Legal & General (L&G) has launched a pilot scheme offering 2 hours of free legal support to terminal and critical illness claimants.
The scheme will last for 3 months and is expected to help 30 claimants in the north-east. It will be run in conjunction with charity LegaCare (UK) Ltd.
LegaCare (UK) Ltd is the first UK charity to provide free legal advice and support to patients diagnosed with life limiting or threatening illness.
The charity's assistance is free to anybody in receipt of state benefits and / or earning less than £30,000 p/a.
Clients must be referred by a health professional or Macmillan professional and can consult with experienced solicitors to resolve a range of legal issues that may be worrying them.
Duncan Finch, executive managing director insurance at Legal & General said: "Our hope is that via LegaCare (UK) Ltd we will be able to provide further peace of mind for our clients when they need it most.
"Our charity partnerships with LegaCare (UK) Ltd and Macmillan Cancer Support help us to better understand the challenges our customers face when they are diagnosed with a serious illness and how we can improve our support for them. We fully intend to continue to help LegaCare (UK) Ltd expand its support network in the north east and beyond."
