Clerical Medical Investment Group Limited Reviews 

Over a year ago we started the process of assigning an Endowment Policy in the name of our son to my wife and I for practical reasons. In part this was done with the help of our Financial Advisors. Although we have letters confirming the assignment has been completed we have been waiting for more than two months for the formal assignment document to be sent to us. This is despite repeated phone calls and assurances that the documents have been sent to us, are on the way to us or will be in 7 working days. The whole process has been tortuously slow, often with with extremely long waits for phonecalls to be answered, unhelpful customer service staff and what seems to be a hopelessly inefficient 'back office' who on one occasion sent out completely the wrong documents for completion.

Yesterday I asked to speak to a Manager and was told this was not possible. I have now filed a formal complaint, not the least because we have incurred not insignificant fees from our Financial Advisors due to the unreasonable amount of time they have had to waste dealing with this company. I have also spent many hours over the last year explaining the same things over and over to Clerical Medical staff.

This is probably the worst experience I have ever had with this type of company. They are a disgrace.

I have a personal pension with clerical medical and it’s some how lost my fund I ring every so often to try and resolve the matter only to be told we are waiting for back office staff to sort this out. So I wait and wait
My advice do put any of your money with this company
You will only regret it one day.

If I could give a minus star I would. This co never answer their emails. Do not know what advice to give when you call up and put every obstacle in the way when a bond vests and they have to pay. I have to add that when you take a bond out they just take the money - no hurdles then. Appalling company for comms. I’ve emailed 4 times now for advice and gained nothing. Never again. I’m upset and angry in equal measure.

I placed a surrender request for part of my bond in July 2022.

They sent me a letter stating that they could not accept the proof of ID that I provided. It seems they are unable to process a PDF into their systems without deteriorating the quality of the PDF, hence not able to see my passport details. I live in the US and the letter took more than 3 weeks to get to me.

In September, despite several attempts to resolve the Proof of ID issue, I sent them, via registered post, photo's of my wife and I holding our passports, with passport number fully visible.

Nothing from them until early December when I received a letter stating that I am not allowed a partial bond surrender as I had stopped paying into the policy. This is something they could have told me on day 1.

In mid December, I sent them a new surrender request asking for the Whole Bond to be surrendered.

On Jan 4th, I called them to ask where my money was only to be informed that they had not uploaded my new surrender request properly (what they uploaded did not have the Whole Bond ticked on their surrender form), which is a lie as I have email proof on what I sent them. So I resent them the exact same surrender form.

On Jan 11th I called them to ask for an update only to be told they have sent me a letter asking for Proof of ID. This is beyond me.

Since September I have been working with a Complaints Manager. While helpful, it is nearly impossible to get hold of him. I have asked CM to use email and not snail mail to communicate with me, given I am in the US. Despite this simple request they continue to send me letters. I am working with the Financial Ombudsman Service and have an active complaint with them. Beyond that, I am not sure what to do. Given my experience seems consistent with others here, I guess CM / Lloyds / SW don't care about their customers.

Hi, I suppose I am one of the lucky ones. After using the financial ombudsman and 6 letters to the CEO and countless hours on the phone I did achieve my bond pay-out and compensation payments. My problem now is that I wish to bring my tax affairs to a conclusion. To do this I need a chargeable event certificate issued to HMRC and a copy to me. I cannot obtain this. When my payment arrived in my bank account , it came with no paperwork and I was told it resulted from CM going to an Actuary who did a manual calculation. I have no evidence that there is any paperwork. I am faced with preparing and submitting my own Chargeable Event Certificate. CM said this was a good idea! I am amazed that 2 years+? into the software shambles which I believe to be the faulty uploading of bond data to a new server this apparently all remains unresolved. If I had not lived through this I would not believe it. Why is this not national news? Lloyds Banking Group must have the very best PR department. Perhaps they could do a secondment to the Bond department?

