Steve, I have had a similar issue to yours - as a self-employed worker I made sure that my company finance had unemployment and health insurance from the outset. When it came to actually winding up my business which had for ten years done really well, and was all in order, two of the three banking companies reneged on the insurance. I was unfortunate in that I have an unclear diagnosis, and both of these companies wanted 'proof' of disability in a letter from my specialist. In the absence of being able to supply any such proof they both hassled me to an inordinate degree, and I had to get a third party organisation involved to get any kind of resolution at all. With both these companies the charges they imposed AFTER I had let them know of my difficulties almost doubled the debt burden. So long term debt on a now very low income - no fun. The third company on the other hand was very accomodating, accepting a long term indefinite nominal payment, and trusting that I was supplying them with accurate reasons for being unable to work. As I had been paying insurance on all three I was amazed to find that it is often not worth the paper it is printed on, I wish I had known that before and not bothered! I would advise anyone in a similar situation to take legal and medical advice BEFORE trying to call in existing insurance, and make things as watertight as possible, as part of the process of preparing to give up work. Incidentally even though I was treated well by one company NONE of the insurance actually materialised - so what exactly are we paying for!

Lindy