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UK Savings Crisis One Illness Away

UK Savings Crisis One Illness Away 2026

UK 2025 Shock New Data Reveals Over 1 in 4 Britons Lack Basic Financial Resilience, Placing Their Families at Extreme Risk of Poverty and Debt From a Single Health Crisis – Safeguard Your Future With Your LCIIP Shield The Unseen Foundation of Your Familys Financial Security

The United Kingdom is sleepwalking into a household debt catastrophe. A silent crisis is brewing behind the front doors of millions of homes, and the trigger isn't a stock market crash or a housing bubble bursting—it's the far more personal and probable event of a serious illness.

Fresh data released in 2025 paints a stark and alarming picture of our nation's financial health. A landmark study by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) reveals that a staggering 27% of UK adults—over 14 million people—lack basic financial resilience. This means they could not withstand a minor financial shock, let alone the devastating impact of being unable to work for months due to a critical illness or injury.

For these families, a cancer diagnosis, a heart attack, or a debilitating accident isn't just a health crisis; it's an economic tsunami. It's the event that pushes them from 'just about managing' into a spiral of debt, repossession, and poverty.

The truth is, your ability to earn an income is your single most valuable asset. Yet, it is the one most of us leave completely uninsured. In this definitive guide, we will dissect the anatomy of this crisis, reveal the hidden costs of illness, and provide you with a clear, actionable blueprint to construct your "LCIIP Shield"—a multi-layered defence of Life Insurance, Critical Illness Cover, and Income Protection that forms the unseen foundation of your family's financial security.

The Anatomy of the 2025 UK Financial Resilience Crisis

The headline figure of '1 in 4' is shocking, but understanding the details behind it is crucial. This isn't just about a lack of 'rainy day' savings for a broken boiler; it's a fundamental inability to cope with a significant loss of income, the very bedrock of a family's budget.

The Shocking Numbers Unpacked

The 2025 FCA Financial Lives survey provides a granular look at this vulnerability:

  • Savings Black Hole: An estimated 11.5 million UK adults have less than £1,000 in cash savings. For many, a single month without a salary would wipe out their entire financial cushion.
  • The £500 Test: One in six people (around 17%) would be unable to cover an unexpected but necessary expense of £500 without borrowing money, using a food bank, or cutting back on essentials.
  • One Paycheque from Disaster: The Money and Pensions Service reports that nearly 1 in 5 working-age adults (19%) say they would run out of money within a month if they lost their main source of household income.

This vulnerability isn't spread evenly. The data shows that families with young children, renters, and single-income households are disproportionately at risk. The very people with the most to lose are often the least protected.

Why Are We Here? The Perfect Storm of Economic Pressures

This crisis hasn't appeared from nowhere. It's the result of over a decade of compounding economic pressures that have systematically eroded the financial buffers of ordinary British families.

Economic FactorImpact on Household Finances
Persistent InflationThe cost of living crisis of the early 2020s has left a long tail. Even with inflation now stabilised, prices for food, energy, and fuel remain significantly higher, eating into disposable income that would have once gone into savings.
Wage StagnationFor over a decade, real-term wage growth (pay rises minus inflation) has been weak or negative. Families feel like they are treading water, earning more but having less purchasing power.
Insecure EmploymentThe rise of the gig economy and zero-hours contracts means millions of workers lack the safety net of comprehensive employer sick pay, creating a two-tier system of financial security.
Rising Housing CostsWhether mortgage rates or private rental costs, the price of keeping a roof over one's head has soared, consuming an ever-larger slice of the average household budget.
High Personal DebtTo bridge the gap, many have turned to credit cards and personal loans. org.uk/money-statistics/) shows that the average total debt per UK household, including mortgages, reached £64,895 in early 2025.

This combination has created a fragile financial ecosystem. Families have been forced to prioritise immediate needs over long-term security, leaving them dangerously exposed to the one event that can shatter their world in an instant: a serious illness.

The Domino Effect: How One Illness Can Topple Your Financial World

To truly understand the risk, you must look beyond the diagnosis and see the financial chain reaction it sets off. It's a rapid, brutal, and often unexpected cascade.

The Immediate Financial Shock: The Income Gap

When you're too ill to work, your income doesn't just dip; it plummets off a cliff. The state's provision, Statutory Sick Pay (SSP), is the legal minimum your employer must pay you if you're eligible.

As of 2025, SSP is £118.50 per week.

