NON-OPERATIVE DRAFT. These are CANDIDATE underwriting and health-disclosure questions only. They are written to inform, not replace, Bob's reviewed content store. Nothing here is approved for use in a live income-protection application. Every candidate question must pass New Zealand legal review and native bilingual (English and te reo Maori) authoring before it can be shown to any consumer. No question below is drawn verbatim from any insurer's application form; all are generic plain-language candidates written in our own words. Do not wire any of this into intake without sign-off.
This file collects draft candidate questions for the standard income-protection (IP) underwriting domains, so the team has a starting point to refine, legally review, and translate. The candidates are deliberately plain, specific, and answerable, because the New Zealand duty under the Contracts of Insurance Act 2024 puts the onus on the insurer (and the adviser collecting answers) to ask clear questions that a consumer can reasonably answer without making a misrepresentation. Each domain is a self-contained section; every section is marked drives: advice and status: draft because the wording shapes what is disclosed and underwritten, and none of it is settled.
The duty these questions must support (CoIA 2024)
These candidate questions exist to support the consumer's duty under the Contracts of Insurance Act 2024. For a consumer insurance contract, the policyholder has a duty to take reasonable care not to make a misrepresentation to the insurer before entering into or varying the contract (the duty is set out at section 13 of the Act). Whether a consumer took reasonable care is judged against the standard of a reasonable policyholder, having regard to all the relevant circumstances, and the non-exhaustive factors listed in the Act expressly include how clear and specific the insurer's questions were [VERIFY: factors cited to section 14]. The practical consequence for Bob is that question wording is part of the legal duty, not just user experience: a vague, compound, or ambiguous question shifts the consequences of a mistaken answer toward the insurer, so candidate questions should be short, ask one thing, define time windows, and avoid jargon. This section frames why every other section below is held to that standard, and why all of it stays draft until legal review confirms the wording meets the Act.
Source: Contracts of Insurance Act 2024, New Zealand Legislation (https://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/2024/46/en/latest/); MinterEllison, "Contracts of Insurance Act 2024: Dissecting the new duty" (https://www.minterellison.co.nz/insights/contracts-of-insurance-act-2024-dissecting-the-new-duty) · retrieved 2026-06-18 · rights: own-summary · drives: advice · status: draft
Identity and eligibility basics (candidates)
This domain confirms who the applicant is and whether they fall within the basic eligibility window before any health questions are asked. Candidate questions, plainly worded:
- What is your full legal name, your date of birth, and your sex recorded at birth (used for underwriting tables)?
- Are you a New Zealand citizen or resident, and do you currently live in New Zealand?
- In the next 12 months, do you have firm plans to live or work overseas for more than three months in a row? If yes, where?
These are framed to be specific and answerable so the applicant can take reasonable care without guessing. The exact eligibility ranges (minimum and maximum entry age, residency definitions, and any travel limits) vary by insurer and must be confirmed against current terms before these candidates are finalised [VERIFY].
Source: own-summary, general underwriting education; Contracts of Insurance Act 2024 (https://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/2024/46/en/latest/) · retrieved 2026-06-18 · rights: own-summary · drives: advice · status: draft
Occupation and duties (candidates)
Occupation drives both the premium and how "unable to work" is defined, because some jobs carry more injury, illness, or stress risk than others, and manual versus desk duties matter. Candidate questions:
- What is your current job title, and who is your employer (or is the business your own)?
- In a normal week, roughly what share of your work is physical or manual, and what share is at a desk?
- How many hours a week do you usually work, and is the work permanent, fixed-term, casual, or seasonal?
- Do you have a second job or side business that involves physical, outdoor, or hazardous work?
Insurers map occupations to occupation classes that affect terms; the specific class boundaries are insurer-defined and must be confirmed before use [VERIFY]. The questions are kept concrete (share of manual work, hours) rather than asking the consumer to self-classify, which keeps the answer within what a reasonable policyholder can give.
Source: own-summary, general underwriting education (occupation classes); Legal & General adviser underwriting guidance (https://www.legalandgeneral.com/adviser/protection/underwriting/bmi-limits-and-lifestyle/) · retrieved 2026-06-18 · rights: own-summary · drives: advice · status: draft
Income and financials (candidates)
Income sets the ceiling on how much cover can be issued, because IP replaces a capped percentage of earnings rather than a free-choice amount. Candidate questions:
- What is your gross (before-tax) income from personal exertion over the last 12 months?
