Income Protection for Amateur Sports Are You Covered for Injury

The roar of the crowd, the thrill of the chase, the camaraderie of the team—for millions across the UK, amateur sport is a vital part of life. Whether it’s a crunching tackle in a Sunday League football match, a hard-fought scrum in a local rugby game, or a fast-paced rally on the netball court, the passion is real. But so are the risks.

A snapped ACL, a fractured tibia, or a dislocated shoulder can do more than just put you on the sidelines. It can put your entire financial life on pause. Many athletes are shocked to discover that the very activities they love can leave them financially exposed, with standard sick pay arrangements offering little to no protection.

This guide is for every amateur athlete who has ever wondered, "What would happen if I got seriously injured?" We will explore why your employer’s sick pay might not cover you, and we’ll break down the specialist insurance products designed to provide a financial safety net, such as Fracture Cover and Short-Term Income Protection.

Why Sunday League football and Rugby injuries aren’t covered by standard sick pay. A guide to Fracture Cover and short-term income protection

The unfortunate reality for many amateur sports players is that their financial backup plan is far less robust than they believe. A common assumption is that if an injury happens, whether at work or on the pitch, employer sick pay or Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) will cover the bills. This is a dangerous misconception.

Many employment contracts contain a "hazardous pursuits" or "dangerous activities" clause. This small print can have huge consequences. It often gives your employer the right to withhold company sick pay if you are injured while participating in activities they deem high-risk, which frequently includes contact sports like football and rugby.

Suddenly, a weekend passion could lead to you being left with only the bare minimum of state support—Statutory Sick Pay. In 2025/2026, SSP provides just £116.75 per week for a maximum of 28 weeks. For most working people, this is simply not enough to cover mortgage payments, rent, bills, and everyday living costs.

This is where specialist protection comes in. Insurers have developed targeted solutions like Short-Term Income Protection and Fracture Cover precisely to fill this gap, ensuring that a passion for sport doesn't lead to financial hardship.

The Harsh Reality: What Happens When a Sports Injury Stops You Working?

Let's break down the financial chain reaction that follows a serious sports injury. It’s crucial to understand the limitations of the standard safety nets.

1. Statutory Sick Pay (SSP): The UK's Basic Safety Net

Every eligible employee in the UK is entitled to SSP if they are too ill to work.

• What it is: A minimum payment from your employer.
• How much is it? £116.75 per week (2025/26 rate).
• How long does it last? For up to 28 weeks.
• The Catch: This equates to just over £500 a month. Could your household survive on that? For the vast majority, the answer is a resounding no.

2. Employer (Contractual) Sick Pay: The Hidden Exclusions

Many people are fortunate to work for companies that offer more generous sick pay schemes, often paying your full salary for a set number of weeks or months. However, this is where the danger lies for amateur athletes.

The "Hazardous Pursuits" Clause: Buried in the terms and conditions of many employment contracts is a clause that allows the company to revert to paying only SSP if your absence is due to an injury sustained during a "hazardous" activity.

If your employer invokes this clause, your full-pay sick pay benefit vanishes, leaving you with only SSP.

3. The Self-Employed Crisis: No Work, No Pay

For freelancers, contractors, and business owners, the situation is even more stark. There is no employer to provide sick pay, and while you may be eligible for Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) after SSP runs out, the application process is long and the benefit levels are low.

For the self-employed, a sports injury doesn't just mean a loss of income; it can mean risking client relationships, missing deadlines, and potentially damaging your business's reputation.

Real-Life Scenario: Dave, the Electrician

Dave is a 35-year-old self-employed electrician and a keen amateur rugby player. During a Saturday match, he suffers a complete tear of his Achilles tendon. His recovery requires surgery and at least six months of non-weight-bearing rehabilitation.

• His Income: Immediately drops to zero.
• His Outgoings: His mortgage, van lease, tool finance, and family living costs continue.
• His Problem: With no employer sick pay and savings that will only last a couple of months, Dave faces immense financial pressure. He can't work, but the bills don't stop.

This scenario highlights the critical need for a personal financial safety net, entirely independent of any employer or state provision.

Your Financial First Line of Defence: Short-Term Income Protection (STIP)

If the risk is a temporary loss of income, the most direct and effective solution is a policy designed to replace that income. Short-Term Income Protection (often called STIP or Personal Sick Pay) is a powerful and affordable tool for amateur athletes.

What is Short-Term Income Protection? Short-Term Income Protection is a type of insurance policy that pays you a regular, tax-free monthly income if you are unable to work due to any illness or injury.

It is designed to be a more accessible and budget-friendly alternative to full-term income protection, which can cover you until retirement.

How Does STIP Work?

