What Is The UK’s Best Income Protection Insurance In 2024?

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27/09/2024
9 mins

When considering Income Protection Insurance, it makes sense to look for the best possible policy your money can buy. But this can be hard to pinpoint since the best policy for you depends on your unique circumstances and requirements.

In our ‘What Is The Best Income Protection Insurance’ guide we cover all the variables you’ll need to think about when comparing Income Protection providers. It aims to help you find the right policy for your needs and budget.

What Is Income Protection Insurance?

Income Protection Insurance is a type of insurance that pays out a percentage of your monthly income if any medical issue prevents you from working. It can protect your income for the rest of your working life, so even if you could never work again due to poor health, you’d still get a sum paid to you each month.

It enables you to keep paying for all your essential outgoings, so you can rest assured that your mortgage repayments, rent, household bills, and other important outgoings are covered. Depending on several factors, you can typically cover up to 70% of your gross annual salary.

What To Consider When Buying Income Protection

There are several factors to think about when looking for the best Income Protection policy for your needs, including:

  • What you do for work
  • Your employment status
  • Current health and lifestyle choices
  • Whether you get any sick pay
  • Any savings you have.

Every insurer you come across has its own terms and conditions, underwriting options, and preferred type of client. For example, let’s say you work in a risky occupation within the construction sector or you’re a regular smoker. These aspects may affect which Income Protection provider is best suited to you.

Get an idea of how much a policy will cost with our online Income Protection quote tool.

EXPERT TIP 🤓
According to consumer group Which?, Income Protection is the one policy every working adult should consider.

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What Are The Best Features Of Income Protection?

Every client who comes to us has different requirements, making your Income Protection policy unique to you and your circumstances. However, the most comprehensive Income Protection policies often include:

“Own Occupation” Incapacity Definition

An “Own Occupation” definition of incapacity means that your policy will pay out if you’re unable to carry out your specific job due to any illness or injury.

It’s worth noting here that if you were to buy a Payment Protection Plan, these mostly use the ‘suited occupation’ definition, making it hard for you to claim if you can’t continue to work in your current role.

Guaranteed Premiums

An Income Protection policy with guaranteed premiums is a great option, as it means the amount you’ll pay won’t change throughout the years (unless you change, add, or remove anything). We always recommend this type of premium when setting up your policy.

Long-Term Cover Options

While you can buy Short-Term Income Protection, these policies often have a maximum claim length of two years. So while it’s budget friendly, if you had to take more than two years’ sick leave from work, your policy won’t stretch that far.

A long-term policy will continue to pay you a monthly income until the policy ceases, usually until retirement age.

We recommend Long-Term Income Protection if you can afford the premiums over time. Given that UK insurer Liverpool Victoria’s average payout length in 2023 was close to six years, it makes sense to buy a policy that won’t limit how long you can claim for.

Many of the top UK Income Protection providers, such as Aviva, Liverpool Victoria, and The Exeter offer long-term policies.

Samantha Haffenden-Angear, Independent Protection Expert at Drewberry

If you’re on a tight budget, short-term cover is better than no cover at all.

But the best Income Protection in terms of comprehensive cover are those that protect you for your entire working life right up until retirement.

Samantha Haffenden-Angear
Independent Protection Expert

Comprehensive Levels Of Cover

Most Income Protection providers in the UK cover between 50-70% of an individual’s income. Each insurer is different and one may offer a higher percentage of cover than another. For example, Zurich will cover up to 80%, while Liverpool Victoria will cover up to 60%.

What’s best for you here is the Income Protection policy that covers a satisfactory amount of your monthly income to ensure you can pay for living costs while out of work.

Suitable Deferred Periods

You’ll choose a deferred period for your Income Protection Insurance. This is the period in which you could survive on savings or additional means of income before you’d need your policy benefit to start paying out.

Insurers typically offer deferred periods of four, eight, 13, 26, or 52 weeks. The longer your deferral period, the lower your premium will be. However, as this is the amount of time you’ll need to wait before your benefit begins, it needs to be a realistic and affordable decision.

For example, if your current savings would last you four weeks, then a four-week deferred period is your best option. While it’s tempting to choose a long deferred period to keep costs down, you’d be financially struggling before the insurance payout kicks in, then it’s best to choose a shorter deferred period.

EXPERT TIP 🤓
The best deferred period for you is the one that’s most affordable for you. Be realistic when choosing, and remember that a cheap policy isn’t always best.

Which Income Protection Has The Best Terms And Conditions?

Let’s be honest, most of us are guilty of skipping the small print on things, but with an Income Protection, it’s vital you look at the terms and conditions.

The terms and conditions detail what is and what isn’t covered, and other restrictions on your policy. Failing to read the policy documents could come back to bite you when you need to make a claim.