- If self-employed, what is your share of the business net profit after expenses, and over which financial year?
- Has your income changed by more than about 20% in the last two years, up or down? If yes, why?
- Do you currently receive any regular income you do not work for, such as rent or investment income?
These separate earned income (which IP is built on) from passive income, and ask for a clear time window so the applicant is not estimating from memory. Definitions of "income" for IP purposes are insurer-specific and must be confirmed [VERIFY]. Bob never quotes a price or benefit figure from these answers; they feed the reviewed advice layer only.
Source: own-summary, general underwriting education; income-protection consumer education, MoneyHub (https://www.moneyhub.co.nz/income-protection-insurance.html) · retrieved 2026-06-18 · rights: own-summary · drives: advice · status: draft
Smoking and nicotine (candidates)
Nicotine use is a standard rating factor and is usually asked with a defined recent time window, because "smoker" terms typically apply to any nicotine use within a set recent period. Candidate questions:
- In the last 12 months, have you smoked or used any tobacco or nicotine product, including cigarettes, vapes or e-cigarettes, cigars, a pipe, or nicotine pouches, gum, or patches?
- If you have used any of these in the last 12 months, roughly how much, and how often?
- If you stopped, when did you have your last cigarette, vape, or other nicotine product?
The 12-month window above is the common convention but is insurer-specific and must be confirmed before these candidates are used [VERIFY]. Listing the specific product types (rather than just "do you smoke?") helps the applicant answer accurately, which is exactly the clarity the duty rewards.
Source: own-summary, general underwriting education on nicotine rating; Legal & General BMI and lifestyle underwriting (https://www.legalandgeneral.com/adviser/protection/underwriting/bmi-limits-and-lifestyle/) · retrieved 2026-06-18 · rights: own-summary · drives: advice · status: draft
Height and weight / build (candidates)
Height and weight are used to estimate build (often via body mass index), because build outside typical ranges can sit alongside conditions such as type 2 diabetes and heart disease. Candidate questions:
- How tall are you (in centimetres), and what do you currently weigh (in kilograms)?
- Has your weight changed by more than about 5 kg in the last 12 months? If yes, was it intentional, and why?
Asking for plain measurements rather than a calculated index keeps the answer within what the applicant actually knows. Specific build limits and how unexplained weight change is treated are insurer-defined and must be confirmed [VERIFY].
Source: own-summary, general underwriting education on build/BMI; Legal & General BMI and lifestyle underwriting (https://www.legalandgeneral.com/adviser/protection/underwriting/bmi-limits-and-lifestyle/) · retrieved 2026-06-18 · rights: own-summary · drives: advice · status: draft
Alcohol and recreational drugs (candidates)
Alcohol intake and any non-prescribed drug use are standard lifestyle questions, because heavy use links to health and claim risk. Candidate questions, framed plainly and without judgement:
- In a typical week, how many standard drinks of alcohol do you have? (A standard drink is about 10 grams of pure alcohol.)
- Have you ever been advised by a doctor to cut down on alcohol, or had treatment related to alcohol?
- In the last five years, have you used any recreational or non-prescribed drugs? If yes, which, and how often?
Anchoring the alcohol question to the New Zealand "standard drink" definition makes it answerable rather than guesswork. The lookback windows above are common conventions but are insurer-specific and must be confirmed [VERIFY].
Source: own-summary, general underwriting education; standard-drink definition, Health New Zealand / Te Whatu Ora alcohol guidance (https://www.alcohol.org.nz/help-and-support/advice/standard-drinks-and-legal-limits) · retrieved 2026-06-18 · rights: own-summary · drives: information · status: draft
Existing medical conditions: cardiovascular (candidates)
Heart and circulation history is a core underwriting area because it bears directly on long-term ability to work. Candidate questions:
- Have you ever been told by a doctor that you have high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or a heart condition such as angina, a heart attack, an irregular heartbeat, or a heart murmur?
- Have you ever had a stroke or a mini-stroke (transient ischaemic attack)?
- Are you currently taking any medication, or having any tests or treatment, for your heart, blood pressure, or cholesterol?
Splitting "heart, blood pressure, cholesterol" into named conditions helps the applicant recall accurately rather than answering a broad catch-all. Any thresholds (for example controlled versus uncontrolled blood pressure) are clinical and insurer-specific and must be confirmed [VERIFY].
