FAQs
We're here to help. Below you'll find answers to some questions you may have about us, our products and your investment with Scottish Friendly.
About Scottish Friendly
We're an award-winning financial services provider based in Glasgow, delivering products and services to help UK families thrive.
We've been around since 1862, when we started as the City of Glasgow Friendly Society. We're now known as Scottish Friendly Assurance. With over £4.5 billion in assets and 814,000 members, as of 26th April 2023.
Being a mutual means we're owned by our members for our members. This means we don’t have shareholders to pay, so we can reinvest our profits to provide quality products, services and customer benefits.
When you register for My Plans and choose to go paperless, we reward you with your very own My Benefits card. This unlocks some fantastic savings and offers from thousands of leading high-street brands.
Find out more about my benefits here.
You can view our open vacancies here.
No, you are unable to get Premium Bonds from Scottish Friendly.
In certain circumstances your money is protected by the FSCS, you can find out more about what they do here.
No, not yet. Existing customers who have transferred to Scottish Friendly may hold a pension with us but we don't currently offer a pension to new customers.
Getting in touch
You can view the different ways to contact us here.
If you wish to contact us by email you can do this by using our online contact form.
Scottish Friendly Assurance Society Ltd
Galbraith House
16 Blythswood Square
Glasgow
G2 4HJ
You can call us on:
(UK) 0333 323 5433 or (Eire) 3531 800 816 736.
For Canada Life customers please call 0330 135 9539.
Lines are open 8.30am-5.30pm, Monday to Friday.
For Mobius Life customers please call 01733 353405, Monday to Friday 9.30am to 4pm.
Calls may be monitored for quality and feedback purposes.
We're sorry that you're contacting us about a death claim. You can download a death claim form from the bottom of the contact us page and then post to us at:
Scottish Friendly Assurance Society Ltd
Galbraith House
16 Blythswood Square
Glasgow
G2 4HJ
Read the terms and conditions of our feedback prize draw.
About our ISAs
Our ISA products are not fixed, so you can withdraw your money from an ISA at any time. For a Junior ISA, the money belongs to the child and can only be accessed by them at age 18. It can however, be transferred to another provider at any time. Either of these products may be subject to a £50 exit fee within the first 5 years.
Our ISAs start from £10 a month or £100 lump sum. Our Junior ISAs start from £10 a month or £50 lump sum.
Yes, if you're an existing customer you can currently view this within our mobile app on all products other than the Unitised With-Profits fund or Guaranteed cash fund. Please remember past performance is no guarantee to the future.
Fast Track codes are available on mailing packs and inserts. They're designed to get you to the product you've already read about faster.
If the product you're interested in has a tiered gift, the more you invest a month the higher the value of your My Rewards gift card (subject to a maximum amount). You'll be able to find the tiers on the product page. Gift terms apply. We'll send your My Rewards voucher within 28 days of receiving your first payment.
Once registered you'll be able to access the full list of retailers. We reserve the right to refuse the issue of gifts where multiple ISA applications have been made, and where we consider that the terms of this reward offer have been abused.
My Plans account basics
Entering log in details incorrectly three times in a row locks access to your My Plans account.
How to unlock:
Attempting to log in to a locked account will reveal the option to unlock it.
1. After a failed log in attempt on the My Plans login screen, click Send unlock email to send an email to the email address you provided during registration.
2. In the email, click Unlock my account to return to the log in page having verified your identity.
3. Log in to your account.
Logging into My Plans requires the username, password and memorable word you created during registration.
You can have your username sent to you, or reset your password or memorable word, if you have forgotten them.
To retrieve any login details, you will need:
· Your email address
· Your date of birth
· Your postcode
How to retrieve your login details:
1. On the My Plans login page, click Forgotten your login details?
2. Choose which piece of log in information you need to access or reset.
3. Provide the required personal information to verify your identity and click 'Submit'.
Your username, password and memorable word can all be changed within My Plans.
1. Under Welcome (top-right) click 'Change my log in details.'
2. Enter a new password, memorable word and hint, or username as required.
3.Click 'Submit' to save changes.
You can find out here how to Register or Log into My Plans.
Yes, you can download our android app by clicking here Google Play. Or if you have iphone you can download our app here from The App Store. Find out more information about our app here.
Help reduce paper usage by opting in for a paperless account. You can still view all correspondence within My Plans, even if your account is paperless.