Which Income Protection Policy Has The Least Exclusions?

An exclusion is something that isn’t covered by an insurer, and so the best Income Protection policies have no standard exclusions. This means the insurer will pay out for any medical condition that prevents you from working, irrespective of its cause.

No Standard Exclusions

Below is a list of insurers who have no standard exclusions for their Income Protection Insurance policies:

Some Standard Exclusions

Below is a list of providers who have some standard exclusions for their Income Protection Insurance policies:

  • Legal & General
    Won’t cover incapacity resulting from drug, alcohol or solvent abuse
IMPORTANT NOTICE 🧐
If you travel overseas for business, or reside outside of the UK at any point, some policies will have more restrictions.

Redundancy Exclusions

Most insurers have an initial unemployment exclusion period where you can’t make a claim within the first 120 or 180 days of taking out the policy. Most plans only cover forced redundancy (i.e. you cannot take voluntary redundancy or get asked to leave due to poor performance).

Insurance is a hugely personal thing to buy, and the best Income Protection policy will all depend on your unique situation. Our experts live and breathe insurance, so give us a call on 02084327333 or email help@drewberry.co.uk to chat through your options.

Best Income Protection For Self-Employed People

Being your own boss is rewarding, but it often means you don’t receive the same benefits as a permanent employee, such as sick pay. This is where Self Employed Income Protection comes into play.

As long as you’re registered with a UK GP and pay income tax, you are eligible for self-employed cover. Though some insurers require you to have up to 12 months of self-employed earnings to justify the level of cover you need, though. It’s best to chat it through with an expert before buying a policy – give us a call on 02084327333 or email help@drewberry.co.uk to find out your options.

You can also read our complete guide to Self-Employed Income Protection to get clued up.

Which Income Protection Providers Have The Best Payout Rates?

Many insurers publicly publish their payout rates every year, but these are to be used as a guide, and not the sole reason for choosing an Income Protection provider.

Payout statistics are never 100% accurate and you’ll find most providers publish very high rates. Many of which are over 90%. While this percentage can give you some confidence in the provider and the policy, it can be swayed if policyholders are untruthful on their application or try to claim for current/ongoing conditions.

Provider Payout Rates

Insurer

2021

2022

2023

Zurich

99%

85%

TBC

Vitality

N/A

96.5%

95.4%

Shepherds Friendly

95%

96.2%

TBC

Cirencester Friendly

93.6%

95.4%

95.8%

Holloway Friendly

94%

93.4%

86%

British Friendly

84%

90%

89%

Liverpool Victoria

93%

92%

92%

The Exeter

93%

92%

96%

Aviva

85.4%

94.3%

92.5%

Legal & General

81%

82.2%

80%

EXPERT TIP 🤓
When looking at an insurer’s payout rates, it’s best to consider these as a guide. While you want to ensure a claim is successful, it’s important for your policy to suit your needs and requirements.

Which Income Protection Providers Offer The Best Claims Process?

The most significant responsibility an Income Protection insurer has is paying claims. Over recent years, improvements have been made, making it easier for policyholders to claim. Some insurers now accept claims over the phone or online. They are also trying to speed up their processes for approving these.

When you need to make a claim, you expect it to be an easy process. When looking for the Best Income Protection provider, make sure to find out the insurer’s process first.

If you plan to submit a claim, it’s best to let your insurer know as soon as possible. The sooner you get the process started, the faster they can approve your claim and begin paying the benefit you need.

Neil’s Cancer Claim With British Friendly

Neil is a client of Drewberry™ who bought Income Protection Insurance with British Friendly. He’d had his policy for just four years before falling ill.

After experiencing stomach pains, Neil went to his GP, who referred him for further tests. These tests discovered that he unfortunately had bowel cancer, and it was already at stage 2. Neil needed surgery to remove the cancer, but developed postoperative sepsis and had to spend several weeks in hospital recovering, completely unable to work.

British Friendly began paying him a proportion of his earnings after his deferral period, allowing him to keep up with all the important bills, such as his mortgage, when he was unwell. Take a look at Neil’s full story 👇

Which Income Protection Premiums Are Best?

When you take out Income Protection, you’ll need to choose a “type” of premium. The type you choose will affect how much you pay. The different types are:

Option 1: Reviewable Premiums

While these premiums are temptingly cheap at the start, they can cost you more over time. Reviewable premiums can be reviewed and revised by the insurer whenever they feel like it, so if there’s a sudden spike in claims or an economic change, you risk being unable to afford your insurance.

Option 2: Age-Banded Premiums

As with reviewable premiums, age-banded premiums work out cheaper initially but rise each year. As the name suggests, they’re linked to your age – so as you get older and become more likely to claim, your premium will increase.

