The diagnosis came out of the blue. James Lloyd* is 41 and had not had to visit a GP in five years. In May he was told that he had stage 4 bowel cancer. The treatment and surgery have prevented him working and his wife, Julia, has had to take extended leave from her job to care for him.
James had bought critical illness cover from Royal London, which promises “the financial stability you need to cope with the money worries that illness and death can bring”, but six months after making a claim, he is still waiting for the £30,000 lump sum and £1,200 a month protection payments the couple needs to survive.
