Income Protection
A replacement income if you're unable to work due to illness or injury, so your bills keep getting paid.
How it works
We meet to talk through your income, your work and what you'd need to get by
We tailor the level of cover and deferred period to fit your budget
We put your cover in place, so your income stays protected whatever happens
Income protection pays a regular, tax-free income — typically 50–70% of your normal earnings — if you're unable to work due to illness or injury. Unlike critical illness cover, it isn't limited to a defined list of conditions; if you're medically unable to do your job (or, depending on the policy, any job), you can generally claim.
You choose a "deferred period" — how long you'd wait after stopping work before payments start, often matched to how long your employer would keep paying you (for example, via sick pay). Cover can then continue paying out until you return to work, retire, or reach the end of the policy term, depending on the type you choose.
Good if you…
- You'd struggle to cover bills if you couldn't work due to illness or injury
- You're self-employed or your employer's sick pay is limited
- You want ongoing income replacement, not just a one-off lump sum
- You're the main or sole earner in your household
Typically covers
- A regular, tax-free income while you're unable to work due to illness or injury
- A deferred period you choose, typically matched to your employer's sick pay
- Cover that can continue until you return to work or the end of the policy
- "Own occupation" policies, which pay out if you can't do your specific job — even if you could do another
Worth knowing
- It doesn't pay out for redundancy or voluntary unemployment — only inability to work due to illness or injury
- Many policies include added support alongside the payout, like rehabilitation services or help getting back to work
- Premiums are generally higher for shorter deferred periods, since claims can start sooner
- Self-employed applicants are usually assessed on recent accounts or tax returns, which is worth planning for in advance
Common questions
It's the waiting period between stopping work and payments starting — commonly 4, 8, 13, 26 or 52 weeks. A shorter deferred period costs more but pays out sooner; a longer one is cheaper and suits people with decent employer sick pay or savings to fall back on first.
Want to talk through income protection?
We'll talk through your circumstances and only ever recommend cover that genuinely fits — no pressure, no jargon.
This page is for general information only and doesn't constitute personal advice or a recommendation. Whether a particular type of cover is right for you — and how much — depends on your individual circumstances. We'll only ever recommend cover after a full conversation about your situation.
Other cover to consider
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