Imagine you find yourself in a position whereby you cannot work due to illness, injury or disability. Who is going to pay the bills? Who is going to look after the children? Where are you going to find the money to continue living the life you've been living?
These are all very important questions that we ask when it comes to assessing our income protection. Income protection is a type of policy that provides you with an income when you are not able to work. It is a plan that pays out a monthly tax free income, which can be used to help pay your bills, your mortgage or even medical costs as you recover. There are also two types of income protection you can take out, one is a short term plan which pays out a benefit of up to two years and a long term plan that pays out until you are ready to go back to work or retirement age.
Do I really need it?
This is a common question, however your income should be one of the first things you protect for these exact reasons.
Some people seem to insure everything but their lifestyle!
Mobile phones, cars, pets, watches etc... if you don't protect your income, how are you going to pay for all of those other valuables?
'It won't happen to me' doesn't really measure up. One of our favourite modern acting heroes Christopher Reeve aka Clarke Kent who played Superman was simply indestructible, although fictional, the irony of what happened to this famous actor shows why Income Protection is so important (He unfortunately had a horse riding accident and then subsequently died from his severe injuries several years later).
Don't rely on state benefits
UP TO £109
The State Employment
and Support Allowance that may be paid per week.
Your individual circumstances will affect how much you get*1
The average family spends £517 every week on things like housing, transport and food*2
MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES ARE AN INCREASING PROBLEM FOR THE UK WORKFORCE, WITH MORE AND MORE PEOPLE UNABLE TO WORK DUE TO DEPRESSION, STRESS AND ANXIETY.
The great news now is that one of our providers can provide access to
Big White Wall (BWW) if you need to claim for mental illness. BWW is an online service that provides an anonymous forum for people experiencing mental health issues to reach out and receive support from peers and qualified ‘Wall Guides’.
It also provides avenues for creative outlet and courses for awareness and management of a wide range of mental illness’s.
1. Gov.co.uk, 2017
2. ONS, 2014
We think this type of cover is probably one of the most underrated policies in the market!