Insurance and union support: check what is actually approved

Locate the documents, not just the product name

Find the policy wording, schedule and any legal-expenses documents, or the union’s current support rules and membership information. A familiar insurer’s name or a membership card is not enough to describe the service. Record where the relevant support contact is published so you can approach the organisation through an independently verified channel.

Keep those records privately rather than pasting them into this website. The homepage checklist only marks document categories as located; it does not read policies, verify membership or store the contents. If you download the checklist, review it before sharing and remember that a file on your device is not a funding request sent to the organisation.

Ask about the task, timing and approval process

Describe the kind of help you want at a high level when you first establish the appropriate contact. Ask what information is necessary for a support decision and how to provide it securely. Then ask whether approval must be obtained before another adviser begins work. Do not infer that a bill can be recovered simply because you have a policy or pay membership fees.

Clarify whether the available service is a helpline, initial advice, negotiation support or representation. Ask which jurisdiction it covers and whether any stage needs a fresh decision. A conversation with a helpline and an accepted instruction to conduct proceedings are different events. Ask for written confirmation of what has actually been authorised.

• Who decides the support request?
• What evidence is needed and through which channel?
• Which tasks and costs are included?
• Is further approval needed before external work starts?

Resolve overlaps before signing a second arrangement

If a solicitor offers outcome-related funding while an insurance or union request is pending, tell the relevant organisations about the overlap through an appropriate private channel. Ask how the proposed commitments interact and whether signing one arrangement affects another. This page cannot determine the answer from the existence of two possible funding routes.

Ask specifically about initial charges, expenses, any contribution you may need to make and what happens if support ends. If the organisation identifies a particular adviser, verify who that adviser is and how their work is supervised. Do not interpret a general reference to legal support as a promise that every fee or every later stage will be paid.

Keep unanswered requests visible

Maintain a short private log showing when you asked, who replied and whether the response was information, a request for documents or an actual funding decision. If you have not received approval, label the position unconfirmed. This is more useful than marking a route available because an application form exists or because somebody said the issue would be considered.

Funding enquiries do not replace official procedural steps. Use current Acas information for England, Wales and Scotland and Labour Relations Agency information for Northern Ireland. Seek appropriate help promptly where time may matter; this guide does not work out a deadline. If support is declined, ask what the decision covers and what information routes remain, without treating the funding outcome as a judgment on your legal rights.