Taking out a mortgage with CLL

[Plentyuk80]

Hi folks,

I’ve recently sold my flat and I’m looking to buy something a little bigger for me and my son. I am not able to get life insurance now and keep having waves of feeling panicked about taking out another mortgage when I have CLL. I’ve googled about the requirement for life insurance and it’s not the law to have it when taking out a mortgage. What if the mortgage company insist on having it in place?

My family have been really supportive of me doing this, but they probably don’t understand how risky it is.

Im 42 years old.

Thanks

[cllady01 Former Volunteer]

This post and its replies is 9 yrs old, but may give you some possibilities of what has been and may still be the situation in Britain.

healthunlocked.com/cllsuppo...

I hope it helps at least to get you started thinking and maybe give you another question.

[Pageboy]

I understand the ‘risk’ we are but this is the exact situation that gets me cross. Not been able to renew my life insurance was a real blow for me. I don’t know about mortgages but I have a joint mortgage with my husband. However, he made the application and does have life insurance to cover it - and I don’t. Whether I would have got it on my own is doubtful. Good luck, I hope your CLL isn’t an issue.

[Wills47]

Good morning Plentyuk80, please don’t worry about mortgage lenders requiring you to have an assigned life policy to cover your mortgage as this is no longer the case.

I’m a mortgage broker and always recommend clients consider suitable cover for their circumstances but a number just don’t get round to it and this has no impact on them being able to have a mortgage. However, this does worry me as my critical illness policy paid out when I was diagnosed with CLL, so I’m a great believer in having appropriate cover.

Also, there are specialist insurers who may be able to offer some cover, so recently I’ve been able to get life cover offered for two of my mortgage clients who were previously declined by all the mainstream insurers.

Best wishes Ian

[SofiaDeo]

Can you find an insurer who will look at this as a chronic disease similar to diabetes or COPD, instead of the more common "acute" association of cancers? I think documentation of the "chronic" nature may help. Yet another reason I hate our diagnosis uses the word "leukemia". MDS can cause severe illness, can be fatal if uncontrolled, yet there isn't the stigma because it's a "syndrome" not a "cancer". Well, unless certain cells get up over a certain number, then it's a cancer.

[Plentyuk80]

Thanks everyone for their replies.

I really try to forget about having CLL, but things like travel insurance, applying for jobs and this just bring it all back to me that my life will never go back to normal.

[CycleWonder]

One thing I’ve learned about life is that it’s rarely normal. We have to deal with having a chronic illness and that is not a welcome addition to our lives. I’m not going to say “it could be worse” because your grief over your diagnosis is appropriate and real.

I wil say that there are silver linings, such as:

1) We all have an excuse to prioritize exercise;

2) Our health is generally looked after better than others, all other things being equal;

3) Treatments are much better now and research is addressing issues such as resistance and how long we need to take meds;

4) We have this wonderful community to share our dreams, fears and experiences.

I hope your real estate purchase goes well and that you enjoy nesting in your new home.