Frequently asked questions

What information do I need to have available when making a telephone enquiry?

You should have your policy number, customer reference or direct debit/standing order reference number available. If you have recently applied for a policy online, we may have given you a "W" reference number in your confirmation email.

I am not a UK resident and cannot dial 0333 numbers - what number can I reach you on?

Please dial 1890 987 919 when calling from the Republic of Ireland, or 0044 141 275 5000 from anywhere else outside the UK.

I have changed my address - what should I do?

If you are registered for My Plans, you can log in and update your address under the ‘My contact details’ tab. For more information on how to do this please see ‘How do I change my contact details?’.

If you are not already registered for My Plans but would like to register, please see ‘How do I register for My Plans?’ for more information.

Alternatively you can send us an email, a letter, or call our Customer Contact Centre on 0333 323 5433. Please quote your policy number, customer reference number or direct debit/standing order reference.

Can I make a debit/credit card payment over the phone?

We do not have a facility to take debit/credit card details over the phone, however please telephone our Customer Contact Centre on 0333 323 5433 and we will advise you if you can pay by cheque/postal order or by setting up a one-off Direct Debit.

How do I change my bank details?

If you are registered for My Plans and are able to manage the policies held within your Scottish Friendly ISA, please see ‘How do I change my bank details?’ under the My Plans section below.

If you are not registered for My Plans, or cannot manage your ISA using My Plans, please telephone our Customer Contact Centre on 0333 323 5433 and we can advise you if we can change your details over the telephone, or if you are required to complete a mandate form.

I have just taken out a policy and I have changed my mind - what should I do?

If a policy is still within the 30-day cancellation period, we can accept an email instruction or a signed letter to cancel the policy. Your email/letter must provide the full policy number and your full name and address. Once a policy is out with this time we require a letter to cancel the policy, signed by the policyholder. You should also cancel your Direct Debit instruction with your bank.

I have not received my welcome gift.

Welcome gifts are sent out within 28 days of the 1st premium being collected successfully. If you have not received your gift after the 28 days, please contact us.

I have received a marketing pack and/or literature from Scottish Friendly, but do not wish to receive any more. How can I have my details removed from your mailing list?

Please telephone our Customer Contact Centre on 0333 323 5433 and have the letter in front of you, as you will be asked to quote the long reference number from the letter, which is beside your name and address.

How do I find my National Insurance number?

You can locate your National Insurance number on your payslip, P60 or tax return.

Alternatively you can go to www.hmrc.gov.uk and search for the CA5403 form fill this in and send it to the address on the form or call the National Insurance Registrations Helpline on 0845 915 7006. In both of these situations your National Insurance number will be sent to you in writing.

I have received a maturity/surrender claim form - who signs this?

The owner of the policy must sign the claim form. If the policy is jointly owned, then we will require both signatures.

The only exception to this is if the owner is a child under the age of 16. In these cases the child's parent or legal guardian must sign the claim form on their behalf.

If the policy is assigned to a Bank/Building Society, an Official from that Institution must sign the form. If the Bank/Building Society has no further interest in the policy, then we require the Bank/Building Society to send us a Letter of Retrocession.

If the policy is written in Trust, then all named Trustees must sign the claim form.

I have lost my policy document - what should I do? Is there a charge for this?

We only require a Policy document in the event of a claim (on surrender, maturity or death). At that stage we can send you a Lost Policy Declaration to be completed to replace the Policy Document. There is no charge for this.

I sent you a maturity/surrender claim form - when can I expect my money?

Surrender claims can take up to 4 weeks to be processed. Maturity claims are processed within a week of the maturity date, providing we have received all required documentation.

My policy is maturing soon and I pay monthly premiums. When is my last payment date?

Your last payment will be collected the month before your maturity date. For example, if your maturity date is in February, your last monthly payment will be collected in January.

Do you pay my claim proceeds into my bank account, or by cheque?

We will issue your claim payment by cheque.

The cheque has been issued in my child’s name, but my child does not have a bank account.

Cheques on surrender or maturity must be issued in the child's name.

I pay my policy by Direct Debit/Standing Order - will you cancel this for me when the policy matures?