Opting to go paperless gives access to our My Benefits rewards scheme, providing fantastic savings and offers from thousands of leading brands and local outlets.
How to go paperless:
1. In My Plans, click 'My details' in the main menu.
2. Click 'Change my contact details' above your address.
3. At the bottom of the page, check the box to opt in for a paperless account.
4. Click 'Submit.'
Once you've gone paperless, a My Benefits card will automatically be sent to you in the post along with registration instructions and tips on how to make the most of your card.
My Plans shows which policies you have within your Scottish Friendly ISA and lets you see their current value. You can access this view at any point within My Plans.
You can access My Plans by clicking on the link next to the menu bar.
If you have more than one client reference number, contact us to have them merged into one new client reference number.
When you get in touch, make sure to have all your different client reference numbers to hand.
To view all of your polices under one My Plans login, you must then register for My Plans using the new client reference number.
You need to register with this new number even if you have a My Plans account using one of your old client reference numbers. This new account will also need a different username and email address from the old one.
You should register and / or log in to My Plans with this new client reference number before applying for any more policies within your Scottish Friendly ISA / Junior ISA, to stop any more client reference numbers from being created.
Your details
If you're registered for My Plans, you can log in to change your personal details like your address, email address and telephone number.
1. In My Plans, click 'My details' in the main menu.
2. Click 'Change my contact details' above your address.
3. Add in your new details as necessary and click 'Submit.'
If you don't have a My Plans account, contact us to change your personal details. Please quote your policy number, customer reference number or direct debit / standing order reference.
Your client reference number is at the top of any printed correspondence you receive regarding your product or on your original email when you applied with us, called Scottish Friendly application received.
It may have letters at the start, in which case, only refer to the numbers after the forward slash.
For example, L005/8573987 has a client reference number of 8573987.
Your National Insurance number is on any payslip, P60 (end of year tax statement, given to you by your employer) or copy of your annual Self Assessment tax return.
If you cannot find your number, follow the instructions provided on the HM Revenue & Customs website for Finding a lost National Insurance number. Your National Insurance number will be sent to you in writing.
You can find out more about what this may mean for you here.
If you're a Scottish Friendly customer and no longer wish to receive marketing communications from us, please contact us in writing, by email or by phone. Please have your customer reference number to hand – you will find this on your policy document.
If you're not a Scottish Friendly customer but have received a mailing from us, this may have been provided to us from a third party to whom you've given consent for your details to be passed onto other marketing companies. If you wish to change this, please contact us and we will provide you with the list owner’s contact details.
Managing your investments
Policy information can only be given to the owner of the policy or anyone who has authority which is noted on that individual policy.
To obtain information if you are not the policyholder, a letter of authority will need to be submitted and signed by the policy owner.
Using My Plans
If you're registered for My Plans, you can log in to view the current value of your policy.
In My Plans, the current valuation is displayed on the summary screen My Plans in the table of policies you hold with us, in the 'Current valuation (£)' column.
You will not be able to see the values for any of our child products, such as Child Bond or Child Flexible plan.
If you don't have My Plans account
If you took out one of our child policies or you're not registered for My Plans and wish to obtain a value, please contact us. Please make sure to provide either your Policy number, Client Reference number or Direct Debit Payer Reference number when contacting us.
The following fund prices and latest fund information are always available to view on our website:
We currently only accept payment by Direct Debit.
The tax year resets on the 6th of April each year. The current ISA allowance is £20,000 this tax year and the current Junior ISA allowance is £9,000.
Charges vary depending on which product you apply for.
To find out what charges apply to a specific product, visit the product's page and scroll to the 'Apply online' section. The Product Guide is available for download here and answers a number of questions, including details on charges.
What are my/the charges?
UK Growth Fund and Managed Growth Fund charges
We provide a guide to our fund charges and costs for our UK Growth Fund and Managed Growth Fund on our website.
We only require a policy document in the event of a claim (on surrender, maturity or death).
On surrender, maturity or death, if you're unable to locate the policy document, download the relevant Lost Policy Declaration form below, complete it and send to us.
· Lost Policy Declaration form - Surrender claims [PDF]
· Lost Policy Declaration form - Maturity or Death claims [PDF]
If you're unable to download the relevant form, please contact us and we can send you a copy. There is no charge for this.
If you're the payer on a policy, but not the owner, we can only discuss the payments with you.