Option 3: Guaranteed Premiums

This is the one we always recommend. Guaranteed premiums, as these remain fixed over the life of the policy. It may seem expensive at first, but these premiums work out more affordable over time, as they can’t be changed.

As with most things in life, the best premium for you will always be the one that’s within your budget. If you can afford guaranteed premiums – fab! But it’s good to know that you have other options if you can’t stretch to it. Give us a call on 02084327333 or email help@drewberry.co.uk to chat through your options.

Which Income Protection Insurers Offer The Best Premiums?

This is not an easy question to answer, as your Income Protection premiums are based on your personal circumstances and your policy needs. The price you pay is likely to be different to your neighbour, for instance.

When you compare quotes from different insurers, your premiums are determined by a range of factors, including:

  • Your age
  • Smoker status
  • Your current health
  • Your occupation
  • The level and length of cover
  • Deferred period.

Another aspect to consider is how providers differ from one another. You’ll find that they have different attitudes towards risk which will impact the amount they charge.

As there’s so many factors at play for an insurer to calculate policy premiums, there’s no right or wrong answer to which provider is the most competitive. This is especially true if you have any medical conditions to disclose in your application.

The good news is that even if you’re on a budget, there are ways to adjust your policy to reflect what you can afford.

The ‘best’ price for you is unique, so we always recommend speaking to a financial adviser who can help you to compare quotes.

Danny Gill
Independent Protection Expert

You can compare quotes yourself using our Income Protection comparison tool, but not all insurers provide online quotes. Here’s where a member of our team can help you. As independent financial experts, we’re able to get quotes from all leading UK Income Protection providers, and we can help you find the best policy for the best price. Just pop us a call on 02084327333 or email help@drewberry.co.uk.

Example Costs Of Income Protection Insurance

Even though premiums vary from person to person, we’ve got some quotes to use as an example. You’ll be able to see how different factors influence the cost of Income Protection.

The Provider

Every Income Protection provider will charge a different premium, due to the variety of services and benefits available. The insurer’s appetite for risk plays a part too.

To give you an example of how costs vary depending on your provider, we’ve got some quotes. These assume you:

  • Are aged 35, earning £40,000
  • Want a monthly benefit of £1,400
  • Work in a low-risk office-based role
  • Are healthy and don’t smoke
  • Want long-term cover with a cease age of 65
  • Would like an 8 week deferred period
  • Guaranteed premiums.

Different Providers

UK Insurer Aviva Logo UK Insurer Vitality Logo UK Insurer Legal & General Logo

£29.71

£26.65

£33.58

Income Protection quotes accurate as of August 2024

Your Age

The older you are when you apply for a policy, the higher the cost of Income Protection. You’re at a higher risk of developing an illness or suffering an injury as you age, so your monthly premium reflects that.

Using the same factors as above, here are some example quotes for different ages from Aviva.

Age 35 Age 45 Age 55
£29.71 £46.16 £64.80
Income Protection quotes accurate as of August 2024

Your Medical History

Although most Income Protection policies have no standard exclusions, it’s possible for an insurer to increase your premiums if you have a pre-existing medical condition. The insurer may even exclude it altogether.

Pre-existing conditions are normally excluded, as they require long-term treatment and medication. This would increase the costs for the insurer, so they either exclude it or hike premiums to cover the extra risk.

Your Smoker Status

A nicotine habit puts you at a higher risk of developing a health condition, such as heart disease, cancer, or a stroke. If you smoke, insurers may charge you more for your Income Protection policy to cover the higher risk.

Not all providers charge more for smokers, though. Here is a general idea of how the monthly costs differ between a smoker and a non-smoker, based on the same policy options above with Aviva.

Smoker 🚬 Non-Smoker 🚭
£52.11 £26.65
Income Protection quotes accurate as of August 2024

The Deferred Period

You’ll select a deferred period when setting up your Income Protection policy. Insurers tend to offer periods of four, eight, 13, 26, or 52 weeks. The longer your deferred period, the cheaper your premiums will be.

Below are some monthly cost examples of policies with different deferred periods. These are based on the previously used policy options above, with Vitality.

4 Weeks 8 Weeks 13 Weeks
£31.92 £26.65 £18.40
Income Protection quotes accurate as of August 2024

Best Additional Benefits With Income Protection

Insurance can feel like a boring purchase, especially when you only feel the benefits when you need to make a claim. However, most Income Protection policies come with some great perks that you can use as part of your membership.

Some of the most common additional benefits that come with Income Protection policies include:

  • Virtual GP services
  • Wellness apps
  • Second opinion services
  • Discounts and vouchers
  • Online legal services
  • Cash for nights spent in hospital.

