Further, the insurer’s internal data suggests that cases requiring medical evidence are now being written in less than one-and-a-half days on average.
The firm has also increased its instant decision rate by 5% across its protection range, compared to the start of the year. Guardian is now completing 14% more instant decisions for income protection and 2% more for life protection.
The insurer said this was made possible by changes to its underwriting rules and a new underwriting hire.
The changes included updated underwriting rules for mental health disclosures to reflect the growing number of people affected by conditions such as anxiety and moderate depression.
This saw 97% of applicants receive an instant decision on their life cover in June, compared to 87% the same month last year. Of those, 90% were offered standard terms.
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Now, around three-quarters of applicants receive an immediate decision at application.
Guardian’s changes come after the Protection Distribution Group’s Protection Insights Report 2026, which found that 59% of advisers said lengthy underwriting processes were a barrier to writing more protection.
Caroline Froude, head of underwriting strategy and development at Guardian, said: “We’re really encouraged to see more customers receiving instant decisions when they apply for cover with us. Improving the underwriting journey is a key priority, and these results show the progress we’re making. Even cases requiring underwriting are processed in just 1.5 days and, in many cases, less.
“Our aim is always to offer fair and consistent outcomes. As conditions such as mental health affect more people, our products and underwriting approach need to evolve so we can support more applicants.
“We’re already working on similar improvements for other common disclosures, such as cholesterol, to ensure the process remains fast, simple and tailored to each customer.”
Guardian has continued to invest in its underwriting processes by increasing its headcount alongside plans for future hires this year.
Further, its adviser call times have improved, with calls being answered in 52 seconds on average.
Chloe Davies, head of protection distribution and provider relationships at L&C Mortgages, said: “Underwriting speed can make or break the customer take-up of a protection recommendation. When clients have to wait weeks for a decision, they often lose momentum or reconsider altogether.
“Improvements that increase the number of instant decisions and reduce delays make a real difference because they help advisers secure cover for customers quickly and keep the process straightforward.”
