How to send electronic signatures

Instructions

• Advisers

  Requirements

  You may choose your vendor for collecting electronic signatures. However, we'll only accept vendors that: 

  1. Meet the UK eIDAS requirements (eIDAS defined in our terms of business).
  2. Support the use of SMS text or passwords as an additional level of security for signatories to view and sign documents. 
  3. Provide evidence of the use of SMS text and passwords in their audit trail. 
  4. Provide a means of validating the electronic seal on the document.

   

  The following vendors meet our requirements: AdobeSign, DocuSign, HelloSign, Scrive, SignNow, OneSpan and Legalesign.

  If you use a different vendor, please get in touch with us before sending a request. This allows us to validate the vendor’s ability to meet our requirements. If you don't, this may delay your first request with us.

  Prepare the form for an electronic signature 

  When sending the form to be electronically signed, please: 

  1. Use an access code, password or SMS text message to secure the form. When using a password or access code, communicate this to the customer using some means other than email.
  2. Attach supporting documents (where needed) to the item being signed and ensure the customers have electronically initialled all their relevant attachments.

   

  In the case of joint policyholders, you must ensure both parties are aware that they may each receive a copy of the identity documents belonging to the other. In the event of any future disputes, they agree that Canada Life has no liability to either party as a result of this.

  Sending the electronically signed document back to Canada Life

  After signing:

  1. Download the signed form (with any attached supporting documents, if used) and the certificate or audit history. Group Protection customers don't have to provide a certificate or audit history.
  2. Without altering the files, send everything over to us.

   

  Applying for new business? Please ensure one of the identity documents provided includes the customers signature for our records.

  Terms of business

  We've updated our terms of business for the use of electronic signatures. You can find our latest terms of business here.

• Organisations

  Organisations who are party to the agreement or request, such as a Group Protection customer or a professional trust management organisation, may use their electronic signature vendor to collect signatures from within the organisation. In this case, we'll require all email addresses used to sign the form electronically to belong to the organisation.

  We don't require the use of SMS codes or passwords.

  The vendor you use must comply with UK eIDAS regulations (eIDAS defined in our terms of business), and you must return the unaltered document and certificate or audit history downloaded from the vendor to Canada Life. Group Protection customers don't have to provide a certificate or audit history.

  Individuals acting on behalf of an organisation may also provide a self-certified electronic signature. They can do this by following the instructions for ‘Individuals’ to send a digital copy of their actual signature.

• Individuals

  We'll accept requests where forms are electronically signed if your signature is an accurate digital representation of your signature and matches the copy on our records.

  We don't insist on the use of electronic signatures. Anyone uncomfortable using them should inform the person requesting the electronic signature and ask to use one of the other acceptable forms for providing us with your consent.

  If you're a member of a Group Protection scheme or have a UK Individual Protection policy with us, you may use a typed name as a valid digital signature. However, we may need a wet signature to obtain medical records.

  Please note: We may request additional information or evidence of consent, either through your adviser or directly with you or your attorney.

  You may capture an electronic copy of a signature by:

  1. Printing, signing and scanning the document.
  2. Taking a photo of your signature and including the image on the digital form (make sure you use a clean sheet of paper without text on the reverse side, as this may show through).
  3. Using Adobe Fill & Sign with our editable forms.
  4. Drawing your signature using a touch screen device, taking care to ensure it is an accurate rendering of your signature.

   

  Please note: If you're using an organisation's electronic signature provider, where the organisation is not a party to the agreement, it will only be accepted if the electronic signature is a digital representation of your actual signature.

• Retirement

  • For advisers, we only accept Adobe Sign and Docusign for some forms. Other electronic signature providers aren’t acceptable.
  • We only accept wet signatures from individuals, which can be returned in the post or scanned. No electronic signatures are accepted from individuals for Retirement products.
  • In Home Finance, we accept electronic signatures for our e-application forms, but only wet signatures are acceptable at all other points in the process.

• Onshore and Offshore Bonds

  • Wet signatures are acceptable for all documents.
  • Electronic signatures are accepted on all documents, except Deeds. AdobeSign, Docusign, HelloSign, Scrive, SignNow, OneSpan and Legalesign can all be used where appropriate.

• Group Protection

  • Most Group Protection forms automatically allow electronic signatures to be provided with Adobe Sign.
  • A small number of forms and legal documents don’t include the Adobe Sign option. This is because you’ll need to provide an original wet signature.
  • Photographs and scanned copies of wet signatures are also acceptable.

• Offshore Individual Protection

  • When completing forms that aren’t related to the closure of a policy, Docusign is the only acceptable electronic signature provider.
  • When you’re signing off on the closure of a policy (e.g. claims and surrenders), you’ll need to provide a wet signature.

• Bulk Annuities

  • We accept AdobeSign and Docusign for Trustee signatures.
  • Wet or scanned wet signatures of Trustees can also be accepted if we can verify that they match a specimen signature for the signatory. If we can’t verify a wet signature, it can’t be accepted.