Why are we waiting, L&G?

By Jeff Prestridge for The Mail on Sunday
Updated: 00:00 BST, 9 May 2004

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LEGAL & General, one of Britain's la rgest life 保険 companies, is 長引かせるing the 財政上の agony of thousands of its 顧客s who were mis-sold mortgage endowment 政策s in the Eighties and Nineties and who have been told to 推定する／予想する 補償（金）.

開始するing 証拠 得るd by 財政上の Mail over the past five weeks 示すs that, in many instances, L&G is 延期するing 支払い（額）s to policyholders for between two and three months after 財政上の 是正する has been agreed.

The company's 明言する／公表するd 目的（とする） is to settle within four weeks, in line with the time taken by other 保険 companies.

The 延期するs are 原因（となる）ing heartache and 失望／欲求不満 for 顧客s, and many have been 軍隊d to make dozens of phone calls and send 非常に／多数の letters to the 保険会社 in a desperate 試みる／企てる to chase their 補償（金）. Only when they have turned to 財政上の Mail for help has L&G suddenly agreed to settle their 事例／患者s.

Five weeks ago, 財政上の Mail 最高潮の場面d the 事例／患者 of ツバメ and Valerie Thompson, of Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, who had waited eight weeks for 約束d 補償（金）. It was paid as soon as we stepped in.

類似して, last week, we 報告（する）／憶測d that Phil and Melinda Jakowicz from Loughton, Essex, had been waiting since February for their £5,330 補償（金） cheque from L&G. They received 支払い（額） within 24 hours of our 介入.

Today, we 最高潮の場面 the 事例／患者s of three other L&G 顧客s who frustratingly waited more than four weeks for 支払い（額）. Their 事例／患者s were all settled within 24 hours of 財政上の Mail bringing them to L&G's attention last Tuesday.

専門家s 伴う／関わるd in 解決するing the 産業-wide endowment mis-selling スキャンダル 告発する／非難する L&G of not giving 優先 to 支払い（額） of 補償（金） because it is an area that the regulator, the 財政上の Services 当局, has not 監視するd - until now.

On Friday, the FSA said that as part of its endowment review, it would be 診察するing how long 会社／堅いs took to settle （人命などを）奪う，主張するs. Those 設立する to be too slow could be disciplined.

One e xpert told 財政上の Mail: 'The 優先 at the FSA is 確実にするing that 保険 companies quicken the time taken to make a 決定／判定勝ち（する） on whether or not to 補償する a 顧客 for endowment mis-selling.

'The 焦点（を合わせる） is not on the time then taken to settle a （人命などを）奪う，主張する. 合法的な & General seems to be 偉業／利用するing this.'

示す Davies is 創立者 of FS （民事の）告訴s 扱うing in Swindon, Wiltshire, which 行為／法令／行動するs for 消費者s who believe they have been mis-sold 財政上の 製品s.

He says: 'By 事故 or by design, L&G's 補償（金） system discourages 顧客s from 追求するing their （民事の）告訴s. The whole 過程 has the 影響 of demoralising and breaking the spirit of people.'

L&G does not 否定する it is having problems. Peter Timberlake, L&G 広報担当者, says that as a result of making 決定／判定勝ち（する）s on a 'large number' of （民事の）告訴 事例／患者s since the turn of the year, its '解決／入植地 容積／容量s are high and are likely to remain so for the next few months'.

As a result, 22% of endowment mis-selling 事例／患者s settled in March were not sorted out within the 明言する／公表するd 目的（とする） of four weeks. Timberlake says these claimants had 利益／興味 追加するd to their 支払い（額）s.

He 拒絶するs any suggestion that L&G is deliberately making 顧客s wait as long as possible for their money. 'Our 政策 on 査定する／（税金などを）課すing （民事の）告訴s, calculating 是正する and in settling them has not changed at all,' he says.

Don, a 51-year-old 航空機 engineer who lives in Buckenham, 近づく Norwich, with wife Pauline, was probably angriest. Since 存在 told last October that he would be receiving £20,324 from L&G, Don has logged 19 phone calls he made to the 保険会社 chasing his 支払い（額）.

'The left 手渡す doesn't know what the 権利 手渡す is doing at L&G,' says Don. 'I've spoken to people in Cardiff and in Surrey and got nowhere. If I was to award L&G 示すs out of ten for 顧客 service, it would get minus ten.'

Brian, 64, a 離婚d music teacher from Carlisle, has been waiting since the end of February for 補償（金） of £8,693.

Brian, who in his spare time plays in a jazz 禁止（する）d called Swing Thing, says: 'I've felt like taking my 派手に宣伝するs 負かす／撃墜する to London and playing them outside their offices until they 手渡すd over my 補償（金）.'

Graham Witty, 49, a care assistant from 船体, was told in January that he would receive £11,500. He took time off work to chase his 支払い（額）, but felt as if he was getting nowhere. 'L&G must be the worst 保険 company in Britain,' he says.

Within 24 hours of 財政上の Mail raising the 事例／患者s of Don, Brian and Graham direct with L&G, they got their 補償（金）. The three men are delighted, but not impressed with L&G. 'It shouldn't have to take the 介入 of a 国家の newspaper to get what we are 予定,' says Don. He is now 追求するing L&G for the cost of chasing his 支払い（額）.