Let that sink in. The average full-time weekly wage in the UK is approximately £685. This creates an immediate income gap of £566.50 every single week.

Let's visualise what that means for a typical family's budget:

Average Weekly ExpenseEstimated CostCovered by SSP?Weekly Shortfall
Mortgage / Rent£250-£131.50
Council Tax£45-£176.50
Gas & Electricity£40-£216.50
Food & Groceries£110-£326.50
Car/Transport£50-£376.50
Total Shortfall-£376.50+

As the table clearly shows, Statutory Sick Pay doesn't even cover the average weekly mortgage or rent payment, let alone any other essential bills. Within a week, a family relying solely on SSP is already in significant debt.

The Hidden Costs of Being Unwell

The financial pain doesn't stop with the loss of income. Being seriously ill comes with its own set of expenses that nobody budgets for:

  • Travel & Parking: Regular trips to hospitals and specialists add up. Hospital car parking can cost upwards of £20-£30 per day.
  • Increased Home Bills: Being at home all day means higher heating and electricity usage.
  • Home Modifications: You may need to adapt your home with ramps, stairlifts, or accessible bathrooms, which can cost thousands.
  • Prescription Costs: In England, prescriptions cost £9.90 per item (2025 figure), and a long-term illness can require multiple medications.
  • Private Care: With NHS waiting lists still exceeding 7.5 million(kingsfund.org.uk), many feel pressured to pay for private consultations or treatments to speed up their recovery, costing thousands or tens of thousands of pounds.
  • Partner's Lost Income: Your partner or spouse may need to reduce their own working hours or give up work entirely to care for you, delivering a second blow to the household income.

These costs mount quickly, draining savings and forcing families to turn to high-interest credit cards and loans just to get by.

A Real-Life Scenario: Meet The Millers

Let's consider a fictional but all-too-common scenario.

  • The Family: Mark (42), a self-employed electrician, and Sarah (40), a part-time teaching assistant. They have two children, aged 10 and 14. They have a mortgage of £180,000 and around £3,000 in savings. Mark is the main earner, bringing in £45,000 a year.
  • The Crisis: Mark suffers a serious stroke. He survives but is left with significant mobility issues and is told he won't be able to return to his physically demanding job for at least a year, if ever.
  • The Fallout:
    • Month 1: As a self-employed worker, Mark has no sick pay and isn't immediately eligible for benefits. Their £3,000 savings are gone, covering the mortgage and essential bills.
    • Month 3: They are now relying solely on Sarah's small income. They have missed their first mortgage payment and are using credit cards for the weekly food shop. The stress is causing friction in their relationship.
    • Month 6: The credit card debt has ballooned to over £8,000. The mortgage company is sending threatening letters. They are applying for Universal Credit, but the process is slow and the payments won't be enough to cover their outgoings.
    • Month 9: They are forced to sell their family home to downsize and clear the debts, causing immense emotional distress for the entire family. Mark's recovery is hampered by the constant financial anxiety.

The Millers' story is a tragic illustration of how quickly a stable life can unravel without a financial safety net. A decade of hard work and careful planning was destroyed in a matter of months.

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The LCIIP Shield: Your Three-Layered Defence System

The situation is serious, but it is not hopeless. You have the power to prevent a health crisis from becoming a financial catastrophe for your family. The solution is to build a robust, multi-layered "LCIIP Shield" using three core types of financial protection insurance.

Think of them not as separate products, but as an integrated defence system designed to protect you at different stages of a crisis.

Protection LayerWhat It DoesPayout TypeWhy It's Crucial
Income ProtectionReplaces your monthly salary if you can't work due to any illness or injury.Regular Monthly Income (Tax-Free)The Foundation: Covers ongoing bills, mortgage, and daily life. It stops the immediate financial bleed.
Critical Illness CoverPays a one-off lump sum if you are diagnosed with a specific serious condition (e.g., cancer, heart attack).Lump Sum (Tax-Free)The Emergency Fund: Clears debts, pays for medical care, adapts your home. It deals with the big, immediate costs.
Life InsurancePays a one-off lump sum to your loved ones if you pass away.Lump Sum (Tax-Free)The Ultimate Safety Net: Secures your family's long-term future, pays off the mortgage, and provides for them when you're gone.

Layer 1: Income Protection (IP) – The Foundation

This is arguably the most important and yet most overlooked form of protection. Income Protection is the policy that pays your bills.