Understanding the key features is simple:

1. Cover Amount: You choose to cover a percentage of your gross (pre-tax) income, typically up to 60-65%. This ensures you have a real incentive to return to work when you are able.
2. Deferred Period: This is the waiting period between when you first stop working and when the policy starts paying out. You can choose a deferred period to match your specific needs, such as 4, 8, 13, 26, or 52 weeks. The longer the deferred period, the lower your monthly premium.
3. Benefit Period: This is the maximum length of time the policy will pay out for a single claim. For STIP, this is typically 1, 2, or 5 years. This is usually more than enough to cover recovery from most common sports injuries.
4. Tax-Free Payouts: The monthly income you receive is paid tax-free under current UK rules, giving you a clear, reliable sum to manage your household budget.

STIP vs. Full Income Protection: What's the Difference?

Both are excellent products, but they serve slightly different needs. STIP is often the perfect starting point for active people on a budget.

At WeCovr, we help our clients analyse their budget, employer benefits, and personal risks to decide which level of cover is right for them. For many, a robust STIP policy is the most logical and affordable first step in protecting their income.

An Instant Payout for Breaks and Tears: Understanding Fracture Cover

While Income Protection replaces your monthly salary, Fracture Cover works differently. It's designed to provide an immediate financial boost the moment an injury occurs.

What is Fracture Cover? Fracture Cover is a type of insurance that pays a one-off, tax-free lump sum if you suffer a specified fracture, dislocation, or ligament tear. It is often available as an affordable add-on to a Life Insurance or Income Protection policy, but some insurers offer it as a standalone product.

How Does Fracture Cover Work?

The beauty of Fracture Cover lies in its simplicity.

• Lump-Sum Payout: It pays a cash sum directly to you.
• Severity-Based: The amount you receive depends on the specific injury. A fracture to a major bone like a femur will pay a larger sum than a fractured finger.
• No Work Sign-Off Needed: Crucially, Fracture Cover pays out on diagnosis of the specified injury, regardless of whether you need to take time off work.

This means you can use the money for anything you need:

• To cover immediate costs like taxis to hospital appointments.
• To pay for private physiotherapy to speed up recovery.
• To hire help around the house if your mobility is limited.
• To bridge the financial gap during the "deferred period" of your Income Protection policy.

Typical Payouts for Fracture Cover

Payouts vary between insurers, but a typical schedule might look like this:

Note: These are illustrative figures. The actual amounts are set out in the policy's terms and conditions.

Real-Life Scenario: Chloe, the Marketing Manager

Chloe, 28, plays in a competitive netball league. She has an office job with a 4-week full-pay sick pay policy, after which it drops to SSP. She has a Short-Term Income Protection policy with an 8-week deferred period. She also added Fracture Cover for an extra £5 per month.

During a match, she lands awkwardly and suffers a severe ankle fracture and ligament damage.

1. Immediate Payout: Her Fracture Cover pays out a £3,000 lump sum within days of her providing the hospital report. She uses this for physiotherapy and to cover her car finance for the first two months.
2. Employer Sick Pay: For the first 4 weeks, she receives her full salary from her employer.
3. The Gap: For weeks 5-8, her employer pay drops to SSP. The money from her Fracture Cover comfortably tides her over.
4. Income Protection Kicks In: At week 9, her STIP policy starts paying her a tax-free monthly income, replacing the majority of her lost salary until she is fit to return to work.

Chloe's story shows how these two types of cover work together perfectly to create a seamless financial safety net.

How Insurers View Amateur Sports: Underwriting and Your Application

When you apply for any form of protection insurance, the insurer carries out a process called underwriting. This is how they assess your individual risk and calculate your premium. Your sporting activities are a key part of this.

Be Honest and Upfront

The golden rule of any insurance application is to be completely honest. Failing to disclose that you play rugby twice a week could lead to your policy being voided and any future claim being rejected. This is known as "non-disclosure".

Insurers will ask specific questions about your hobbies and pastimes:

• What is the sport or activity? (e.g., Football, Rugby, Martial Arts)
• At what level do you participate? (e.g., Amateur/recreational, Semi-professional)
• How frequently do you play/train? (e.g., Once a week, three times a week)

Will My Sport Increase My Premiums?

For many common sports like football, netball, or running, played at a purely amateur level, there is often no impact on your premiums at all.

However, for sports that carry a statistically higher risk of injury, insurers may take one of three actions:

1. Standard Rates: They may be happy to offer you cover on their normal terms.
2. A Premium Loading: They might increase your monthly premium by a certain percentage (e.g., +25% or +50%) to reflect the increased risk.
3. An Exclusion: They might offer you the policy at the standard price but place an exclusion on claims arising from that specific sport. For example, your policy would cover you for illness or an injury at home, but not for an injury sustained while playing rugby.

Adviser Insight: An exclusion might sound bad, but it can still be valuable. A policy that covers you for 99% of life's potential risks—illness, accidents at home, injuries from other activities—is far better than having no cover at all. The key is to have a specialist adviser review the terms and find the insurer with the most favourable stance on your specific sport.