Policy information can only be given to the owner of the policy or anyone who has authority which is noted on that individual policy.
To obtain information if you are not the policyholder, please submit a letter of authority signed by the policy owner.
You may find information that could help here.
Our Bonus Notices are sent around May each year and confirm the reversionary (annual) bonus applied to your policy for that year. We issue a Bonus Notice for each year where a reversionary bonus has been applied, as each of these bonuses are not detailed individually on your maturity paperwork.
Only conventional With-Profits policies that have received an annual bonus are listed on the Bonus Notice. Unit-linked policies such as MoneyBuilder or UK Select Investment Plan will receive a separate statement.
Using My Plans
If you are registered for My Plans, you can log in to withdraw money from a policy or cash in your ISA.
1. In My Plans, on the My Plans summary, click 'More info' beside the policy you want to make a withdrawal from.
2. Under the Actions heading, click 'Make a withdrawal.'
Making a partial withdrawal
1. In the 'Withdrawal type' section, choose 'Specify amount.'
2.In the 'Withdrawal amount' section, enter the amount you want to withdraw. If you have invested in more than one fund, you can specify the amount that gets withdrawn from each fund. Select 'Let me specify the amounts' and enter how much you would like to withdraw from each fund in its 'Amount' column. Otherwise, your withdrawal will be equally proportioned from your funds.
3. Click 'Submit' to request the withdrawal.
Withdraw (cash in) full amount
1. In the 'Withdrawal type' section, choose 'Withdraw full amount.' If you want to close your account at the same time, check the 'Close account' checkbox
2. Click 'Submit' to request the withdrawal.
If you don't have a My Plans account
If you are not registered for My Plans, or cannot manage your ISA using My Plans, send us a letter confirming that you wish to make a partial withdrawal or cash in your ISA.
Please quote your ISA policy number and ensure your letter is signed.
If you have a With-Profits ISA plan, please contact us to check whether a market value adjustment / reduction currently applies to your fund on encashment.
How long do we keep your information?
Once our relationship with you has come to an end, we will retain your personal information for a period of time that enables us to:
Maintain business records for analysis and/or audit purposes; or
Comply with record retention requirements under the law;
Defend or bring any existing or potential legal claims;
Deal with any complaints regarding our products or services.
We will delete your personal information when it is no longer needed for these purposes. If there is any information that we unable, for technical reasons, to delete entirely from our systems, we will put in place appropriate measures to prevent any further processing or use of the information.
To surrender a policy, please contact us to check if your policy is eligible to be surrendered. Please have to hand either your Policy number, Client Reference number or Direct Debit Payer Reference number.
If it is eligible, we will send you a surrender claim form.
The owner of the policy must sign the claim form, unless the policy:
is jointly owned, which requires signatures from both owners
is owned by a child, which requires a signature from the child's parent or legal guardian
is assigned to a bank / building society, which requires a signature from an official from that institution (if the bank/building society has no further interest in the policy, they must send us a Letter of Retrocession)
is written in trust, which requires signatures from all named trustees.
Surrender claims can take up to 4 weeks to be processed.
Please note, you may not get the current value of your policy if you choose to surrender early. The current value of your policy is the minimum amount payable should you continue to maintain your premiums in line with your policy terms. If you choose to surrender your policy early, the value is calculated based on how long you have contributed to the policy and any surrender rates applicable at that time. The value quoted may be less than the sum you've paid in as a result of the effect of the charges in the early years.
If you've opened a policy and wish to cancel it within 30 days of opening it, you can do this online if you have registered with My Plans for a My ISA policy. For other policies, you should email us your instruction to cancel or send us a signed letter.
Your email or letter must provide the full policy number and your full name and address.
Your last premium is collected the month before your maturity date.
For example, if your maturity date is in February, your last monthly premium is collected in January.
To find out when your maturity date is, you can either check your policy document or contact us. Please have to hand either your Policy number, Client Reference number or Direct Debit Payer Reference number.
When your policy matures, you must ensure your Direct Debit or Standing Order is cancelled at your bank once the last premium has been collected.
To find out when your policy matures or when the last premium is due, please contact us. Please have to hand either your Policy number, Client Reference number or Direct Debit Payer Reference number.
If your policy is nearing maturity, we will send you a maturity pack which includes a maturity claim form.
Complete, sign and return the maturity claim form to us to receive your claim proceeds.