DONT EVER USE THIS COMPANY! It is an absolute shambles they should be shut down and the rude staff they have should be jobless!!!! Absolutely disgusting customer service don’t deserve a penny

Trying to resolve an issue with my late fathers investments with Clerical Medical. They paid out but with no recognisable reference number as requested by our solicitor so they couldn’t assign the money (a 5 figure sum) so sent it back. Trying to get this resolved has been a nightmare and has only been more recently when I have found out more about their reasons for such poor performance. Depending on who you speak to depends on what help or advice you get which appears complete pot luck on the day. I was told they couldn’t speak to me, then told they could, told it would take x amount of weeks (and nothing happens). After months of hassling, additions to my complaints they appear to have sent the money, but again wrong reference, even the wrong solicitor in the business! I now need confirmation this is the right money which a complaints team member did manage to dig deep enough to confirm but can’t officially do so as it not his job. Been told my complaint is being dealt with but it’s not been assigned, then a complaints team member say they can do that right there and then! The the next call I make they tell me it hasn’t been assigned! I’ve had letters saying they need more time to gather information followed by another saying they need more time and just get the impression I am constantly being lied too and fobbed off. It’s only more recently staff have opened up to explain what is really going on!
The CEO should be shot or sacked and stripped of any ability to hold such a position again in future for this appalling handling of the situation, lack of honesty and inability to get this whole situation under control!
The situation is affecting the lives of real people, many struggling under the cut tent financial climate and nobody seems to be doing anything about it! I scored one star as there was not a choice for minus 5 stars!
The Lloyds Group under Scottish Widows who have taken over should be doing more to sort this mess out! I wouldn’t put any of my money in any of these companies if this is how they look after their customers!
Absolutely appalling customer service doesn’t even come close to how bad they are!
I will not forget this and will never use or recommend any of their services ever again!

I wish I had read the other reviews before investing my money with this company I would never have invested with them. I decided to cash in my investment because the performance of the fund was diabolical, I contacted them and was told to put my request in writing and it would take around 14 days to process, after about 3 weeks I contacted them again only to be told I needed to send ID why nobody said when I first got in touch or tried to contact me I don't know, 3 weeks later still waiting for my money I contacted them again and was told it had gone through for payment, after waiting another couple of weeks I contacted them again and was told same thing I instigated a complaint at this time and a week later I have not had a reply to my complaint nor have I received my funds so I contacted them again only to be told there is no reason for it to not be paid and they would put in another request, I started this on the 8th October it is now the 13th December I need the money for Christmas and energy bills I am a pensioner on a limited income, the company is a total shambles and should not be allowed to continue in business you have to wait hrs on the phone and if and when you get through nobody can help, you cannot talk to a line supervisor or manager, I will be in contact with the Ombudsman only reading some of the other reviews it may be a waste of time so I will write to the daily papers as well, good luck to everybody waiting for your money or is it a case they don't have it?

My on-going story concerns the non-payment by Clerical Medical of my maturity payment, to my New Zealand bank account, for my Clerical Medical Endowment Policy, which matured on the 1 February 2022.

Finally!!!!!! I have received payment of my money on the 1 December 2022, it has been six months of needless waiting! This has been an appalling unnecessary, experience, thankfully I no longer have to deal with this company ever again! They still get only one star for their er......perfomance.

I encourage you all to stick with it, make an official complaint to their complaints department as soon as possible, and once the eight weeks expire, go straight to the financial ombudsman, but you may have to wait four months before they review your case. I wish you all the very best.

So I was supposed to be getting compensation from Clerical medical for their poor service. That never materialized.

Just awful . My mother in law passed away and it’s simply impossible to speak with anyone re her life policy.
Every day I ring and everyday I get an over spill department that can’t access her account.
Might I add, the overspill department are all very pleasant and try to be helpful, but as they can’t access the account, they just pass a message on to the actual department, but they are always busy!!!!!Really not sure how many people there are working in the actual department!!!!