  • What it does: It pays you a regular, tax-free monthly income (typically 50-70% of your gross salary) if any illness or injury prevents you from doing your job.
  • Key Features:
    • Deferred Period: This is the time you wait between being unable to work and the policy starting to pay out. You can choose this (e.g., 4, 13, 26, or 52 weeks) to align with any sick pay you get from your employer, which makes the policy more affordable.
    • 'Own Occupation' Definition: This is the gold standard. It means the policy will pay out if you are unable to do your specific job. Less comprehensive definitions might only pay if you're unable to do any job, which are much harder to claim on.
  • Why it's the foundation: It replaces your salary. It keeps the lights on, puts food on the table, and pays the mortgage month after month, for as long as you need to recover – right up until you retire if necessary.

Layer 2: Critical Illness Cover (CIC) – The One-Off Lifeline

While IP deals with the ongoing income loss, Critical Illness Cover provides a powerful financial injection to handle the immediate and large-scale costs of a serious health event.

  • What it does: It pays out a significant tax-free lump sum on the diagnosis of a specific, predefined serious condition. Most policies cover a core of 50+ conditions, including most cancers, heart attacks, and strokes, which make up over 90% of claims.
  • How it helps: This lump sum is yours to use however you see fit. You could:
    • Pay off your mortgage or other large debts, drastically reducing your monthly outgoings.
    • Pay for private medical treatment or specialist therapies.
    • Fund necessary adaptations to your home.
    • Allow your partner to take a year off work to support you.
    • Simply give you the peace of mind that money is not a concern during your recovery.

Layer 3: Life Insurance – The Ultimate Family Safety Net

Life insurance is the final layer of your shield, providing for your family in the worst-case scenario.

  • What it does: It pays out a tax-free lump sum to your chosen beneficiaries when you die.
  • Types to consider:
    • Level Term Insurance: Pays out a fixed lump sum if you die within a set term (e.g., until your children are financially independent). Ideal for covering family living costs.
    • Decreasing Term Insurance: The payout amount reduces over time, broadly in line with a repayment mortgage. It's a cost-effective way to ensure your mortgage is cleared.
  • Why it's essential: It ensures that your death doesn't also mean financial ruin for the people you love most. It gives them the resources to grieve without the added burden of financial stress, allowing them to stay in the family home and maintain their standard of living.

Busting the Myths: Why You Can't Afford to Be Without Protection

Despite the clear need, many people hesitate to get cover, often due to persistent and inaccurate myths. Let's tackle them head-on.

Myth 1: "It's too expensive."

Reality: This is the most common objection, and it's almost always based on an overestimation of the cost. The price of protection is a tiny fraction of the potential financial loss.

For a healthy, non-smoking 35-year-old, meaningful cover can be surprisingly affordable:

  • Income Protection: Around £25-£40 per month for a £2,000/month benefit.
  • Critical Illness Cover: Around £20-£30 per month for a £50,000 lump sum.
  • Life Insurance: Less than £10 per month for £200,000 of cover.

For the price of a few weekly coffees or a streaming subscription, you can secure your entire family's financial future. An expert broker like WeCovr can search the entire market, comparing dozens of insurers to find a plan that fits your budget perfectly. The real question is not "Can I afford it?" but "Can my family afford for me to be without it?".

Myth 2: "The state will look after me."

Reality: The UK welfare state provides a basic safety net, but it is not designed to maintain your lifestyle. As we've shown, Statutory Sick Pay (£118.50/week) is nowhere near enough to cover the outgoings of a typical family. While you may be eligible for Universal Credit, the payments are modest and means-tested. Relying on the state is not a financial plan; it's a plan to be poor.

Myth 3: "My employer's sick pay is enough."

Reality: You need to check your contract. While some public sector and large corporate employers offer generous schemes (e.g., 6 months full pay, 6 months half pay), many businesses do not. A typical private-sector sick pay package might only be a few weeks of full pay before you are dropped down to SSP. What's more, this benefit is tied to your job. If you move company, you could lose it entirely. Your personal protection policies belong to you, no matter where you work.

Myth 4: "It won't happen to me."

Reality: Optimism is a wonderful human trait, but it can be financially dangerous. The statistics are sobering and clear.

  • Cancer: 1 in 2 people in the UK born after 1960 will be diagnosed with some form of cancer in their lifetime (Cancer Research UK(cancerresearchuk.org)).
  • Heart & Circulatory Disease: The British Heart Foundation states there are around 100,000 hospital admissions due to heart attacks in the UK each year.
  • Stroke: There are over 100,000 strokes annually in the UK – that's one every five minutes (Stroke Association(stroke.org.uk)).

