Brexit Information

Updated on Monday, 3 February 2020

Following agreement between the parties, the United Kingdom (UK) left the European Union (EU) on 31 January 2020. This marks the beginning of a transition period which is expected to end on 31 December 2020. Our current assessment of the customer impact is detailed below.

No Change to Service or Benefits

There will be no change to the services we provide to you. The terms and conditions of your policy will not be impacted, and the benefits which your policy provides (including how those benefits are taxed) will not change.

UK Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS)

While the UK was in the EU, customers of life insurers that are based in other EU countries and which are authorised to operate in the UK (like Athora Ireland) benefitted from the same FSCS protection as those of UK life insurers. However, our current understanding is that this protection will cease to apply to life insurers based in other EU countries at the end of the proposed transition period 31 December 2020.

Protecting Your Assets

It is worth noting that the protection you currently receive from the FSCS is limited, and only applies in the case of Athora Ireland plc becoming insolvent. You can find further information about this under Policyholder Protection at www.athora.com/ie/faqs. For a number of reasons it is unlikely that Athora Ireland plc would ever become insolvent, and these include:

Financial Strength

Athora Ireland plc is rated B++ by AM Best and BBB+ by Fitch, and is backed by Athora Group. You can see more information about Athora’s financial strength ratings at www.athora.com/ratings.

Regulation

Athora Ireland plc is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland and adheres to the same stringent European-wide solvency requirements that also currently apply to UK life insurers.

Backing Assets

The value of your policy is based on the value of the assets held by your selected fund(s) and, in the unlikely event that Athora Ireland plc did become insolvent, these assets would be available to meet your benefits.

Monitoring Brexit Plans

It is important to note that this information is based on our current understanding of the FSCS and the UK Government’s Brexit plans which we are closely monitoring. None of this information is intended to be legal and/or financial advice and, if you require further information about your policy, we recommend that you make contact with your financial adviser.