Keeping your home through the tough times
Most of us insure our cars, our phones and our holidays. We’re far less likely to insure the thing that pays for all of it, our income. Yet if you couldn’t work for six months, a year or longer, the mortgage would still need paying, and so would everything else. That’s true for all of us, but particularly if we’re single, if household income is reliant mostly on one wage, if we have children, or if we are in a highly skilled or a high risk job.
Statutory Sick Pay is currently £123.25 a week, and only for 28 weeks. If you’re employed, your employer may offer more, but often not for long. If you’re self-employed, there’s nothing at all. That gap is what income protection is designed to fill. It’s different from Critical Illness Cover and is the insurance policy we’re most likely to be able to claim on – the main reasons for claims are musculoskeletal, mental health, and hip/knee conditions. And if you need it, you’ll really need it – According to Aviva, their average claim period is over 6 years – almost none of us have savings to cover that.
A good policy pays you a tax-free monthly income (usually the majority of your take-home pay) until you recover or reach the end of the policy term. It will also come with additional health benefits such as 24/7 GP consultations, mental health and physio support, plus more – it makes sense for the insurer to help you get back to your best!
You choose how long you can wait before payments start, how long they last, and how much you would like to receive. Some policies even allow cover for unemployment – although it’s rare this would cover you for more than two years.
We’ll talk you through all you need to know in plain English, work out what you actually need, and only recommend cover that makes sense for your circumstances.
We do not charge a fee for insurance or protection advice, but we may receive a commission if you take out cover arranged through us