These aren't rare events; they are common life events. Being prepared isn't pessimistic; it's responsible.

How to Build Your LCIIP Shield: A Practical Step-by-Step Guide

Building your financial defence shield is a straightforward process when you break it down into manageable steps.

Step 1: Conduct a Financial Health Check

You can't protect what you don't understand. Take 30 minutes to sit down and work out your numbers.

  • Your Monthly Income: What is your take-home pay?
  • Your Essential Outgoings: List everything you must pay each month: mortgage/rent, council tax, utilities, food, debt repayments, transport.
  • Your Existing Protection: What savings do you have? What sick pay does your employer offer, and for how long? Do you have any existing 'death-in-service' benefits?
  • Calculate Your 'Protection Gap': This is the difference between your essential outgoings and the income you would have from savings and sick pay if you were off work long-term. This gap is what your Income Protection needs to cover.

Step 2: Define Your Needs

Using your financial health check, you can determine how much cover you need.

  • Income Protection: The benefit should cover your 'Protection Gap' calculated in Step 1.
  • Critical Illness Cover: A good rule of thumb is a lump sum equivalent to 1-2 years of your annual salary. This provides a significant buffer to clear short-term debts and manage recovery without financial stress.
  • Life Insurance: Aim for a sum that would, at a minimum, clear your mortgage and any other large debts. Ideally, you should also factor in a lump sum to provide an income for your family for a number of years (e.g., 10x your annual salary).

Step 3: Navigate the Market with an Expert Adviser

While comparison websites can give you a headline price, they cannot give you advice. These are complex products where the small print matters immensely. The definition of an illness, the exclusions, and the claims process vary hugely between insurers.

This is where a specialist broker is invaluable. At WeCovr, we act as your personal guide.

  • We take the time to understand your results from Steps 1 and 2.
  • We use our expertise to search policies from all the UK's leading insurers like Aviva, Legal & General, Zurich, and Royal London.
  • We explain the crucial differences in policy wording (like 'own occupation' for IP) to ensure you get the cover that will actually pay out when you need it most.
  • We help you complete the application forms correctly to ensure your policy is valid.

Using an advised service doesn't cost you more; our commission is paid by the insurer. But the value of getting it right is priceless.

Step 4: The Application and Being Honest

Once you've chosen a policy, you'll need to complete an application. You will be asked questions about your health, lifestyle (e.g., smoking, drinking), occupation, and hobbies. It is absolutely vital that you are 100% honest and accurate in your answers.

The single biggest reason for a claim being declined is 'non-disclosure'—failing to mention a past medical issue or an important lifestyle factor. Even if it seems minor, disclose it. Insurers are not trying to catch you out; they are trying to accurately assess the risk so they can offer you a fair price for a policy that will be rock-solid when you need to claim on it.

Beyond the Policy: The Added Value of a Modern Broker

In 2025, the best protection policies come with a suite of valuable 'wellbeing benefits' designed to support your health even if you never claim. These can include:

  • 24/7 access to a virtual GP
  • Mental health support and counselling sessions
  • Second medical opinion services
  • Physiotherapy and rehabilitation support

These services can help you get diagnosed and treated faster, often through the private sector, potentially preventing a minor health issue from becoming a major one.

At WeCovr, we believe in proactive wellbeing, not just reactive protection. That's why, in addition to finding you the perfect policy with the best-added benefits, we provide all our clients with complimentary access to our proprietary AI-powered nutrition app, CalorieHero. We're invested in your long-term health, helping you build positive habits that can reduce your risk of future illness. It’s part of our commitment to being more than just a broker – we’re your partner in health and financial security.

Conclusion: Your Family's Future is a Choice, Not a Chance

The data is undeniable. The financial resilience of UK households is on a knife-edge. For millions, a single illness is the only thing standing between the life they have built and a future of debt and hardship.

But this is not a story about fear; it's a story about empowerment. You cannot predict when you might get sick, but you can control how prepared you are.

The LCIIP Shield—of Income Protection, Critical Illness Cover, and Life Insurance—is not a luxury item for the wealthy. It is a fundamental, non-negotiable component of responsible financial planning for every person who has someone relying on their income.

Don't leave your family's future to chance. Make the choice today to investigate your options, understand your risks, and build the shield that will protect them no matter what life throws at you. Your peace of mind, and their security, is worth it.