Source: own-summary, general underwriting education on medical history disclosure; Aviva "Understanding Underwriting: a guide to medical conditions" (https://static.aviva.io/content/dam/document-library/adviser/individualprotection/pt15357c.pdf) · retrieved 2026-06-18 · rights: own-summary · drives: advice · status: draft
Existing medical conditions: respiratory (candidates)
Breathing and lung conditions matter for IP because they can cause repeated or long absences from work. Candidate questions:
- Have you ever been diagnosed with asthma, chronic bronchitis, emphysema or COPD, sleep apnoea, or another lung or breathing condition?
- In the last two years, have you needed hospital treatment, oral steroids, or time off work because of a breathing problem?
- Do you currently use any inhalers, a CPAP machine, or other treatment for your breathing?
These ask about diagnosis, recent severity, and current treatment separately, which is clearer than one combined question. Severity bands are clinical and insurer-specific and must be confirmed [VERIFY].
Source: own-summary, general underwriting education on medical history disclosure; Aviva "Understanding Underwriting: a guide to medical conditions" (https://static.aviva.io/content/dam/document-library/adviser/individualprotection/pt15357c.pdf) · retrieved 2026-06-18 · rights: own-summary · drives: advice · status: draft
Existing medical conditions: mental health (candidates)
Mental-health history is one of the most common drivers of IP claims, so it is routinely asked, and the wording must be especially careful, respectful, and non-stigmatising. Candidate questions:
- Have you ever been diagnosed with, or treated for, a mental-health condition such as anxiety, depression, an eating disorder, bipolar disorder, or post-traumatic stress?
- In the last five years, have you taken time off work, seen a counsellor, psychologist, or psychiatrist, or taken medication for your mental health?
- Are you currently receiving any treatment or support for your mental health?
Asking about diagnosis, time off, and current treatment separately gives the applicant a fair chance to answer fully. These candidates need particularly close legal and consumer-advocacy review for fairness and tone before any use, and lookback windows are insurer-specific [VERIFY].
Source: own-summary, general underwriting education on medical history disclosure; Aviva "Understanding Underwriting: a guide to medical conditions" (https://static.aviva.io/content/dam/document-library/adviser/individualprotection/pt15357c.pdf) · retrieved 2026-06-18 · rights: own-summary · drives: advice · status: draft
Existing medical conditions: musculoskeletal (candidates)
Back, joint, and muscle problems are a frequent cause of time off work, so this domain is always covered. Candidate questions:
- Have you ever had ongoing or recurring back or neck pain, sciatica, or a slipped disc?
- Have you ever had a joint, muscle, or bone condition such as arthritis, RSI, a serious sprain, or a fracture needing surgery?
- In the last two years, have you had time off work, physiotherapy, injections, or surgery for any of these?
Separating "back and neck" from "other joints" and adding a recent-treatment question helps the applicant answer precisely. What counts as "ongoing" or "recurring" should be defined in the final wording so it is not left to the applicant to interpret [VERIFY].
Source: own-summary, general underwriting education on medical history disclosure; Aviva "Understanding Underwriting: a guide to medical conditions" (https://static.aviva.io/content/dam/document-library/adviser/individualprotection/pt15357c.pdf) · retrieved 2026-06-18 · rights: own-summary · drives: advice · status: draft
Existing medical conditions: endocrine and diabetes (candidates)
Diabetes and other hormonal conditions are underwritten closely because they affect long-term health and claim likelihood. Candidate questions:
- Have you ever been told you have diabetes (type 1 or type 2), pre-diabetes, or high blood sugar?
- Have you ever had a thyroid condition or another hormone-related condition?
- If you have diabetes, how is it managed (diet, tablets, or insulin), and roughly what was your most recent HbA1c reading if you know it?
Asking type, management, and a recent control measure separately gives a clear picture without forcing the applicant to summarise. The HbA1c question should be optional in the final wording since not every applicant will know the figure, and control bands are clinical and insurer-specific [VERIFY].
Source: own-summary, general underwriting education on medical history disclosure; Aviva "Understanding Underwriting: a guide to medical conditions" (https://static.aviva.io/content/dam/document-library/adviser/individualprotection/pt15357c.pdf) · retrieved 2026-06-18 · rights: own-summary · drives: advice · status: draft
Existing medical conditions: cancer history (candidates)
A personal cancer history is always asked because it affects both eligibility and terms. Candidate questions, worded carefully and respectfully:
- Have you ever been diagnosed with cancer, a tumour, a growth, or a blood condition such as leukaemia or lymphoma?
- If yes, what type was it, when were you diagnosed, and what treatment did you have?
