""My disability isn't going to go away. It's a chronic illness, there is no cure for it, you don't outgrow it, you can't be treated for it. "If I own a home, like I do now, there is no guarantee that I will be able to pay [my mortgage]. "I have to consider, can I afford to be ill? And that feels quite dystopian to me.""
""Under the Equality Act, insurers are permitted to take disability into account when it genuinely affects the level of risk associated with a policy. "Depending on individual circumstances, this may influence the terms of a policy, for example through specific exclusions, pricing or availability of cover.""
""If I ever have to take time off work due to being sick with a new or terminal diagnosis, anyone can say that's linked to my chronic illness because it affects everything," she said. "So any time I have to take off work would be classed as related to my disability and wouldn't be covered.""
Buying a first home is more difficult for people with disabilities who face rejection from major insurers for life insurance, critical illness cover and mortgage protection. Specialist providers may offer cover but often apply specific exclusions for disability-related claims and charge significantly higher premiums. Exclusions create uncertainty about whether time off work or a new diagnosis will be classified as related to a chronic condition and therefore ineligible for payout. Insurers say the Equality Act allows disability to be considered when it genuinely affects policy risk, producing variable pricing, exclusions or unavailable cover and increasing financial vulnerability.
Read at www.bbc.com
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