Man who 'got cancer too late' misses £50k pay out

53-year-old Shaun Pinkney was diagnosed with cancer in April 2023.

A man with a terminal illness said he missed out on a life insurance pay out of £50,000 because he got cancer "too late".

Salford father-of-four Sean Pinkney, who has bone marrow cancer, wanted to cash out the policy he had been paying into for 15 years.

But he then realised the terms of the policy were that people could only take out the money if they had 18 months left to live.

"If I'd got cancer six months earlier I could have had the money", the 53-year-old said.

'Ridiculous'

Mr Pinkney's symptoms started six months after the 18-month deadline.

He said: ''You don't expect to be thinking, 'I got cancer too late'.'

''It's absolutely ridiculous. I have to have a year and a half left on my contract to cash it in."

Mr Pinkney, who has seven grandchildren, has sought the help of his MP Rebecca Long-Bailey.

MP Rebecca Long-Bailey said she was "horrified" by Mr Pinkney's plight

The Labour Salford and Eccles MP said she was ''horrified" by his story.

''A man with cancer should not have to fight for what he should be entitled to,'' she said.

Mrs Long-Bailey wants the new business secretary, MP for Stalybridge and Hyde Jonathan Reynold to take the case on.

She added: "I'm hoping he will speak to the insurance industry and carry out a form of enquiry to see how wide spread this practice was.''

'Caught out'

Mr Pinkney said he realised the terms were written in the contract, adding: "It's on me, to read the contract properly, I do understand that'.

"But you just don't expect clauses like this is exist."

Tasnim Khalid, from Private Client Solicitors, said it was common for people to be "caught out" by the small print.

"I have seen this situation with one of my clients.

"It's shows why it's so important to read the contract, to read the fine print," he added.

Mr Pinkney wanted to use the money to pay for his funeral, and leave the remainder to his family.

Mr Pinkney wanted to leave the money to his family

Aviva stopped selling policies containing the clause in Mr Pinkney's contract over a decade ago due to what it said were "changes in the market".

A spokesperson for the company said: "We were very sorry to hear about Mr Pinkney’s diagnosis.

"The Terminal Illness benefit is not payable within the final 18 months of the policy.  This is clearly explained in the policy documents."

"As Mr Pinkney’s diagnosis was within the last 18 months of his policy, we are unfortunately unable to pay his Terminal Illness Benefit claim."