I requested a redemption for my mum’s care home fees in August. Almost 3 months on and despite continuously calling them, I have nothing. The help line is anything but that. Various excuses have been made, but no reason for no funds. I’m unable to pay her fees. My case was escalated to complaints but that purely means I’m passed straight to complaints. 2 hour hold each time and nothing. I have no idea where to go next or how to pay her fees (Despite them having had my mum’s money since 1998)

If I could choose zero or negative stars for this company I would. I have been waiting 18 months after my policy matured to receive payment. In the meantime, it is next to impossible to talk to anyone on the phone and you need to be prepared to wait for hours and hours to speak to someone who then doesn't have any answers. GIVE ME MY MONEY BACK, CLERICAL MEDICAL!

My 84 year old mother
Took out an investment bond of 30.000 pounds in 1998.
She thought she could withdraw after 5 years.
Long story short it was a 10 year investment.
So she withdrew 10,000 in 2013.
That was 22 years ago.
There is 20.000 remaining in an account. Which my mother wants.
I contacted customer service, they could locate the withdrawal documents. But unable to find the 20 grand. Iv written an email today, i have recieved an automated e mail back.
This is long overdue and if like the others in this thread, have not been contacted, i will without a doubt take this to all National Newspapers.

If I could, I would not give any stars to this company. All the same complaints as previous reviews, I have been trying to draw my Sister’s pension to pay for her Care Home costs as she has dementia, and is in need of a high level of care. My Sister cannot comprehend what is happening, so it is in her best interests, I keep what is going on from her.
I started this process in January 2022, it’s now September 26th of the same year. My sister has had several serious falls living alone, but this made no difference to the time taken to give her her money. In a call I made today, they claimed it was the banks error, that the money had not been paid. Clerical Medical have actively tortured me, and from what I read The Financial Ombudsman are well aware of the company’s delaying procedures. I explained my sister has dementia and needs a high level of care. Where do I go from here? I am down thousands of pounds, just trying to keep her safe, I am trying to use her money, she worked all her life for. They have had me in tears so many times on the phone and privately. I am elderly myself and despairing of what to do next.

Terrible Company, please don’t invest any money with them as you’ll not receive a penny.

My 93 year old Mum has been waiting for £1500 to be paid from them since April. We keep being fobbed off weekly.

On behalf of Marian Dawkins

18 months and still no money for a life insurance policy that my late father took out to help his immediate family if the worst happened. We've been left to struggle since then. Clerical medical have zero empathy with the situation and no-one takes, ownership. Employees clearly aren't well trained as I have not once had a query addressed whilst on the phone and never received a follow up call, no idea how the management sleep at night. It would be impossible to make the customer experience any worse. About time the Financial Ombudsman investigated this. All of these reviews make it sound like my awful experience is not even a one-off. Sickening.

I have been waiting for 3 months to receive a surrender value of a life policy.They are an absolute nightmare to deal with. I telephone weekly only to be told that they will escalate matters but nothing happens. I sent proof of ID on 12 July 2022 only to receive a letter yesterday (dated 2 August) requesting ID.
Absolutely appalling company.

I rang the customer service MANAGER today. Mr Tolland. Multiple complaints we have made since March.He agreed it was awful. He said he would escape my complaint. I said to whom? You are the Manager..

On July 11th I spoke with Mark Foster, He Told me we needed to scan ID for one of trustees. As this was the reason for delay in releasing funds. But the ID was scanned sent over 3 weeks ago. No response. Rang 3 weeks later and was promised return of phone call. Rang again.

Dad has terminal cancer/Mum full time carer. Clerical Medical are liars. Will write to producer of BBC/Watchdog as there must be others feeling this.

My parents have been waiting for nearly two years to redeem an insurance policy they have been paying into for nearly fifty years. They have been made ill with distress by promises that don't deliver. They have been told on numerous occasions that payment was 'on its way' only to find that it hadn't been signed off by the 'board'. This is corporate incompetence and corruption on an epic scale.