How much does income protection cost?

Depends on age, health, occupation, benefit level, deferred period. A 35-year-old office worker wanting 60% of income to age 65 with 13-week deferred might pay £30–50/month. A builder would pay more.

Do I need income protection if I have critical illness cover?

They're different. Critical illness pays a lump sum for specific serious conditions. Income protection pays a monthly income for any illness or injury that stops you working. Most people who can afford both benefit from both.

I'm self-employed. Do I need it?

Almost certainly. No employer sick pay, no statutory protection beyond ESA (around £90/week). If you can't work for six months and the business can't run without you, you're on savings alone.

Will my policy pay out for mental health?

Most do, including stress and depression. Around 90% of income protection claims are paid. The rest usually fail on non-disclosure, not policy wording.

What if I'm covered through work?

Read the policy. Group cover often stops after 2 years, caps at low amounts, or ends if you leave the employer. Useful, but usually not enough on its own.

How do I get it set up?

Via a broker who does protection . They compare insurers, handle medical underwriting, pick the insurer your situation qualifies for. Usually free to the client — paid by the insurer.

The insurance nobody buys until they need it

Income protection pays you a monthly income if illness or injury stops you working. The self-employed don't have sick pay, employees usually only get a few weeks of it, and most people only realise they don't have a backup plan until they actually need one.

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Income protection basics.

Three things to understand before you take out a policy

What it does

Pays you a monthly income, usually 50–70% of your gross, if illness or injury stops you working. Continues until you return to work, retire, or the policy ends — whichever comes first.

Who needs it most

Self-employed people without sick pay, single earners, mortgage holders without a partner's income to fall back on, and employees whose company sick pay would run out fast.

What it doesn't cover

Redundancy isn't included. Pre-existing conditions are usually excluded. High-risk hobbies and extreme sports may be excluded or priced up. Worth reading the policy properly before you sign.

How it actually works

Three decisions to get right when you're setting it up.

How long before it pays out

The deferred period is the gap between you stopping work and the payments starting — usually 4, 8, 13 or 26 weeks. Longer deferred period means cheaper premiums. If you've got employer sick pay, match the deferred period to when that runs out.

How much it pays

Capped at 50–70% of your gross income, paid monthly until you go back to work or the policy ends. Sits alongside anything you'd already get from the state or your employer, and within the cap the payout is tax-free on individual policies.

Policy term

Most policies run all the way to your retirement age, so the cover's there for the whole of your working life. Shorter versions exist (paying out for two to five years) and cost less, but the long-term version is the proper one.

Common questions

Clear answers to the questions people often ask before getting started.

Depends on age, health, occupation, benefit level, deferred period. We tailor the quotes to your budget and circumstances.
They're different. Critical illness pays a lump sum for specific serious conditions. Income protection pays a monthly income for any illness or injury that stops you working. Most people who can afford both benefit from both.
Almost certainly. No employer sick pay, no statutory protection beyond ESA (around £90 a week). If you can't work for six months and the business can't run without you, you're on savings alone.
Most do, including stress and depression. Around 90% of income protection claims are paid. The rest usually fail on non-disclosure, not policy wording.
Read the policy. Group cover often stops after 2 years, caps at low amounts, or ends if you leave the employer. Useful but usually not enough on its own.
Via a broker who does protection. Ours sits alongside the mortgage team. Insurers compared, medical underwriting handled. Usually free to you — paid by the insurer.

The insurance nobody buys until they need it

Income protection basics.

What it does

Who needs it most

What it doesn't cover

How it actually works

How long before it pays out

How much it pays

Policy term

Common questions

Get cover for when you can't work.

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