Each insurer will offer different perks, so it’s important to choose the right provider for your needs.

Compare The 7 Best UK Income Protection Insurance Providers In 2024

As independent insurance brokers, we work with all the top UK insurers to help you find the best cover for the right price.

To help make a more informed decision, the table below offers a handy summary of each major provider and its Income Protection plans.

UK Insurer Aviva Logo

Maximum Benefit

  • Aviva covers 65% of gross earnings up to £60,000; 45% of gross earnings above £60,000
  • Maximum benefit: £20,000 per month / £240,000 per year.

Claims Duration

Either:

  • Full cover to term
    Pays out with no limit, right up until your chosen retirement age if you can never work again
  • 24 months limited payment term
    Pays out for up to 24 months for each incapacity. If you return to work for 6 consecutive months, you can claim again for the same illness / injury.

Deferred Period

4 / 8 / 13 / 26 / 52 / 104 weeks

Premium Type

Guaranteed or reviewable

Claims Paid

92.5% in 2023

Additional Benefits

Aviva DigiCare+

Free as standard, Aviva DigiCare+ is a health and wellbeing service offering:

  • 24 / 7 Bupa Anytime HealthLine, staffed by trained nurses to help manage minor health concerns
  • 3 private digital GP appointments
  • A Health MOT
  • Nutrition advice
  • Gym discounts
  • Up to six sessions of video / phone psychotherapy per year
  • Second medical opinion service on a recent diagnosis and your treatment options
  • Bereavement support if you lose a family member.

Other Free Benefits

  • Back to work benefit, paying a top up to your earnings if you can only return to work in a lesser role / on less hours after illness / injury
  • Hospitalisation benefit of £100 per night if you spend more than 6 consecutive nights in hospital during your deferral period, up to a maximum of 90 nights per policy term
  • Trauma benefit, paying the lower of £40,000 or six times your monthly benefit if you suffer one of six traumatic injuries.

Optional Paid Benefits

  • Fracture cover, paying a lump sum of between £2,000 and £6,000 for a specified fracture depending on the type of fracture and the bone you break
  • Global treatment, offering you and your child(ren) access to Aviva’s Best Doctors service, a second medical opinion and overseas medical treatment if you need a medical procedure.

The Drewberry Verdict

👍

Aviva DigiCare+ is a great suite of additional benefits available for free

👍

High monthly benefit available

👍

Further additional benefits available at cost, such as fracture cover for £4 a month

👍

Specialist cover available for doctors, surgeons and other NHS workers

👍

104 week deferral period available, the longest in the market

🏆
  • Winner: Organisation Of The Year, 2022, Protection Review
  • Winner: Best Overall Protection Provider, 2022 Mortgage Advice Bureau
  • 5-star Defaqto rating.

While Aviva offers a digital GP service, you are limited to 3 a year.

The percentage of successful claims paid is a little on the low side

UK Insurer British Friendly Logo

Maximum Benefit

  • British Friendly covers 65% of first £60,000 and 45% over £60,000
  • Maximum benefit: £57,000 per year.

Claims Duration

Either:

  • Full cover to term
    Pays out with no limit, right up until your chosen retirement age if you can never work again
  • Short term cover
    Pays out for 1, 2 or 5 years per claim depending on the option you choose.

Deferred Period

  • Long term cover: 4 / 8 / 13 / 26 / 52 weeks
  • Short term cover: 1/ 4 / 8 / 13 / 26 / 52 weeks.

Premium Type

Age-banded or guaranteed

Claims Paid

89% in 2023

Additional Benefits

  • Terminal illness benefit, waiving the deferral period and paying out straight away if you’re diagnosed with less than 12 months to live
  • Recovery support benefit, a lump sum of 4 times your weekly benefit 4 weeks after your final benefit payment to bridge the gap between your claim ending and your next pay day after returning to work
  • Care assistance benefit of £125 per week for up to 16 weeks if your spouse / partner / child suffers a serious illness / injury that means they need at least 35 hours a week of care for 4+ weeks
  • Death benefit of 6 times your benefit if you die during the policy
  • Bereavement benefit of 13 times your weekly benefit if your spouse / partner / child (up to the age of 18) dies during your policy term.

Mutual Benefits

  • Clinic In A Pocket
    Powered by Square Health, Clinic in a Pocket gives you and your family fast access to GPs, clinicians, physiotherapists, counsellors, specialist consultants and an annual health check, for no additional cost. Limits do apply
  • Cash In Your Pocket
    Cash in your Pocket is an annual programme of cash draws. 5 winners are randomly selected each month to win £100. If lucky enough to win, the money is yours to spend in any way you want.

