Every year, around one million people in the UK find themselves unable to work due to illness or injury. Many people think that if you are off work on a long-term basis due to illness, the government or your employer will look after you. For most people, this is not the case.
Income protection insurance – sometimes known as permanent health insurance – is a long-term insurance policy that is designed to help you financially if you can’t work due to illness or injury. This type of insurance is particularly appealing to high earners and self-employed people, who have income to protect.
Unlike Critical Illness Insurance, which pays out a one-off lump sum in the case of a serious illness, income protection insurance ensures that you continue to receive a regular income until you retire or are able to return to work. You can claim as many times as you need to on your Income Protection policy, as long as the policy term lasts.
Your insurance policy will depend on which “class” of employment you fall into – put simply, the riskier your job, the more likely it is that you may need to make a claim. For most insurers, jobs are divided into the following groups:
1
Class 1 – Professionals, managers, administrative staff, staff with limited business mileage, desk-based occupations.
2
Class 2 – Staff with high business mileage, skilled manual work, engineer, florist, retailer.
3
Class 3 – Skilled manual workers and some semi-skilled workers, care workers, plumbers, teachers.
4
Class 4 – Heavy manual workers such as bar staff, construction workers and mechanics.