A DEVOTED Redditch husband has been told his terminally ill wife will be denied a £15,000 life insurance policy if she lives beyond January next year.

The couple, who wish to remain anonymous, took out life insurance policies, which included terminal illness cover, with Legal and General in 2010.

His wife was struck down with lung and pancreatic cancer in July this year and just over four weeks ago they were told her condition was terminal and she has just months to live.

After the news, the husband contacted the firm to notify them but was told it was "too late" and they would not be able to renew their policy when it expires on January 31.

The company said when a policy expires applicants can usually apply for a new policy but they wouldn’t be able to offer one to the woman due to the fact she has been diagnosed with cancer and given a life expectancy of less than six-12 months.

Her husband said: "It is so upsetting. I am just so angry – there must be more people like myself.

"They told me I should have let them know sooner- how could I?

"We’ve had months of tests. It was only confirmed recently that she was terminal.

"They don’t understand – my wife was decorating in April and stuck down in July – it is that rapid.

"I read the policy and put it away. I understand that it is in the paperwork but it could be clearer.

"If I could just stop one person having to go through this – it would be worth it.

"This insurance was simply to make sure we had enough to pay the bills, not leave them to our children. That is what my wife wanted to do, and prepare her funeral.

"All we have is the house. We hope to leave it to our children that is all we have got. We have no savings."

A Legal and General spokesman said they had removed an exclusion which meant that terminal illness cover is only available and will only be paid up to 18 months before the expiry date, earlier in the year but said cannot retrospectively apply these changes to current policies.

They added: "(the woman) has a life assurance policy which provides payment of a specified amount if death occurs during the term of the policy and also includes a benefit known as terminal illness cover.

"This benefit means we can make an advance payment where the life expectancy is, on the opinion of medical experts, less than 12 months to live.

"Under the terms of her policy it is not the case that you need to notify us before 18 months of the expiry date of the policy, but that this benefit is only available and will only be paid up to 18 months before the expiry date.

"In this instance the claim was made after this time and therefore not eligible to be paid. The terms and conditions within the policy document provide a full explanation of when we’re able to pay the terminal illness benefit.

Her policy remains in place until its expiry in February 2017.