Related guides

Why life insurance and how does it work?

What is Life Insurance?

Life insurance is an insurance policy that can provide financial support for your loved ones when you or your joint policy holder passes away. It can help clear any outstanding debts, such as a mortgage, and cover your family's living and other expenses such costs of education, so your family can continue to pay bills and living expenses. In addition to life insurance, insurance providers offer related products such as income protection and critical illness, which we will touch upon below.

How does it work?

Life insurance pays out if you die. The payout can be in the form of a lump sum payment or can be paid as a replacement for a regular income. It's your decision how much cover you'd like to take based on your financial resources and how much you'd like to leave to your family to help them deal with any outstanding debts and living expenses. Your premium depends on a number of factors, including your occupation, health and other criteria.

The payout amount can change over time or can be fixed. A level term or whole of life policy offers a fixed payout. A decreasing term policy offers a payout that decreases over the term of the cover.

With critical illness policies, a payout is made if you’re diagnosed with a terminal illness with a remaining life expectancy of less than 12 months. While income protection policies ensure you can continue to meet your financial commitments if you are forced to take an extended break from work. If you can’t work because you’ve had an accident, fallen sick, or lost your job through no fault of your own, income protection insurance pays you an agreed portion of your salary each month.

Income protection is particularly helpful for people in dangerous occupations who want to be sure their mortgage will always be covered. Income protection only covers events beyond your control: you’re much less likely to be covered if you’re fired from your job or if you injure yourself deliberately.

Questions to ask yourself regarding life insurance

Just ask yourself:
👉 Who would pay your mortgage or rent if you were to pass away or fall seriously ill?
👉 Who would pay for your family’s food, clothing, study fees or lifestyle?
👉 Who would provide for the costs of your funeral or clear your debts?
👉 Who would pay for your costs if you're unable to work due to serious illness or disability?

Many families don’t realise that life, income protection and critical illness insurance is one of the most effective ways to protect their finances. A great insurance policy can cover costs, protect a family from inheriting debts and even pay off a mortgage.

Many would think that the costs for all the benefits provided by life insurance, income protection insurance or critical illness insurance are too high, but the great news is in the current market policies are actually very inexpensive.

Benefits offered by income protection, life and critical illness insurance

Life insurance, income protection and critical illness insurance are indispensable for every family because a child loses a parent every 22 minutes in the UK, while every single day tragically 60 people suffer major injuries on the UK roads. Some people become unable to work because of sickness or disability.

Life insurance cover pays out a lump sum to your family, loved ones or whomever you choose to get the money. This can be used to secure the financial future of your loved ones meaning they would not have to struggle financially in the event of your death.

If it's a critical illness cover, the payout happens sooner - upon diagnosis of a serious illness, disability or medical condition, easing the financial hardship such an event inevitably brings.

Income protection insurance can be very important for anyone who relies on a pay check to cover their living costs, but it's especially important if you’re self-employed or own a small business, where your employment and income is a bit less stable. It pays a regular income if you can't work because of sickness or disability and continues until you return to paid work or you retire.

In a world where 1 in 4 of us would struggle financially after just four weeks without work, the stark reality hits hard – a mere 7% of UK adults possess the vital shield of income protection. The urgency of safeguarding our financial well-being has never been more palpable.

Let's face it – relying on savings isn't a solution for everyone. Almost 25% of people have no savings at all, and a whopping 50% have £1,000 or less tucked away. Even more concerning, 51% of Brits – that's a huge 27 million people – wouldn't last more than one month living off their savings. That's a 10% increase from 2022.

And don't even think about state benefits being a safety net. The maximum you can expect from statutory sick pay is a mere £109.40 per week for up to 28 weeks. Not exactly a financial lifeline, right?

Now, let's tackle a common objection: "But I have critical illness insurance. I don't need income protection too." Here's the deal – the two policies apply to very different situations. In a nutshell:

  • Critical illness insurance pays a single lump sum if you're diagnosed with or undergo surgery for a specified potentially life-threatening illness. It's great for handling big one-off expenses or debts.
  • Income protection, on the other hand, pays a percentage of your salary as a regular payment if you can't work due to illness or injury. It's the superhero that tackles those relentless monthly bills.

Types of life insurance policies

Common reasons for getting a life insurance policy are to:
✅ Leave behind an amount of money to keep your family comfortable
✅ Protect the family home and pay off the mortgage in full or in part
✅ Pay for funeral costs

Starting from as little as a couple of pounds per week, you can do all that with a Life Policy.