- Are you currently under any follow-up, monitoring, or treatment for cancer?
Splitting diagnosis details from current follow-up helps the applicant give a complete answer. The treatment of historical, fully-resolved cancers versus active or recent ones is clinical and insurer-specific and must be confirmed [VERIFY].
Source: own-summary, general underwriting education on medical history disclosure; Aviva "Understanding Underwriting: a guide to medical conditions" (https://static.aviva.io/content/dam/document-library/adviser/individualprotection/pt15357c.pdf) · retrieved 2026-06-18 · rights: own-summary · drives: advice · status: draft
Family medical history (candidates)
Family history is asked because some serious conditions carry an inherited risk, though only close relatives and earlier-onset cases usually matter. Candidate questions:
- Before age 60, has a parent, brother, or sister been diagnosed with heart disease, stroke, diabetes, or cancer?
- Is there any inherited condition in your family, such as Huntington's disease, polycystic kidney disease, or a hereditary cancer syndrome?
Limiting the question to immediate family and to an age threshold keeps it answerable and avoids asking the applicant to recall distant relatives. The relevant relatives, age cut-offs, and conditions are insurer-specific and must be confirmed [VERIFY]. Note that genetic-testing disclosure is a sensitive area and must be checked against current New Zealand rules and any industry moratorium before this candidate is used [VERIFY].
Source: own-summary, general underwriting education on family history disclosure; Aviva "Understanding Underwriting: a guide to medical conditions" (https://static.aviva.io/content/dam/document-library/adviser/individualprotection/pt15357c.pdf) · retrieved 2026-06-18 · rights: own-summary · drives: advice · status: draft
Current medications (candidates)
Current medication is asked because it can reveal conditions an applicant might not otherwise mention, and because it cross-checks other answers. Candidate questions:
- Are you currently taking any prescribed medication, regularly or as needed? Please list each one and what it is for.
- In the last 12 months, have you taken any medication for more than a couple of weeks that you are no longer taking?
- Do you regularly take any non-prescription medicines, supplements, or natural-health products for an ongoing condition?
Asking the applicant to name each medication and its reason links cleanly to the condition sections above. Reviewers should confirm the final wording does not double-count what is already disclosed elsewhere, to avoid confusing the applicant [VERIFY].
Source: own-summary, general underwriting education on medication disclosure; Aviva "Understanding Underwriting: a guide to medical conditions" (https://static.aviva.io/content/dam/document-library/adviser/individualprotection/pt15357c.pdf) · retrieved 2026-06-18 · rights: own-summary · drives: advice · status: draft
Pastimes and hazardous activities (candidates)
Hobbies and sports are asked because some carry a meaningfully higher injury risk that affects IP terms. Candidate questions:
- Do you take part in any of the following, even occasionally: motor or motorbike racing, rock climbing or mountaineering, scuba diving, aviation (including private flying or gliding), or parachuting or similar?
- For any activity you do, roughly how often do you do it, and at what level (recreational, club, or competitive)?
- Do you have any planned trips in the next 12 months involving these activities?
Listing the specific activities rather than asking "any dangerous hobbies?" makes the question answerable, which the duty favours. The exact list of rated activities and how they are loaded are insurer-specific and must be confirmed [VERIFY].
Source: own-summary, general underwriting education on hazardous-pursuits disclosure; Legal & General adviser underwriting guidance (https://www.legalandgeneral.com/adviser/protection/underwriting/bmi-limits-and-lifestyle/) · retrieved 2026-06-18 · rights: own-summary · drives: advice · status: draft
Other existing cover (candidates)
Existing cover is asked because total IP across all policies is capped, and because what an applicant already holds affects what they should buy. Candidate questions:
- Do you already have any income protection, mortgage repayment, trauma, total and permanent disability, or life cover, either personally or through your employer or KiwiSaver provider?
- For any cover you hold, who is the insurer, what type is it, and roughly what is the monthly benefit or sum insured?
- Are you applying for, or thinking about applying for, any other insurance at the same time as this one?
These help the adviser avoid over-insuring and respect any across-market benefit cap. The total-cover limits are insurer-specific and must be confirmed before these candidates drive any recommendation [VERIFY].
Source: own-summary, general underwriting education on existing-cover disclosure; income-protection consumer education, MoneyHub (https://www.moneyhub.co.nz/income-protection-insurance.html) · retrieved 2026-06-18 · rights: own-summary · drives: advice · status: draft