The owner of the policy must sign the claim form, unless the policy:
is jointly owned, which requires signatures from both owners
is owned by a child, which requires a signature from the child's parent or legal guardian
is assigned to a bank / building society, which requires a signature from an official from that institution (if the bank/building society has no further interest in the policy, they must send us a Letter of Retrocession)
is written in trust, which requires signatures from all named trustees
If you have misplaced your maturity pack, please contact us to have it reissued to you. Alternatively, you can download a blank replacement Maturity Claim form:
If the person holding a policy with us has died, you can notify us and make a claim by downloading, completing and sending us a death claim form:
Along with the form, you will need to send us the following:
A photocopy of the death certificate
Original policy documents (if available)
You may also need to send us:
Nomination form
Grant of confirmation / probate
Deed of assignment
Please contact us if you have any questions, or need advice on what we require to process your claim.
Investing on behalf of a child
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.
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're unable to allow access to these policies via My Plans using your client reference number.
If you are the child's parent or guardian, please contact us to access or manage any of these accounts on behalf of the child.
Junior ISA
From April 2015, parents whose children have Child Trust Fund accounts can transfer out to a Junior ISA.
If you would like to transfer, please contact us.
Cheques on surrender or maturity of a child's policy must be issued in the child's name, as, for all of our tax-efficient child investments, the money is always payable to the child (with the exception of our Parents Flexible Plan, which allows you to invest for the child using your own tax exempt savings allowance meaning the monies are payable to you and not the child).
If the child does not currently have a bank account then the parent / guardian will need to open an account in the child's name in order to cash the cheque.
My Rewards and My Benefits
Welcome gifts are sent out within 28 days after the first premium has been successfully collected.
If you've not received your gift after the 28 days, please contact us.
New to My Rewards
New customers to My Rewards need to register for an account on our Friendly Rewards website before being able to select a reward.
1. On the Friendly Rewards website enter your 16 digit unique reward code printed on your My Rewards card
2. Follow the instructions to register for a Friendly Rewards account
3. Log in to the website using the registration details you provided during registration
4. Select your chosen retailer gift card or voucher code
Your chosen reward will then be dispatched to you.
Current My Rewards customers
If you've previously registered with the Friendly Rewards website, you can add a new My Rewards card to your Friendly Rewards account
1. Click 'Log in now' beside 'Already registered?' on the Friendly Rewards website
2. Under the 'My Account' tab, click on the 'add another code link
3. Enter your new 16 digit unique reward code printed on your My Rewards card
4. Select your chosen retailer gift card or voucher code
Your chosen reward will then be dispatched to you.
Any problems, please contact us.
To receive a My Benefits card, you need to register for My Plans to manage your policies online and opt in for a paperless account. Your My Benefits card will then be automatically sent to you in the post.
1. Go to the Friendly Benefits website
2. Click on 'Register' in the bottom right hand corner of the 'Log in' panel
3. Submit your 'Client reference number' found on your My Benefits card
4. Enter the 'Scheme ID Number' found on the letter issued with your My Benefits card
5. Fill in the rest of your details including choosing a password
6. Enter your preferred town / city and select the categories that interest you
7. Confirm you are not a robot
8. Click 'Register'
An email will then be sent to your registered email address to confirm your My Benefits card has been registered.
To view what discounts and offers are available to you with your My Benefits card, go to the Friendly Benefits website and log in with your registered email address and password.
Each offer will tell you how to obtain the discount.
If you've lost your My Benefits card and need to order a replacement call our Customer Contact Centre on 0333 323 5433 to arrange a new card.
Understanding investments
If you have a child born between 1st September 2002 and 2nd January 2011, they may have a Child Trust Fund. You can no longer open new accounts because the scheme is now closed. You can continue to contribute money to an existing fund, or you can transfer the funds to a Junior ISA or if you have a CTF with us that's about to mature, we'll get in touch. You can find out more about Child Trust Funds here.
If you have a Unitised With-Profits plan and take money out of the With-Profits fund, we may adjust the value of your plan if the value of the underlying assets is less than the value of your plan including all bonuses.
This adjustment is known as a Market Value Reduction (MVR). It's designed to protect investors who are not taking their money out and it's application means that you get a return based on the earnings of the With-Profits fund over the period your payments have been invested.
We may apply an MVA in certain circumstances, for example, where market values are low.
However, we guarantee not to apply it if 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.