You must ensure the Direct Debit/Standing Order is cancelled at your bank once the last premium has been collected.

How do I notify you of the death of a policyholder?

If you want to submit a death claim form you can download this here. You can also call our Customer Contact Centre on 0333 323 5433, who will advise what we require to process the claim.

What is the maximum amount I can invest in an ISA per year?

The current limit is £11,520, up to £5,760 of which can be in the form of cash. The remainder of the £11,520 can be invested in stocks and shares with either the same or a different provider.

Do you offer Cash ISAs at Scottish Friendly?

No, we only offer Investment ISAs, legally known as a Stocks and Shares ISAs.

I want to top up my ISA, how can I do this?

If you are registered for My Plans and are able to manage the policies held within your Scottish Friendly ISA, please log into My Plans where you can arrange to top up your policy. For more information on how to top up your policy using My Plans, please see 'How do I change the amount of my regular payments?' or 'How do I add a lump sum payment to my policy?'.

If you are not registered for My Plans, or cannot manage your ISA using My Plans, we will require a letter from you quoting your plan number and how much you wish to add, you should note this is if you have made a payment in the current tax year. If you have not made a payment in this tax year or the last tax year, please telephone our Customer Contact Centre on 0333 323 5433 for a new application form.

I want to send you a payment for my ISA, who do I make my cheque payable to?

You should make your cheque payable to Scottish Friendly Asset Managers. However please note we do not accept cheque payments for all policy types.

Please telephone our Customer Contact Centre on 0333 323 5433 and we will advise you if we can accept a cheque payment for your particular policy.

I want to cash in my ISA/make a partial withdrawal - what should I do?

If you are registered for My Plans and are able to manage the policies held within your Scottish Friendly ISA, please log into My Plans where you can arrange to cash in or make a partial withdrawal online. For more information please see ‘How do I withdraw money from my policy?’.

If you are not registered for My Plans, or cannot manage your ISA using My Plans, please send us a letter confirming that you wish to cash in your ISA or make a partial withdrawal. Please quote your ISA policy number and ensure your letter is signed. If you have a With-Profits ISA plan, please telephone our Customer Contact Centre on 0333 323 5433 to check whether an MVA/MVR currently applies to your fund on encashment.

I am trying to make a withdrawal from an ISA, but I have been advised this may be subject to a Market Value Adjustment/Reduction (MVA/MVR) - what is this?

MVA is a potential reduction to the cash in value of your plan. It is designed to ensure that you receive your fair share of the ISA With-Profits fund, and that other investors cashing in their units do not adversely affect the value of your continuing investment.

We may apply an MVA in certain circumstances, for example, where market values are low. However, we guarantee not to apply it in the following circumstances: when you cash in all or part of your plan on the 10th anniversary from the date the plan started, or on payment of the death benefit.

What is My Plans?

My Plans is your own personal Scottish Friendly online space. Whether you’ve just taken out one of our new investments or have held a Scottish Friendly investment or policy for a number of years, with My Plans you’ll be able to view your investment plans and current valuations.

You’ll be able to manage our new ISA products online, as well as being able to change your personal details, for example if you move house or update your email address.

Can I register for My Plans?

You can register for My Plans if you have your own client reference number and a policy number.

How do I register for My Plans?

To register for My Plans visit www.scottishfriendly.co.uk/my-plans and click on the ‘Register’ button on the right-hand side of the page. This will take you to the registration screen for My Plans.

What details will I need to register for My Plans?

In order to register for My Plans you will need your client reference number, a policy number, your date of birth and your postcode.

What details will I need to log in to My Plans?

In order to log in to My Plans you will need your username, password, date of birth and memorable word.

I've forgotten my log in details, how can I find these?

Go to the My Plans Log in screen www.scottishfriendly.co.uk/my-plans and click on the link ‘Forgotten your log in details?’ From here you can select to receive a reminder of your username or reset your password or your memorable word.

In order to have a reminder of your user name sent to you, you will need to know your password, or to have your password or memorable word reset you will need to know your user name.

You will also need your email address, date of birth and your post code.

