No-one could have predicted what we experienced during first half of 2020, when the word ‘furlough’ had never been heard before and a ‘pandemic’ was something we read about in the history books! The notion that you could have been completely prepared for what was to come is difficult to comprehend. I’m guessing that if you could travel back in time and put more insurance policies in place you more than likely would have.
One of the most overlooked types of insurance has typically been income protection. Research conducted by the Financial Conduct Authority shows that only 35% of people have any form of protection insurance in place, and of that 35%, only 4% have any form of income protection.
Two of the most common reasons for this are the lack of understanding around what income protection is, and also the belief that you’ll never need it. A good way to understand what income protection is and what it does is to look at the furlough scheme used by the government in recent months.
Since March, nearly ten million UK workers have been placed on furlough, so it’s likely that if it has not directly impacted you, you know someone it has. The basic premise of furlough is to support workers financially while they’re unable to work. The mechanics, criteria and funding are different, but this is basically what income protection does! What would have happened to all those workers if the furlough scheme hadn’t been introduced? This is the question you need to ask if yourself and assess your own circumstances if don’t have any income protection in place.
A common response to income protection is ‘it’ll never happen to me!’, but what 2020 has shown us so far is that nothing can be predicted and it is better to be prepared and protected should the ‘unexpected’ happen.
What if you’re self-employed?
If you’re self-employed you can still get income protection – in fact it may be even more relevant for you. However, according to research from The Exeter, less than one in 10 self-employed workers protect their income, and nearly a fifth of self-employed workers have no personal savings to rely on in times of financial uncertainty.
According to the Office for National Statistics, the UK self-employed workforce grew to 5 million by the end of 2019, representing 15.3% of employment, up from 3.2 million in 2000. With more UK workers embracing self-employment, options within the marketplace have adapted to better serve this growing sector of the workforce, with bespoke policies tailored for the differing requirements of the self-employed.
To discuss your income protection options contact us and we will be able to recommend the best course of action for you.