Level Term Life Insurance
One of the simplest forms of life insurance, level term life insurance works by selecting a length of time for which you would want to be covered and then deciding how much you would like your loved ones to receive should the worst happen. Should your life insurance policy pay out to your family, it would be in a lump sum amount that can be used in whatever way the beneficiary may wish.

Decreasing Term Life Insurance
Decreasing term life insurance works in the same way as level term, except the lump sum payment amount upon death decreases with time. The common use for decreasing term life cover is to protect against mortgage repayment as the lump sum decreases along with the principal of the mortgage itself.

Increasing Term Life Insurance
Increasing term life insurance aims to pay out a cash sum growing each year if the worst happens while covered by the policy. With increasing term life cover amount insured increases annually by a fixed amount for the length of the policy. This can protect your policy's value against inflation, which could be advantageous if you’re looking to maintain your loved ones’ living standards, continue paying off your mortgage in line with its repayment schedule and cover your children’s education fees.

Whole of Life Insurance
Whereas term life insurance policies only pay out if you pass away during their term, whole of life insurance pays out to your beneficiaries whenever this should happen. The most common uses for whole life insurance are to cover the costs of a funeral or as a vehicle for your family's inheritance tax planning.

Family Income Benefit
Family income benefit is a somewhat lesser-known product in the family of life insurance products. Paying out a set amount every month of year to your beneficiaries, it is the most cost-effective way of maintaining your family's living standards to an age where you'd expect them to be able to support themselves financially. The most common use would be for a family with children who are not working yet so are unable to take care of themselves financially.

Relevant Life Insurance
Relevant Life Insurance is a tax-efficient policy for a director or single employee. A simple level term life insurance product, it is placed in a specific trust to ensure its tax efficiency. The premiums are tax deductible and any benefit payable should a claim arise is also paid out tax free, which makes it an attractive product for entrepreneurs and their businesses.

Important Fact!

There is no need to wait until the renewal of your current policy.
We can look at a more suitable option mid-term!

Why is it important to get life insurance early?

👉 Many people are very thankful that they had their life, income protection, and critical illness insurance cover in place before running into some serious issues. Critical illness and income protection insurance is as important as life insurance for protecting your family's finances.

👉 We insure our cars, houses, bicycles and even bags! Yet our life and health are the most precious things we have.

Easily one of the most important insurance purchases an individual or family can make in their lifetime, the decision to buy life, income protection, critical illness and private medical health insurance can be made much simpler with the help of FCA-authorised advisers. They are the specialists who do the searching and analysis helping people choose between various types of life insurance policies available in the market, including income protection, critical illness and other types of policies most suitable to the client's individual circumstances.

It certainly won't do any harm if you speak with one of our experienced FCA-authorised insurance partner experts who are passionate about advising people on financial matters related to life insurance and are keen to provide you with a free consultation.

You can discuss with them in detail what affordable life, income protection, critical illness or private medical health insurance plan for the necessary peace of mind they would recommend! WeCovr works with some of the best advisers in the market.

By tapping the button below, you can book a free call with them in less than 30 seconds right now:

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Any questions?

Life, income protection, and/or critical illness insurance are safety nets, very important at a difficult time. If anything happened to you before your cover ends, your life or critical illness insurance would pay a lump sum to your family and/or you (if you took a critical illness or income protection cover) to help cover the losses. Being diagnosed with a critical illness can be devastating, and it won't help matters to be also worrying about how you would cope financially. With a life, income protection, or critical illness policy, you can choose how much cover you need, how you want the policy to pay out, and whether you want cover for both you and your partner. Income protection insurance pays you a regular income if you can't work because of sickness or disability and continues until you return to paid work or you retire. Also known as permanent health insurance, it is quite important for anyone who relies on a paycheck to cover their living costs, but it's particularly important if you're self-employed or own a small business, where your income might be a bit less stable.

Life, income protection, and critical illness insurance pay out millions to families every day. Your expert will explain to you that you need to be honest and open when applying for your insurance.

If you're single with no dependants then it may be that you don't need life assurance. However, if you were to become seriously ill and unable to work, you may benefit from a critical illness or income protection policy. They can help you keep up to date with your rent, bills, food, and other expenses.

