Aegon says it paid 93% of all individual protection critical illness (CI) claims in 2011.

This represents an improvement from 91% in 2010.

Of the claims declined, 81% were due to the definition of the critical illness not being met and 19% were due to non-disclosure of important information.

In total, Aegon UK paid out £28 million in critical illness claims in 2011, a 5% increase on what was paid in 2010, with an average payout of £82,567.

The average age of a claimant was 46, and the average time a policy is in force before a claim is made is four years and nine months.

Cancer remains the most common reason for making a claim accounting for 66% of CI claims, up from 61% in 2010.

Matt Rann, head of underwriting and claims, said: “We’re committed to paying out as many valid claims as possible – and to make the process of claiming as quick and easy as possible for our customers. Our tele-claims service has proved to be very popular in this respect.