What the insurer will ask
Insurers do not need a description of the event that caused your PTSD. They are interested in how it affects you. Expect questions on when you were diagnosed, the treatment you have had, how you are now and whether you have needed time away from work.
Treatment might include trauma-focused talking therapy, EMDR or medication such as an antidepressant. Say whether therapy is finished, ongoing or planned. If you are on a waiting list, mention it, because the insurer may ask about referrals as well as treatment.
- Date of diagnosis and current symptoms
- Therapy and medication
- Time off work
- Hospital admissions or self-harm
- Alcohol and drug use
Recovery and the time since symptoms
Insurers look closely at recent months. Someone who finished therapy some time ago, is back at work and has few symptoms is likely to get better terms than someone in the early stages of treatment or still struggling day to day.
Alcohol use is often linked with PTSD, and insurers will ask about it. Honest answers here matter, because heavy drinking can affect terms more than the PTSD itself. If you have cut down or stopped, say when, as that is a positive part of your recovery.
Some people have PTSD alongside depression or anxiety, and the insurer will assess the whole picture. Describe each condition with its own dates and treatment, rather than grouping everything together. That makes it easier for the underwriter to see which parts of your history are settled.
Possible results
Mild PTSD that has responded well to treatment may get standard terms on life cover. More severe or recent symptoms may lead to a loading. A recent hospital stay or self-harm usually leads to a postponement, with the insurer happy to look again once more time has passed.
Income protection often has a mental health exclusion where PTSD has caused time off. Some insurers may review the exclusion after a few years without problems. Critical illness cover is often less affected, because PTSD is not one of the illnesses it pays for.
Service personnel and emergency workers
PTSD is more common in jobs that involve trauma, such as the armed forces, police, fire service and ambulance work. Insurers assess it on the medical facts, though your job itself may bring its own questions about duties and risks.
If you have left the forces or changed role, say so. Your current job is the one the insurer rates. Support you received through a veterans' service or an occupational health team counts as treatment and is worth listing with dates.
How Hi Tomorrow helps with PTSD
We ask only what an insurer needs to know, and we never ask you to relive the event. We match your history to insurers on our panel that take a fair view of PTSD and recovery, and we present your treatment and return to work clearly.
If an insurer offers an exclusion or postpones, we explain what it means in plain words and when it may be worth trying again. We can then contact you at that point so you do not have to keep track yourself.