It's free to use WeCovr to find life, income protection, and critical illness insurance - we never charge you for quotes. Critical illness, income protection, and life insurance is an investment that pays many times over for you and/or your loved ones.

Life, income protection, and critical illness insurance are important financial products that insurance companies take a lot of care and diligence, so speaking to real human beings ensures that they understand your requirements fully so that you can get the right cover.

All of our partners are carefully vetted and authorised by the FCA, which means they are held to the highest standards that the FCA expects from them and treat all customers fairly!

Our insurance partners give us a few pounds when you take out a policy with one of their experts.

The cost of life insurance depends on several factors, including your age, occupation, health status, and the level of coverage you choose. Your life insurance policy is tailored to your needs, and the cost can vary based on the sum assured, policy term, and other factors.

Some life insurance policies offer an option to add critical illness cover as a rider or as a separate policy. This provides a lump sum payment if you are diagnosed with a critical illness covered by your policy, offering financial support during a difficult time.

Yes, life insurance is available to self-employed individuals to provide financial protection for their loved ones in the event of their death. It ensures that your family can maintain their standard of living and cover expenses such as mortgage payments, bills, and education costs.

If you outlive your life insurance policy and it expires without a claim, you will not receive any payout. Term life insurance policies are designed to provide coverage for a specific period, and once that period ends, the policy terminates without any residual value. However, you can typically renew or purchase a new policy if you still need coverage.

Critical illness insurance provides a lump sum payment if you're diagnosed with a serious illness covered by your policy, offering financial support during a difficult time. It can help cover medical expenses, mortgage payments, and other financial obligations while you focus on recovery.

Critical illness insurance covers a range of serious illnesses and medical conditions specified in your policy, such as cancer, heart attack, stroke, and organ failure. The lump sum payment can be used to cover medical treatment, ongoing care, and living expenses during your recovery.

The cost of critical illness insurance varies depending on factors such as your age, health status, lifestyle, and the level of coverage you choose. Our experts can provide personalised quotes to help you find affordable coverage.

Yes, you can have critical illness insurance alongside your health insurance coverage. Critical illness insurance provides additional financial protection specifically for serious illnesses, complementing your health insurance benefits.

Critical illness insurance policies typically have exclusions for pre-existing conditions and certain medical conditions not covered by the policy. It's essential to review the terms and conditions of your policy to understand what is and isn't covered.

Some critical illness insurance policies may provide coverage for recurring illnesses, while others may not. It's crucial to review the policy terms and understand the specific conditions under which you can make additional claims for recurring illnesses. Your insurer can provide more details on their coverage for recurring critical illnesses.

Yes, you can customise your life insurance policy to suit your individual needs and circumstances. Options may include choosing the sum assured, policy term, premium payment frequency, and additional riders for enhanced coverage.

If you miss a premium payment for your life insurance policy, your coverage may lapse, and your policy could be terminated. However, many insurers offer a grace period during which you can make the payment to keep your policy active. It's essential to contact your insurer to discuss your options if you're unable to make a payment.

Yes, you can typically change the beneficiary of your life insurance policy at any time by completing a beneficiary change form provided by your insurer. It's essential to keep your beneficiary designation up to date to ensure that the proceeds are distributed according to your wishes.

Term life insurance provides cover for a fixed period, such as 10, 20 or 30 years, and pays out a lump sum if you die during that time. It’s often chosen to protect a mortgage or to provide financial support while dependants still rely on your income. Whole-of-life insurance is designed to last for the rest of your life and guarantees a payout whenever you die, as long as premiums are maintained. It’s usually more expensive than term insurance and is sometimes used to help with inheritance tax planning or to leave a guaranteed legacy.

Some term life insurance policies offer the option to convert to a whole life insurance policy without the need for a medical exam or new underwriting. This conversion feature allows you to maintain coverage beyond the term of your policy and provides lifelong protection.

Some life insurance policies offer accelerated death benefits or living benefits that allow you to access a portion of the death benefit if you are diagnosed with a terminal illness. This feature provides financial assistance to help cover medical expenses and other costs during your final months.

While having savings can provide a financial cushion during tough times, income protection insurance offers additional security by replacing a portion of your income if you're unable to work due to illness or disability. It ensures that you can maintain your standard of living and cover essential expenses even if your savings are depleted.

Yes, self-employed individuals can claim income protection insurance if they're unable to work due to illness or disability. Income protection provides a regular income stream to replace lost earnings, helping self-employed individuals cover their living expenses and business costs during periods of incapacity.

