Royal London has made some temporary changes to its underwriting in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Its is temporarily changing the underwriting position for some higher-risk customer groups, which means cover may not be offered to individuals who have existing health issues.

The insurer believes it will still be able to offer cover to 92 out of every 100 customers.

It is also increasing non-medical limits on its Life Cover by 10%, for customers under age 60, to help more people get the protection they need. Limiting requests for medical evidence can help reduce the demands on the NHS and offer people some cover without delay, Royal London said.

In addition, Royal London is requesting medical evidence only where it’s absolutely necessary. It will gather additional medical information in more creative ways, such as requesting from customers rather than GPs to avoid putting additional strain on the NHS.

Royal London also aims to improve the customer journey for individuals who have had direct contact with someone who’s confirmed or suspected to have had Coronavirus. It says frontline health workers are in a unique position, so in most cases their application will be progressed even if they answer the ‘direct contact’ question positively.

Craig Paterson, underwriting and claims philosophy manager at Royal London, said: “Our underwriting philosophy as a protection provider is to offer cover to as many people as possible and in these unprecedented times we remain committed to our ambition.

“But we’ve had to make some changes to our business operations to adapt to the new normal and play our part in avoiding putting additional strain on the NHS. We still expect to be able to cover the majority of individuals, with 92 out of every 100 customers being offered cover.”