Legal & General has announced a series of product improvements across its protection range, aimed at delivering better outcomes for customers and responding directly to feedback from advisers.

Changes to Critical Illness Extra and Children’s Critical Illness Extra will see an enhanced additional payment amount of 100% up to £35,000 and £40,000 respectively. Children’s Critical Illness Extra has also been expanded to include cover for Edwards’ syndrome, Patau syndrome, and the surgical repair of atrial or ventricular septal defects.

In income protection, Legal & General will now pay the full monthly benefit even if a claimant’s income has fallen, provided the difference between the claim amount and the policy sum assured is less than 10%. Policy documents have also been simplified, and customers will receive annual reminders encouraging them to review their cover.

The firm has extended the validity of its protection quotes from 90 to 120 days, offering customers more time and certainty, particularly as mortgage completion times continue to lengthen.

In a further move to provide greater flexibility, customers with increasing cover will now be able to decline an annual increase up to three consecutive times before the indexation benefit is removed. This change will initially apply to new applications, with plans to extend it to existing customers.

Julie Godley, director – intermediary, retail protection at Legal & General, said: “These enhancements reflect our ongoing commitment to the intermediary market – we’re committed to delivering great value and positive outcomes for our advisers and their clients. Importantly these updates to our proposition are based on valuable feedback from both consumers and advisers. By prioritising their needs, we aim to offer innovative solutions that truly make a difference.”