I was paying out for a policy – and didn’t know I could claim

premiums on the policy so the adviser contacted the insurer on my behalf.’

A few weeks later she received a payout of more than £14,000.

The adviser, Craig Palfrey of Penguin Wealth, says: ‘Sylvia’s case shows the value of this insurance. It also highlights the fact that people don’t always realise they have relevant cover.’

Some insurers, such as Zurich Insurance, try to stop policyholders missing out by sending annual statements as a reminder.

Peter Hamilton, protection expert at Zurich, says: ‘We try to turn something that is simply a direct debit on a bank statement into something of value.’