Children’s Critical Illness Support from Cirencester Friendly

The Product

Children’s Critical Illness Support is a free benefit for Cirencester’s income protection (IP) customers. It provides a lump sum of £2,500 if the customer’s child is diagnosed with one of ten listed critical illnesses.

The ten critical illnesses covered are:

• Bacterial meningitis – resulting in permanent symptom.
• Benign brain tumour – resulting in either surgical removal or permanent symptoms.
• Cancer – excluding less advanced cases.
• Heart valve replacement or repair – with surgery.
• Kidney failure – requiring permanent dialysis.
• Loss of hand or foot – permanent physical severance.
• Major organ transplant – from another person.
• Open heart surgery.
• Third degree burns – covering 20% of the surface area of the body or 20% of the face or head.
• Traumatic brain injury – resulting in permanent symptoms.
The benefit is available to existing and new members of the society and is limited to one claim per member and is available until retirement or the contract ceases. It is a free benefit and offered to members that hold an income protection contract with the society. It is a discretionary benefit, which the Society can withdraw at any time. If a claim is made, the parent could also apply for a grant to the society’s 125 Foundation (also a discretionary benefit).

The child must be under age 21 and there is a 14 day survival period.

What They Say

Commercial director David Macgregor said: “The introduction of Children’s Critical Illness Support is another great addition to our contracts. The features and processes have been designed with our members in mind, and we have simplified the claims process to be sympathetic to the sensitive circumstances. This cover, in addition to our existing value added benefits package including Member Rewards which provides a host of family savings, The 125 Foundation, Fitbit discounts and our Friendly Voice service provided by RedArc, enhances our already comprehensive proposition.”

What We Say

"Having a CI benefit on an IP plan is unusual, and in this case only pays out if your child has a critical illness. Moreover, two of the big CI conditions - heart attack and stroke - are not covered at all (although both are relatively rare in children). "On the plus side, this is a free benefit (albeit discretionary, so it could be withdrawn later) and will provide a useful cash sum to help a family if a dependent child suffers one of the ten conditions covered. "Plans that have tried to combine CI and IP benefits in the past have not been that successful, but this one looks to be pretty much a valuable addition to Cirencester’s member benefits."