The Drewberry Verdict

👍

Offers own occupation cover to riskier occupations that many other insurers won’t cover on this basis or charge more due to their job

🏆
  • 5-star Defaqto rating

While British Friendly covers 65% of your earnings, the highest percentage available with personal Income Protection, it caps your benefit at £57,000 per year. If you earn more than this, another insurer might be better.

UK Insurer Cirencester Friendly Logo

Maximum Benefit

Claims Duration

  • Full cover to term
    Pays out with no limit, right up until your chosen retirement age if you can never work again
  • Short term cover
    Pays out for 2 years for each incapacity depending on which option you select.

Deferred Period

Day 1 or 1 / 4 / 8 / 13 / 26 / 52 weeks

Premium Type

Guaranteed or age-banded

Claims Paid

95.8% in 2023

Additional Benefits

  • Terminal illness benefit worth 6 months of your benefit if a doctor diagnoses you with less than 12 months to live
  • Recovery benefit, which tops up to your income if you can only return to work after an illness / injury on reduced hours / in a lesser role
  • A Friendly Voice, a telephone helpline staffed by nurses who offer advice and emotional support to those suffering from, or caring for someone with, a physical or mental health issue
  • GP24, a virtual GP service offering 24 / 7 telephone calls with a GP, video appointments 8am-10pm 7 days a week (except Christmas day), private prescriptions and referrals for further investigation / treatment
  • Children’s critical illness support, a lump sum of £2,500 if your child (up to age 21) develops one of ten critical illnesses.

Optional Add-Ons for an Extra Premium

  • Fracture cover
    A lump sum of £1,500 if you sustain a comminuted, complicated, compound, depressed or simple fracture to any of the 19 parts of the skeleton Cirencester lists
  • Hospitalisation benefit
    £50 per night for each night you spend in hospital. Cirencester pays this after 3 consecutive nights backdated to the first night. You can claim for up to 21 consecutive nights and for up to 21 nights per year
  • Immediate death benefit
    A payment of £7,500 to your family if you die during the policy term before the age of 70.

The Drewberry Verdict

👍

Offers own occupation policies to those in some higher-risk occupations that other insurers don’t cover on this basis

👍

Good range of free additional benefits, including a remote GP service, something often only offered by larger insurers

🏆
  • Highly Commended: Best Income Protection Provider, 2022, MoneyFacts
  • 5-star Defaqto rating.

Annual benefit cap of £52,000. Higher earners needing more than this might be better with another insurer.

Maximum entry age is 54, so you can’t take out a policy if you’re older than this. This is one of the lowest in the market.

No cover if you work overseas for more than 8 weeks in a calendar year. This is more restrictive than many other insurers.

UK Insurer Holloway Friendly Logo

Maximum Benefit

  • Holloway Friendly covers up to 65% of gross earnings
  • Maximum benefit: £65,000 per year.

Claims Duration

Either:

  • Full cover to term
    Pays out with no limit, up to the date your insurance ends
  • Short term
    Pays out for 1 or 2 years for each incapacity depending on which option you select.

Deferred Period

1 / 4 / 8 / 13 / 26 / 52 weeks

Premium Type

Either:

  • Age-banded
    The amount you pay will change with your age each year. You’ll pay less than you do with the level price option when you’re younger, which can help if you’re on a budget, but the price will go up as you get older. This is because the risk of being too unwell to work goes up with age
  • Level-priced
    A level price that won’t go up because you’ve got older. The price you pay at the start will stay the same over time.

Claims Paid

86% in 2023

Additional Benefits

  • Terminal illness cover worth 6 times your monthly benefit if you are diagnosed with less than 12 months to live
  • Benefit guarantee if your income falls between taking out the policy and claiming
  • Rehabilitation benefit, paying an income top up for up to 12 months if you can only go back to work part time / in a reduced role due to illness / injury
  • Medical expenses benefit, a lump sum towards treatment a doctor recommends to speed up recovery following a claim, where Holloway’s Chief Medical Officer agrees
  • Premium holiday, allowing a break from the policy by pausing premiums and your ability to claim and the ability to restart it later without medical questions
  • Member assistance programme, a 24 hour telephone helpline offering counselling and advice from specialists on topics such as employment, health and consumer rights
  • Free and unlimited GP consultations with HealthHero, a 24/7 GP service. Available to partners and children under 18 if they are living with you. Choice of video or phone appointments.

