I had to shield, but NatWest won’t pay

J.K. writes: I paid £933 to book a villa in Spain, but then received a message from the NHS telling me to shield because I have a serious underlying health condition. I cancelled the booking, but was told the deposit was not refundable.

I have a NatWest Platinum account which includes travel insurance, and I pay an additional monthly fee to include cover for my underlying condition. However, NatWest rejected a claim for my £933, apparently because I cancelled more than 28 days before departure.

THE message from the NHS said: ‘You have been identified as s o meone who is clinically extremely vulnerable due to an underlying disease or health condition that may put you at serious risk of severe illness if you catch Coronavirus.’ At first, you were told to stay at home at all times. This was later relaxed slightly to allow you to go outdoors once a day, but a trip to Spain was out of the question.

At first, NatWest said it rejected your claim because its policy only allows for cancellations within 28 days of departure. It offered to reconsider if you provided a letter from your doctor, confirming that you had been told to shield for longer than this. You provided a letter confirming you were told to shield for 12 weeks, but NatWest still turned you down.

I asked the bank to think again, and staff confirmed that they had considered your claim under the normal 28-day rule, but should have looked at it under a separate part of the policy that allows for medical cancellations. Your claim has now been met in full.