If you cannot remember your user name and password then please telephone our Customer Contact Centre on 0333 323 1862, where we can help.

My account has been locked, how do I reactivate it?

If you accidentally enter your log in details incorrectly 3 times in a row, your account will become locked.

In order to unlock your account you can request an email be sent to you by clicking on the ‘Send unlock email’ button which will appear when you try to log in on a locked account.

Once you have received the email, click on the ‘Unlock my account’ button within the email. This will unlock your account and take you back to the log in screen.

Which products can I view and manage via My Plans?

With My Plans, you can view all of your Scottish Friendly policies which you are the owner of and see their current value(s). However you can only manage your policies held within your Scottish Friendly ISA, e.g. My Choice (ISA).

How do I add regular payments to my policy?

Select the policy you wish to add your regular payment to by clicking on the ‘More info’ button.

Click on the ‘Set up a regular payment’ link under the ‘Actions’ menu. You will be taken to the ‘Set up Regular Payments’ application form. Complete the form and click ‘Submit’.

You will receive confirmation of your new regular payment by post. You can also view this in the ‘My correspondence’ tab within My Plans.

How do I change the amount of my regular payments?

Select the policy you wish to change the amount of your regular payment by clicking on the ‘More info’ button.

Under the ‘Payments’ heading, click on the ‘View’ button next to the regular payment you wish to amend.

On the next screen click on the ‘Change’ button next to your payment details. You will now be able to amend the regular payment amount. Once finished, click the ‘Submit’ button to save this change.

Why can’t I change the amount of my regular payment?

Regular payment amounts cannot be changed within 5 working days of your next payment date.

How do I stop my regular payments to my policy?

Select the policy you wish to stop making regular payments to by clicking on the ‘More info’ button.

Click on the ‘Stop regular payments’ link under the ’Actions’ menu. A pop-up box will appear asking you if you are sure you want to stop this payment, click on the ‘Submit’ button if you wish to proceed.

How do I add a lump sum payment to my policy?

Select the policy you wish to add a lump sum payment to by clicking on the ‘More info’ button.

Click on the ‘Add a single payment’ link under the ’Actions’ menu. You will be taken to the ’Add a Single Payment’ application form. Complete the form and click ‘Submit’.

You will then receive confirmation of your new single payment by post. You can also view this in the ‘My correspondence’ tab within My Plans.

Can I make a lump sum payment by cheque into my policy?

Unfortunately we do not accept lump sum payments by cheque into policies held within your Scottish Friendly ISA.

You can make a lump sum payment through My Plans by one-off Direct Debit. Please see ‘How do I add a lump sum payment to my policy?’ above, for more details.

How do I transfer in from another ISA provider?

You can only transfer into a My Choice policy held within your Scottish Friendly ISA. If you do not have a My Choice policy, you need to apply for one. Please see 'How do I add another policy to my Scottish Friendly ISA?'for further details.

If you have a My Choice policy, click on the ’More info‘ button for this policy within My Plans. Click on the ‘Transfer in from another ISA’ link under the ‘Actions’ menu. From here you can download a transfer in form. Please complete the form and return it to the address shown below.

Scottish Friendly Asset Managers,
Scottish Friendly House,
16 Blythswood Square,
Glasgow,
G2 4HJ

How do I add another policy to my Scottish Friendly ISA?

When you are logged into My Plans, you can apply for another policy within your Scottish Friendly ISA by using the drop down menu under the ‘Add a new policy to my Scottish Friendly ISA’ section. Once you select the policy you wish to apply for, click the ‘Find out more’ button which will take you to the product page.

Please read through the information provided and when you are ready to apply click on the ‘Apply now’ button.

Complete the form as required and submit your application.

Your new policy will show up as a policy held within your Scottish Friendly ISA within My Plans. You will receive your welcome pack and your policy document in the post.

How do I switch the funds my policy invests in?

Select the policy you wish to switch funds within by clicking on the ‘More info’ button. Click on the ‘Make a fund switch’ link under the ‘Actions’ menu.

Enter the amount you wish to switch under the ‘Fund switch amount’ heading.

