Graeme Trudgill of BIBA joins ELTO board

British Insurance Brokers’ Association (BIBA) executive director Graeme Trudgill has joined the board of the Employers’ Liability Tracing Office (ELTO).

As a member of the ELTO board, Trudgill will oversee the delivery of a service that helps those who have suffered injury or disease in the workplace to identify the relevant insurer. The ELTO database contains more than 25 million policy records and receives 100,000 enquiries every year from members of the public and solicitors representing claimants.

In his role at BIBA, Trudgill is responsible for defining the association’s policy positions as well as overseeing technical, public affairs and communications.

Commenting on his appointment, Trudgill said: “ELTO provides a vital service to members of the public when they need help the most. Having been involved in ELTO from its inception—sitting on its first advisory board on time to supply and helping to develop a guide for brokers—I am delighted to be joining the board.”

He added: “I am keen to further strengthen the link between ELTO and the broking community, and to ensure we continue to deliver a service which helps claimants trace their insurer seamlessly.”

Steve Browne, chairman of ELTO, said: “Graeme brings a wealth of industry knowledge to the ELTO Board. With significant upgrades in the pipeline for ELTO, it is imperative that the board continues to strive to improve the capability of ELTO for the benefit of all users of the service.”

BIBA launches signposting agreement on access to protection insurance

In separate news, BIBA has partnered with insurers, protection insurance groups and brokers, charities and other stakeholders to further its cause of helping people with disabilities or medical conditions access protection insurance.

At the launch of its 2020 Manifesto: Access in Parliament on 21 January 2020, BIBA launched a new signposting agreement designed to boost access.

In October 2018, BIBA along with other industry bodies, firms and charities came together at the Department of Work and Pensions’ Caxton House offices and committed to the Access to Insurance Working Group Caxton House Statement.

A cross-sector working party on access to insurance, chaired by BIBA, was convened to develop a signposting system for consumers, supporting consumer groups and charities to enable easier access guidance and advice about protection insurance from protection specialists. The group also sought buy-in from the wider insurance sector, to encourage greater signposting support and promotion.

Drawing on BIBA’s experience under the successful Agreement on Age and Insurance and a desire by specialist providers to help people obtain vital covers such as life insurance, income protection and critical illness insurance, the partners launched the voluntary agreement on signposting on 21 January.

The 26 signatories to the agreement on access to protection insurance for people with pre-existing medical conditions and disabilities comprises both regulated providers of insurance and supporting bodies.

BIBA said the latter group will encourage support of the ethos of the agreement and promote its benefits, while the providers will signpost customers that they cannot help because of their medical condition or disability towards a firm that can help.

Commenting on the agreement, Trudgill said: “BIBA is ideally positioned to help those with medical conditions find their way to a specialist provider to help them access the cover they need, and we committed in our manifesto to launch a signposting agreement.”

“This is the culmination of a year of discussion and collaboration across different stakeholders; all with a strong desire to help those most in need. The fact that we have been able to launch this signposting system today will make a difference to thousands of people that may previously have thought protection insurance was out of their reach.”

“I’m tremendously grateful to everyone around the workstream for their commitment, input and determination to make this happen.”

Johnny Timpson, insurance disability champion, added: “This is absolutely the right thing to do and will not only make a positive impact on many lives but will raise levels of trust in the insurance sector. Now the work has started to educate those in the sector and its customers on the existence of the agreement and to get as many firms as possible on-board.”

Alan Knowles, managing director of Cura Financial Services and chair of the Protection Distributors Group, concluded: “Specialised firms have the experience and expertise as well as the appetite to find solutions for those people who, because of a medical condition or disability can find obtaining suitable protection insurance a challenge. The launch of this agreement is great for customers and the insurance industry alike.”

Mark Dugdale