CIExpert’s “single is best” campaign reaches key milestone with over 100 firms pledging support

CIExpert is proud to announce that its “Single is Best” campaign has now secured the backing of over 100 firms, and over 230 individuals, marking a significant step in its mission to reshape industry standards by prioritising Individual Protection plans as the preferred choice for couples.

Since its launch in November 2024, the campaign has rapidly gained momentum, with support from a growing number of financial firms, including LifeSearch and Reassured. Industry professionals have recognised the importance of the movement, reinforcing its core message that Individual Protection plans offer superior flexibility and financial security for clients compared to Joint Life First Event policies.

To drive awareness and encourage engagement, CIExpert has actively participated in numerous industry events, engaging advisers and key stakeholders in discussions on the importance of Individual Protection. The company has also introduced its Critical Thinking Ambassadors Programme, designed to further amplify the campaign’s reach and provide advisers with the tools needed to advocate for this change.

The campaign challenges compliance guidelines, urging a shift in industry standards to ensure that recommendations for Joint Life First Event plans are thoroughly justified rather than defaulted to. The CIExpert “Single is Best” campaign is based on many points – including breadth of condition coverage and gender-specific pregnancy/child benefits – and evidence which can be found in more detail here – ciexpert.uk/singleisbestcampaigndoc.

Alan Lakey, Director at CIExpert, commented: “In just months, the ‘Single is Best’ campaign has gained incredible traction, highlighting a significant industry shift towards prioritising individual protection plans. This movement, rooted in our 2024 inaugural Critical Thinking study, has not only illuminated key consumer and adviser insights but has also driven tangible change. We are now seeing this reflected in our pledge support and, more importantly, in the evolving behaviours of some leading firms. This milestone underscores the industry’s increasing commitment to more client-focused protection strategies.”

As the campaign grows, it is also highlighting the need to better protect vulnerable clients. In the last year, 4.1 million UK women experienced economic abuse from a current or ex-partner, according to charity Surviving Economic Abuse. This form of domestic abuse is when an abuser controls their current or ex-partner’s money and economic resources, including exploiting financial products, like joint insurance policies, to cause harm. CIExpert’s “Single is Best” campaign presents clear evidence of the numerous advantages that individual protection plans offer over joint policies, at only a marginal additional cost.

Surviving Economic Abuse (SEA) is the UK’s only charity dedicated to raising awareness of economic abuse and improving responses to it. SEA is committed to working with the industry to support it to go even further to better protect those at risk. In its report “Life insurance and economic abuse”, SEA recommends that single policies become the default option, but crucially, that they are not priced at a higher rate than joint plans, ensuring that victim-survivors are not financially penalised for choosing what may be the safer option.

Lauren Garrett, Senior Financial Services Manager at SEA, said: “For too long, domestic abusers have misused joint life insurance policies as tools for economic abuse, both during relationships and long after separation. Perpetrators exploit these policies by withholding their consent to end them, trapping victim-survivors into unwanted financial ties for many years after separation. Alarmingly, some abusers even use their status as a beneficiary to reinforce their threats to kill, leaving victim-survivors living in fear for their lives.

“That’s why we are calling on the insurance industry to make single life insurance policies, at the same price per person as joint policies, the default offer. We’re pleased that CIExpert has supported our calls with its ‘Single is Best’ campaign, and now we want to work with the sector to help providers better identify and support customers experiencing economic abuse and prevent their products from being exploited by abusers. We’re also urging the government to consider legislative reforms to enable firms to separate or end joint policies in cases of economic abuse. These reforms are vital for victim-survivors to achieve economic independence and safety.”

Johnny Timpson OBE commented on behalf of SEA: “Whilst life insurance policies represent an important financial protection for many people and their dependents, they can also be used as an opportunity for economic abuse and coercive and controlling behaviour both during a relationship, and long after separation. On behalf of the Surviving Economic Abuse charity I applaud and thank CIExpert for their industry leadership and pioneering ‘Single Is Best Campaign’ that, as can be seen from Swiss Re Term Watch data, is driving adviser policy and practice change by ensuring that protection policies in the UK are set up appropriately, with dual single rather than joint life policies the default.”

The momentum behind “Single is Best” continues to grow as more industry leaders and major distribution firms join the movement, reinforcing the need for change in how protection policies are advised and structured.

To sign up to the “Single is Best” pledge, visit ciexpert.uk/singleisbest

For more information, contact CIExpert at contact@ciexpert.co.uk.