continue to campaign against discrimination within financial services until they are removed. Editor, Chris Morgan, would like to hear of any discriminations that you have suffered and welcomes your emails and comments on this subject.

editor@pinkfinance.com

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