Additional support

Call us or write to us

If you have any concerns about your policy or need to inform us of a change in your circumstances, you can contact us by:

• Phone
• Email
• Writing to us  

You can find our contact details at www.canadalife.co.uk/contact-us/. Simply click on the product that you have with us and the contact details will appear on the right-hand side of the page.

We can help with:

• Registering a Power of Attorney
• Updating your bank details or address
• Talking you through the next steps after a bereavement
• Changing your preferred way to communicate with us. For example, if you need a larger text font on your letters.

Our team members are trained to help you as best as they can, so if you need support, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

What to do if you have difficulties communicating over the phone

If you have hearing or speech difficulties, you can contact us through Relay UK by dialling 18001 before our phone number or you can use the Relay UK app. Through your Relay UK app, you can type what you’d like to say and a Relay Assistant will pass this on to whoever you’re calling. You can also read their replies in real time. For more information on Relay UK, visit https://www.relayuk.bt.com/.

What to do if you need us to talk to someone on your behalf

We understand that in some situations, you might need us to talk to someone on your behalf. Here’s how we can help.

Delegated authority

You can give us permission to talk to a family member or partner over the phone, but they must be with you when you call. When you call us, we’ll ask you some questions to make sure it’s really you who is calling. This is to protect your information. Once we’ve done this, you can give us permission to talk to someone on your behalf. We can then answer any questions you have through your chosen person. However, the permission you give us will only last for this phone call. So, please make sure whoever you’d like us to talk to is with you each time you call.

Power of Attorney

A power of attorney lets you choose someone you trust to manage your affairs if for any reason you can’t. A power of attorney can be temporary or permanent, but it can help you in many situations such as:

• If you have an accident
• If you lose the ability to physically sign documents
• If you’re diagnosed with an illness
• If in the future, you experience memory loss
• If you’re going to be away for a long period of time and need someone to handle your affairs
• If you generally need help making decisions

For more information, you can visit https://www.gov.uk/power-of-attorney.

If you have a power of attorney and would like them to contact us, all we need is a copy of the document that has been stamped by the court . Once we’ve registered them on your policy, they’ll receive copies of any letters we send to you. They’ll also be able to call us or write to us if you need anything going forward. Unlike the delegated authority, you don’t need to be with them when they contact us, as the power of attorney is a legal document that gives them authority to act on your behalf. 

How to let us know you need communication in a different format

If you have a vision impairment, temporary or permanent, please let us know. We can send you letters:

• In Braille
• On coloured paper
• In a larger font
• In an audio format

We’ll discreetly make a note of this on our records and try to send documents in this format when you ask us to.

What to do if you’re having financial difficulties

We understand that different life events can impact your finances. If you’re unable to continue making payments or you need to inform us of a change in your circumstances, please contact us. We’ll talk you through the situation and assess how we can help. If we can’t help, we might be able to let you know if any other organisations can.  

There are also many organisations that can give you guidance if you need it, such as:

• Money Helper
• Marie Curie
• Gamble Aware
• National Debt Line
• StepChange Debt Charity

What to do after a bereavement

We understand that it can be difficult to know what to do after losing a loved one. We’ve created a step-by-step guide to let you know how to notify us after a bereavement here.

Here you can also find our bereavement guide and some additional support if you need it. 

Alternatively, if you’d like to let us know as quickly as possible, you can complete our online form directly at Notify Canada Life of a Death.  

Bereavement support charities

What to do if you need mental health support

Mental health can impact our ability to make decisions, especially when it comes to our finances. It can feel daunting to speak to people and ask questions or even admit that we might need some help. If you need any help completing forms, have any questions or want to talk through a letter we’ve sent you, please don’t hesitated to contact us. Our customer agents can help you.

Mental health support charities

• Mind
  A leading charity providing confidential information and advice, with local branches offering community services, crisis support, and employment help. 
• Mental Health Foundation
  Dedicated to preventing poor mental health and building good mental health through research and campaigning. 
• Rethink Mental Illness
  Offers support for people experiencing mental illness, providing advice and resources to help improve their lives. 
• Together for Mental Wellbeing
  Provides services and support to help people with their mental health