Shamed singer allegedly used phone in prison
“The decision to decline Mr Halstead’s application was reached after reviewing a report provided by his GP.
“At LV= insurance applications are always considered on an individual basis. Between 10 and 15 per cent of people who apply to us for protection insurance disclose a mental health condition and over 90 per cent of those who apply for life insurance and tell us about a mental health condition are accepted and covered on our standard rates.
“It is common for insurers to apply exclusions around what they do and don’t cover for customers with existing or historic mental health conditions.
“At LV= we are the only life insurance provider to offer automatic reviews of these exclusions so they can be removed for people who have shown no symptoms after one, two or three years.”
Michael Henson-Webb, head of legal at Mind, the mental health charity, said: “It is clear from people’s experiences that some insurers are operating with a total lack of transparency.
“That so many people seem none the wiser as to why they have been declined insurance means they aren’t being given information about how decisions have been made.
“This is exactly why campaigns like Time to Change, which we run with Rethink Mental Illness, are so important.
“Public attitudes to mental health have come a long way in the last decade but it is clear that there are still areas where people with mental health problems experience stigma and discrimination.”
Money and Mental Health charity were contacted for comment. FORMER Lostprophets frontman Ian Watkins has appeared in court accused of having a mobile phone in Wakefield prison.
The shamed 41-year-old Welsh singer is currently serving 35 years for child sex offences – including planning to rape a baby.
He was allegedly in possession of a mobile phone in his cell at the maximum security prison in March last year. He appeared in Leeds Crown Court via video link from HMP Wakefield to face the charge.
Watkins, who is originally from Pontypridd, pleaded not guilty to one count of the unauthorised possession of a mobile phone.
His trial, expected to last five days, was listed for August 5.