Scott Cadger

The “Plan and Protect” products, which were made available to some Halifax customers last October, are now available across the UK to all Bank of Scotland, Lloyds Bank and Halifax customers across the UK.

The products have been designed around research and feedback from customers and mortgage advisers to simplify the application process.

Scott Cadger, head of protection underwriting and claims strategy at Scottish Widows, said: “Plan and Protect is the first step in our journey to help transform the protection market, leveraging Lloyds Banking Group’s reach and scale and designed to meet the existing and future needs of a changing UK population.

“We’ve put a lot of energy into research, speaking to customers and advisers to understand their needs and pain points. We’ve created a straightforward product, transparent terms and conditions and a simple process that provides an instant decision to every customer, while providing value for money cover.

“Our mortgage will often be the biggest financial commitment we’ll ever make, so having the right cover in place means customers can trust us to be there for them and focus on their health and wellbeing – instead of worrying about keeping a roof over their heads.”