Special Considerations for the Self-Employed and Company Directors

While the risks of a sports injury are universal, the best solutions can differ depending on your employment status.

For the Self-Employed, Freelancers, and Contractors

As we've established, the "no work, no pay" reality makes income protection essential.

• Personal Sick Pay: This is simply another name for Short-Term Income Protection, marketed towards the self-employed. It works in exactly the same way.
• Defining Your Income: When applying, insurers will assess your income based on your pre-tax profits (for sole traders) or salary and dividends (for limited company directors). It's crucial to have clear, up-to-date accounts. An adviser can help you calculate the maximum cover you're eligible for.
• Flexibility is Key: Your income may fluctuate. Some modern policies offer features that allow you to adjust your cover level as your business grows.

For Company Directors

Company directors have access to a particularly tax-efficient way of arranging cover: Executive Income Protection.

What is Executive Income Protection? This is an income protection policy that is owned and paid for by your limited company. It covers the director's income, but the business pays the premiums.

Key Advantages:

1. Tax Efficiency: The monthly premiums are typically classed as a legitimate business expense, meaning they can be offset against the company's corporation tax bill.
2. No P11D Benefit-in-Kind: Unlike a company car or private medical insurance, HMRC does not usually treat Executive IP as a taxable perk for the director.
3. High Cover Levels: These plans can often cover a higher percentage of remuneration, typically up to 80% of salary and dividends.
4. Business Protection: The policy pays the benefit to the company, which then uses the funds to continue paying the director's salary through PAYE. This keeps the director on the payroll and financially secure.

For any company director who plays amateur sport, an Executive Income Protection policy is one of the most effective and tax-savvy ways to secure their personal income. As part of our service, WeCovr provides specialist advice to business owners on structuring these policies correctly.

Making a Claim: A Step-by-Step Guide

The thought of claiming on insurance can be daunting, especially when you're already dealing with the stress of an injury. But the process is usually straightforward.

1. The Injury: The first priority is your health. Seek medical attention immediately.
2. Get Medical Evidence: The insurer will need proof of your injury and your inability to work. This will come from your GP, hospital reports, or a specialist consultant.
3. Contact Your Insurer (or Broker): As soon as it's practical, inform your insurance provider that you need to make a claim. If you used a broker like us, your first call should be to your adviser. We handle the paperwork and liaise with the insurer on your behalf, taking the stress away from you.
4. Complete the Forms: You will need to fill out a claim form, providing details about your injury, your occupation, and your income.
5. Assessment: The insurer's claims team will review your form and the medical evidence. They may contact your doctor for more information (with your permission).
6. The Deferred Period: Your chosen waiting period now begins. During this time, you'll rely on savings, employer sick pay, or a Fracture Cover payout.
7. Payments Commence: Once the deferred period is over, the insurer will begin making the regular monthly payments directly into your bank account. These will continue until you are fit to return to work, or until the policy's benefit period ends.

Proactive Health and Financial Wellness: While insurance provides a reactive financial solution, we believe in a proactive approach to well-being. This is why all WeCovr clients receive complimentary access to CalorieHero, our advanced AI-powered nutrition and fitness tracking app. Staying in peak physical condition can reduce the risk of injury and aid recovery, forming part of a holistic plan for your long-term health and financial security.

Getting the Right Advice: Why a Specialist Broker Makes a Difference

You could go directly to an insurer, but for a topic as nuanced as protection for sports, using a specialist independent broker is invaluable.

• Whole-of-Market Access: A broker isn't tied to one company. We can compare policies from all the major UK insurers to find the best terms and prices for your specific sport and occupation.
• Underwriting Expertise: We know which insurers take a more lenient view of rugby players, which ones have the best fracture cover benefits, and which ones are most competitive for the self-employed. This inside knowledge can be the difference between getting cover and being declined.
• Application Support: We help you complete the application accurately, ensuring you disclose everything correctly to prevent any issues at the claim stage.
• No Extra Cost: Brokers are paid a commission by the insurer when a policy is set up. This means you get expert, impartial advice and support without paying us a fee. The price is the same as, or often cheaper than, going direct.
• Claims Advocacy: This is where a good broker truly earns their keep. If you need to make a claim, we are in your corner, managing the process and fighting your case to ensure you get the payout you are entitled to.

Protecting your income is one of the most important financial decisions you will ever make. It's too important to leave to guesswork.

Secure Your Passion, Protect Your Paycheque

Your dedication to your sport deserves to be celebrated, not penalised. The risk of injury is real, but the financial consequences don't have to be devastating. With affordable, accessible products like Short-Term Income Protection and Fracture Cover, you can ensure that an injury on the pitch doesn't result in an own goal for your finances.

Don't wait until you're on the sidelines to think about your financial health. Take the first step today.

Contact the friendly, expert team at WeCovr. We'll help you compare quotes from across the UK market, explain your options in plain English, and build a protection plan that lets you play the sport you love with true peace of mind.