The Drewberry Verdict

👍

While most insurers let you increase your benefit if you increase your mortgage, Holloway also lets you increase your benefit if your rent rises after moving to a new rental property / your landlord putting up your rent

👍

If you have hazardous hobbies, you can choose to exclude related illness / injury from your policy to avoid higher premiums. Most insurers don’t offer this and either charge more due to such hobbies or exclude them outright without charging less

🏆
  • Winner: Best Individual Income Protection, 2019 Cover Excellence Awards
  • Winner: Best Claims Support, Moneyfacts Awards 2019
  • Winner: Protection Review 2019
  • 5-star Defaqto rating.

If you choose age-banded premiums, Holloway reserves the right to review them up or down after 5 years on top of raising them with age. With most other insurers, age-banded premiums only rise with age.

UK Insurer Legal & General Logo

Maximum Benefit

  • Legal & General covers 60% of gross earnings up to £60,000; 50% of gross earnings above £60,000
  • Maximum benefit: £20,000 per month / £240,000 per year (£14,000 per month / £168,000 per year with indexation).

Claims Duration

Either:

  • Full cover to term
    Pays out with no limit, right up until your chosen retirement age if you can never work again.
  • Short term
    Pays out for up to 12 or 24 months for each incapacity. If you return to work for 6 consecutive months, you can claim again for the same illness / injury.

Deferred Period

4 / 8 / 13 / 26 / 52 weeks

Premium Type

Guaranteed

Claims Paid

80% in 2023

Additional Benefits

  • Income guarantee of the lower of £1,500 per month or your benefit if your income falls between taking out cover and claiming (doubled to £3,000 for NHS dentists, doctors, midwives, nurses and surgeons)
  • Proportionate benefit, topping up your income if you can only return to work in a reduced role / on reduced hours following illness / injury
  • Hospitalisation benefit of 1/30th of your monthly benefit (up to £150) per night if you spend more than 8 consecutive nights in hospital for up to 13 weeks or until your deferred period ends, whichever is sooner
  • Death benefit worth 12 times your monthly premium if you die during the life of the policy
  • Rehabilitation service from nurses, physiotherapists and occupational therapists to help you return to work after a claim.

Nurse Support Services

A telephone helpline staffed with qualified nurses to offer advice and support if you / an immediate family member develops a physical or mental health condition, disability, trauma or bereavement.

It offers:

  • Bereavement support
  • Advice on treatments and coping strategies, and help sourcing specialist equipment to make life easier after a serious illness / disability
  • Second medical opinion with a UK-based consultant if you have concerns about a diagnosis or treatment
  • Long-term support for a range of mental health conditions including depression, stress, PTSD and bipolar disorder
  • Emotional and practical support if you care for an elderly / sick loved one
  • A personal nurse adviser to offer telephone advice while you recuperate at home after a hospital stay
  • Support with eldercare, including help ensuring relatives can live independently or in a residential home and advice on how to keep them safe.

The Drewberry Verdict

👍

High maximum benefit of £240,000 per year (£168,000 per year if you index your benefit). This is one of the highest available.

👍

Specialist cover for NHS medical professionals with features such as dual deferred periods to match NHS sick pay and a higher income guarantee

🏆
  • Winner: Organisation of the Year, 2022, Protection Review
  • Winner: Best Overall Protection Provider, 2022, Mortgage Advice Bureau Awards
  • 5-star Defaqto rating.

Successful claims figures for 2023 are a little on the low side

If you’ve been self-employed for 12 months or less when you apply, Legal & General caps your benefit at 35% of annual earnings rather than the maximum offered to others. Newly self-employed workers are therefore likely to find another provider better.

Many insurers offer a death benefit worth a multiple of your monthly benefit. However, Legal & General’s death benefit is a multiple of your monthly premium, which will likely be much lower.

UK Insurer Liverpool Victoria Logo

Maximum Benefit

  • Liverpool Victoria covers 60% of your gross annual income
  • Maximum benefit: £20,833 per month for level cover and £14,583 for inflation linked cover.

 

Claims Duration

Either:

  • Full cover to term
    Pays out with no limit, right up until your chosen retirement age if you can never work again
  • Budget option
    Pays out for up to 12 or 24 months for each incapacity. With the 12 month option, you can only choose guaranteed premiums.

Deferred Period

4 / 8 / 12 / 26 / 52 weeks

Premium Type

Guaranteed or reviewable

Claims Paid

92% in 2023

Additional Benefits

  • LV Doctor Services, offering telephone- or app-based access to remote GP services, private prescriptions and a second medical opinion for you and your children (up to age 16)
  • Income guarantee of the lower of £1,500 per month or your original benefit if your income falls between taking out cover and claiming (doubled to £3,000 for NHS doctors and surgeons)
  • Fracture cover, paying up to £2,200 once per year if you suffer a specified fracture
  • Death benefit if you die during the policy term worth £5,000 if you’ve had the policy for 4 years or less, rising to £10,000 for policies 4+ years old
  • Parent and child cover, a payout of 6 times your monthly benefit, up to £25,000, if your child (up to age 21) develops a specified illness during the policy term.