Under the ‘Fund switch details’ heading enter the amount(s) you wish to switch out of your current fund(s), this must total the amount entered under the “Fund switch amount” heading above.

If you wish to switch into a new fund, select if from the drop down menu and click the ‘Add’ button. Details of each fund can be found by visiting the link shown on screen.

Then enter the ‘split (%)’ for each fund you wish to switch into. If you split the amount between different funds, the total must equal 100%.

Once you have completed the ‘Switch out details’ and the ‘Switch in details’ sections, click the ‘Submit’ button at the bottom of the page to request the fund switch.

How do I withdraw money from my policy?

Select the policy you wish to make a withdrawal from by clicking on the ‘More info’ button. Click on the ‘Make a withdrawal’ link under the ’Actions’ menu.

Select if you wish to ‘Specify amount’ or ’Withdraw full amount’ under the ‘Withdrawal type’ heading.

If you select “Specify amount”, enter the amount you wish to withdraw under the ‘Withdrawal amount’ heading. If you have invested in more than one fund, you can then select how you would like your investment proportion to be split between each of your funds, either split proportionately for you or by specifying the amounts yourself. Then click on the ‘Submit’ button to request the withdrawal.

If you select to ’Withdraw full amount’, you will have the option to ‘Close account’ at the same time. Check the box as appropriate and then click the ‘Submit’ button.

How do I change my bank details?

Changing your bank details through My Plans will change them for all policies held within your Scottish Friendly ISA. It will not affect other policies you hold with Scottish Friendly.

Select one of your policies held within your Scottish Friendly ISA by clicking on the ‘More info’ button. Click on the ‘Change bank details’ link under the ’Actions’ menu.

Please read and print a copy of your Direct Debit Guarantee accessible from the link on screen. You can then enter your new sort code and account number as well as the account holder name in the marked fields. You must confirm that the account is held in your own name and that you are the only signatory required to authorise this Direct Debit by checking the boxes. Then click on the ‘Submit’ button to save the changes.

You will receive a confirmation of this change in the post.

How do I change my contact details?

You can update your address, email address or your telephone number through My Plans.

Whilst logged into My Plans, click on the ‘My contact details’ tab at the top of the page. Click on the ‘Change’ button next to your address details.

You can now enter your new address, email address or telephone number as required. Click on the ‘Submit’ button to save the changes.

How do I change my login details?

You can update your password, memorable word and your username through My Plans.

Whilst logged into My Plans, click on the ‘Welcome’ tab at the top of the page (your current username will also be displayed on this tab) and select ‘Change my log-in details’ from the drop down menu.

Enter your new password, memorable word and hint or username as required. Click on the ‘Submit’ button to save the changes.

How do I opt in for a paperless account?

Whilst logged into My Plans, click on the ‘My Contact details’ tab at the top of the page. Click on the ‘Change’ button next to your address details.

At the bottom of the page there will be a check box under the heading ‘Your paperless account’ for you to indicate if you wish to opt in for a paperless account. Once you have checked the box click on the ‘Submit’ button to save the change.

I have more than one client reference number, how can I view all of my policies under one My Plans login?

If you have more than one client reference number, you can contact us with your different numbers and request to have them merged into one new client reference number. Once you have your new client reference number you can then use this to register with My Plans and view all of your policies under one My Plans login.

If you have previously registered for My Plans, you would need to re-register using your new client reference number and using a different username and email address in order to view all policies under one My Plans login.

Before applying for any further policies within your Scottish Friendly ISA you should register for, and log into My Plans. This will prevent additional client reference numbers being created.

Why can I not register with My Plans to view my child’s policy/account?

Child investments such as the Child Bond, Child Flexible Plan, Grandchild Flexible Plan, Child Trust Fund (CTF) and the Junior ISA (JISA) all belong to the child.

As such these policies are held under the child’s own client reference number, which only they can use once they are over the age of 16 years. Therefore, we are unable to allow access to these policies via My Plans using your client reference number.

If you are the child’s parent or guardian you can manage these accounts on behalf of the child by contacting us in writing, by email or by phone. Please see our contact us page for the details.