The waiting period, also known as the elimination period, is the length of time you must wait after becoming unable to work due to illness or disability before you can start receiving benefits from your income protection insurance policy. Waiting periods typically range from 30 to 90 days, but longer waiting periods may result in lower premiums.

Income protection insurance is designed to provide financial support if you're unable to work due to illness or disability, not for redundancy. However, some policies may offer optional redundancy cover or unemployment cover as an additional benefit, providing a lump sum or monthly payments if you're made redundant.

The tax treatment of income protection insurance benefits depends on whether the premiums were paid with pre-tax or after-tax dollars. Benefits from policies funded with after-tax dollars are typically tax-free, while benefits from policies funded with pre-tax dollars may be subject to income tax. It's essential to consult with a tax advisor to understand the tax implications of your income protection insurance benefits.

Income protection insurance provides a regular income stream if you're unable to work due to illness or disability, while critical illness insurance provides a lump sum payment if you're diagnosed with a covered critical illness, such as cancer, heart attack, or stroke. Critical illness insurance offers financial support to cover medical expenses, living costs, or other obligations during your recovery.

Income protection insurance policies typically have a waiting period (also known as an elimination period) during which you do not receive benefits. If you become unable to work before this waiting period ends, you will not receive any income protection benefits until the waiting period has elapsed. It's important to have sufficient savings or other financial resources to cover your expenses during this initial period.

Many income protection insurance policies allow you to increase your coverage amount if your income rises, without the need for additional underwriting or medical examinations. This feature, sometimes called a 'guaranteed insurability option,' ensures that your coverage keeps pace with your increasing income and financial obligations.

The maximum age to purchase critical illness insurance varies depending on the insurer and the specific policy. While some insurers may offer critical illness insurance up to age 70 or beyond, others may have lower age limits. It's essential to check with insurers to determine their age eligibility criteria for purchasing critical illness insurance.

Whether you can get critical illness insurance if you have pre-existing conditions depends on the insurer's underwriting guidelines and the specific medical conditions. Some insurers may offer coverage with exclusions for pre-existing conditions, while others may decline coverage altogether. It's essential to disclose any pre-existing conditions when applying for critical illness insurance and discuss your options with insurers.

While health insurance provides coverage for medical expenses, critical illness insurance offers financial protection for broader expenses associated with a serious illness, such as lost income, household bills, and lifestyle changes. Critical illness insurance complements health insurance by providing additional financial support during a challenging time, ensuring that you can focus on recovery without worrying about financial burdens.

If you don't make a claim on your critical illness insurance during the policy term, you won't receive a benefit payout. However, having critical illness insurance provides peace of mind knowing that you're financially protected if you're diagnosed with a covered critical illness during the policy term. It's a form of financial preparation for unexpected events and offers valuable protection for you and your family.

If you outlive your critical illness insurance policy and don't make a claim for a covered critical illness during the policy term, the coverage will expire, and you won't receive a benefit payout. Critical illness insurance provides financial protection for a specific period, typically until a specified age or policy term, and offers peace of mind knowing that you're prepared for the unexpected.

Yes, many insurers offer optional riders or add-ons that you can add to your critical illness insurance policy for enhanced coverage. Common riders may include waiver of premium, which waives future premium payments if you become disabled, or return of premium, which refunds a portion of your premiums if you don't make a claim during the policy term. It's essential to review available riders with insurers to customise your coverage to meet your specific needs.

To make a claim on your critical illness insurance policy, you'll need to notify your insurer of your diagnosis and submit a claim form along with any required medical documentation, such as medical reports, test results, and physician statements. Once your claim is reviewed and approved by the insurer, you'll receive the lump sum benefit payment, which you can use to cover medical expenses, living costs, or other financial needs during your recovery.

As we age, the likelihood of encountering health complications increases for us all. In the event that you develop a severe medical condition, critical illness protection can assist with the expenses of crucial bills – enabling you to concentrate on recuperation or adjusting to your new health circumstance.

The typical expense of a Critical Illness protection policy will fluctuate based on aspects such as your age and medical background. As per our investigation, you can secure a policy starting from as low as £8 (for a non-smoking 21-year-old individual).

The most prevalent critical illnesses in the UK are cancer, cardiac arrest, and cerebrovascular accident (stroke).

Cancer is one of the primary causes for critical illness insurance claims in the UK. Cancer constitutes over 80% of critical illness cover claims for females and about 45% of critical illness claims for males.



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