The Drewberry Verdict

👍

Good range of free additional benefits, including fracture cover as standard. This is rarely free with other Income Protection providers.

👍

Offers special features for NHS doctors and surgeons, such as an enhanced benefit guarantee and a split deferred period

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  • Winner: Best Income Protection Provider at every Moneyfacts Awards 2010-2023
  • Winner: Best Income Protection Provider 2023 LifeSearch Awards
  • 5-star Defaqto rating.

Shortest deferral period is 4 weeks. If you couldn’t wait 4 weeks for a payout, another insurer might be more suitable.

UK Insurer Royal London Logo

Maximum Benefit

  • Royal London covers 65% of gross annual income up to £60,000; then 50% up to £250,000
  • Maximum benefit: £250,000 per year.

Claims Duration

Either:

  • Full cover to term
    Pays out with no limit, right up until your chosen retirement age if you can never work again
  • Short term
    Pays out for up to 1, 2 or 5 years for each incapacity depending on the option you choose.

Deferred Period

4 / 8 / 13 / 26 / 52 weeks

Premium Type

Guaranteed or reviewable

Claims Paid

N/A

Additional Benefits

  • Income guarantee of the lower of £1,750 per month or your original benefit if your income falls between taking out cover and claiming (doubled to £3,500 for NHS doctors)
  • Fracture cover, paying a lump sum of up to £4,000 if you suffer a specified fracture. You can claim twice per policy year
  • Hospitalisation benefit of £100 per night for up to 90 nights if you spend more than 6 consecutive nights in hospital
  • Back to Work Benefit (for those with 13, 26 or 52 deferred period) of  paying 25% of your last benefit payment 1 month after you return to work after an illness / injury with short-term cover. This rises to 50% with long-term cover. It’s followed by 10% of your last benefit for short term cover and 25% for full term cover 2 months after you return to work
  • Death benefit worth 12 times your monthly premium if you die during the policy term.

Helping Hand

Free with all Royal London Income Protection policies, this offers:

  • A second medical opinion service
  • Support when recovering from a heart attack
  • Speech and language therapy after a stroke
  • Complementary therapies to help manage symptoms or help with recovery
  • Access to legal and career helplines for independent advice on employment rights and support in getting back to work sooner.

The Drewberry Verdict

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Good range of free additional benefits, including fracture cover. This is rarely free with Income Protection.

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High maximum benefit of £20,000 per month / £250,000 per year in cash terms

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Special features for NHS medical professionals, including an enhanced benefit guarantee, NHS sick pay mirroring and sabbatical cover

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Self-employed workers can cover fixed payments you must make alongside your wages, for example for services such as insurance or for loans / other credit

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  • Winner: Best Insurer for protecting hard to cover clients 2023, Protection Guru Awards
  • Highly Commended: Best Protection Provider Money Marketing Awards 2023
  • 5-star Defaqto rating.

The Best Way To Set Up Income Protection

When buying your Income Protection Insurance policy, you have two options: go directly to an insurer, or take out cover through an expert adviser. It’s important to recognise the difference, as one provides you with a lot more protection than the other.

Option 1: Go Directly To An Insurer

If you go directly to an insurer to set up your Income Protection policy, it’s considered a “non-advised sale”. This means – as you’ve made the decision to take out this policy on your own –there’s no financial protection should the policy be inappropriate for your needs.

Option 2: Use An Adviser

When you buy through a financial adviser, this is known as an “advised sale”, meaning it’s the adviser – not you – who’s responsible for the policy. They need to understand your circumstances fully, including any existing health conditions, to make sure you take out the most suitable cover for your needs. It’s in their best interest to find you the most suitable policy, as they’ll be answerable to the FCA if not.

Here at Drewberry, we provide a fully-advised service from start to finish, so you benefit from our expert touch, safe in the knowledge that you have an additional level of protection should something go wrong.

We’re proud of the service we provide, and our clients think so too, with nearly 4,000 independent reviews on Reviews.co.uk rating us at 4.92 / 5.

Darren Jaynes
Independent Protection Expert

Alternatives To Income Protection

Are there alternatives to Income Protection Insurance? Of course, but they won’t offer the comprehensive peace of mind that this type of policy offers. Let’s explore the options:

Using Savings

Breaking into the rainy day fund might seem like the first choice, but with a quarter of UK households having less than £2,100 in savings, this isn’t a viable option for many of us. Plus, nearly 1 in 5 working professionals said their savings wouldn’t even last them a week.

