Income Insurance Claims

The short answer is, you can claim for any illness or injury that stops you from being able to do your job.

The great advantage of Income Insurance is that you don’t have to suffer from the ‘right’ illness in order to claim. Unlike some types of insurance that will only pay out if you have a specific condition (and even then, you have to meet their definition of that condition), Income Insurance pays out if you are unable to do your job regardless of the illness.

That means you don’t need to worry about whether the disease or injury is covered or not, or even new diseases not being covered (who knew about COVID-19 in 2019?!) – with Income Insurance it doesn’t matter.

What are the most common claims on Income Insurance?

The most common causes of being off work for the medium or long term (so think months not days) are:

• Musculoskeletal

  Usually back and neck problems. But knee problems are common too! Surprisingly desk workers can experience more back problems than manual workers. This is because of poor posture over a prolonged period which can be made worse by excess stress.

• Mental Illnesses

  We are all becoming more aware of the impact of stress and anxiety on our overall wellbeing. Unfortunately, despite this greater awareness, it is still very common for people to find themselves unable to work for a while due to excessive stress, anxiety or depression. In fact, the latest figures show that 1 in 6 people experience a problem with their mental health on a weekly basis.

• Cancer

  It’s a sad fact of life that 1 in 2 people will be diagnosed with cancer at some point in their life. The impact of cancer can vary significantly from person to person and the type of cancer being treated (and the type of treatment required). Sometimes people can work through their treatment but often a period of focusing on treatment and recovery (not work) is required.

What are some other reasons that stop people from being able to work?

With around 141 million working days lost each year in the UK through sickness or injury the list of causes is extremely long and varied. However, the government compiles statistics that show that some of the most common causes, outside those already mentioned, are:

• Stomach and bowel problems (for example severe irritable bowel syndrome, Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis)
• Issues affecting breathing and lungs (such as severe asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease)
• Conditions that can affect the main senses, leading to loss of sight or hearing, or that impact mobility (sometimes these can be due to neurological conditions such as multiple sclerosis)
• Bladder problems (again these can be due to neurological conditions)
• High blood pressure and circulatory problems (especially if also diabetic)
• Severe migraine syndromes (these symptoms can also be associated with high levels of stress)

What can't I claim for on Income Insurance?

The only scenario not covered on Income Insurance is injury due to participation in certain high-risk activities (stuff like motor racing). To keep cover as affordable as possible for the average worker, we have excluded injuries from these activities. But of course, normal activities like going for a family bike ride or playing non-professional football are covered.

Also, remember that Income Insurance pays out after you’ve been off work for 2 months. Each time it pays you until you’ve recovered or you have been paid for 2 years.

You can check our prices and get covered in minutes online today, here.