Company Sick Pay

If your employer offers good sick pay – or even Income Protection as part of your company benefits package – this can be a great option for supporting you while recovering from an accident or injury. Though it’s always worth checking how long you receive full pay for while off sick, and how comprehensive your company policy actually is.

State Benefits

If you don’t opt for Income Protection or any of the above options you might find yourself relying on State Benefits.

A study by LV found that almost a fifth of the workforce would rely solely on state benefits to keep them afloat while they were unable to work. However, given average household outgoings are over £3,000 a month, and the average Universal Credit payment sitting between £650 and £1,140 a month, most of us would be in trouble if our income was to suddenly stop.

Common Income Protection Questions

  • What's better: Income Protection or Critical Illness Cover?

    Although these products seem similar, they provide financial protection in different ways. Each has their cover options and purposes.

    Income Protection Insurance covers anything that medically prevents you from doing your job and pays out a monthly income to cover your regular bills.

    Providing you choose the ‘own occupation’ definition of incapacity, Income Protection pays out for accidents, illnesses and injuries that stop you from doing your specific job role. You won’t be asked to perform any other job role if you can’t do your own occupation.

    Common illnesses claimed for under Income Protection policies include mental health issues, musculoskeletal problems (e.g. bad back) and cancer.

    Critical Illness Cover pays out a tax-free cash lump sum if you’re diagnosed with a critical illness (such as cancer, heart attack or stroke) of a specified severity to claim.

    However, Critical Illness Cover is limited to the illnesses defined in the policy terms and conditions. Whereas Income Protection pays out for anything that medically prevents you from working.

  • Do I really need Income Protection?

    The question of whether you need Income Protection depends on your circumstances. But here are some scenarios to consider if you fell ill without it:

    • Could you survive on your savings for a considerable length of time?
    • Could you survive on government benefits, typically Statutory Sick Pay at £116.75 per week or Employment and Support Allowance which can be up to £90.50 (if you’re over 25) per week?
    • Could your family cope with a sudden loss of income in terms of paying the bills, keeping up with the rent / mortgage, buying groceries, keeping a car on the road etc?

    If the answer to any of these questions is “no” or “not sure”, it’s probably time to consider getting Income Protection. It offers valuable peace of mind, protecting your family and your finances in the case of accident or illness.

  • What's the maximum Income Protection Insurance benefit?

    The maximum Income Protection benefit is typically 70% of your income. Insurers tend to offer between 50%-70% of your gross (pre-tax) income as a benefit.

    The reason you can’t insure 100% of your gross income is because, after taxes and National Insurance, you don’t receive 100% of your gross income from your employer or your self-employed activities each month/year.

    Most insurers will have a maximum amount in terms of how much they’re willing to cover you for on an annual basis. This could be as low as £45,000 or as high as £250,000, so it’s important you choose the right insurer for your level of income.

  • How long does Income Protection last?

    Short-Term Income Protection will pay out for a maximum of one, two or five years per injury or illness, per claim. However, the policy lasts until your set retirement age, so you can claim as many times as you need to with different illnesses or injuries for the maximum term.

    If you suffer an illness or injury that takes you beyond the maximum claims period on Short-Term Income Protection, your payments will cease.

    Long-Term Income Protection is a more comprehensive option, as you can claim as many times as you need to, for as long as you need to, right up until retirement age.

    If you’re ever so ill you can never work again, you’ll be entitled to receive your Income Protection benefit right up until your chosen policy cease age.

Compare Best Income Protection Quotes And Get Expert Advice

Finding the best Income Protection can be overwhelming, especially with so many different options.

Our expert advisers are here to ensure you have the information and the support you need when setting up the most appropriate Income Protection for your circumstances. Call us on 02084327333 email help@drewberry.co.uk to find out your options and get started.

Why Speak to Us?

We started Drewberry™ because we were tired of being treated like a number.

We all deserve a first class service when it comes to issues as important as protecting our health and our finances. Below are just a few reasons why it makes sense to talk to us.

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Head Office & Pensions and Investments
Senator House
85 Queen Victoria Street
London
EC4V 4AB
Personal Insurance & Accounts Payable
Telecom House
125-135 Preston Road
Brighton
BN1 6AF
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If you are unhappy with our service, we have a complaints procedure, details of which are available upon request. If you are unhappy with how your complaint has been dealt with, you may be able to refer your complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS). The FOS website is www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk.

Drewberry Ltd is registered in England and Wales. Companies House No. 06675912

Drewberry Ltd registered office: Telecom House, Preston Road, Brighton, England, BN1 6AF. Telephone 0208 432 7333

Drewberry Ltd (Financial Conduct Authority No. 505473) is an Appointed Representative of Quilter Wealth Limited and Quilter Mortgage Planning

Limited, which are authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.

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