Map the support you already have
Write down your essential monthly spending and the income your household depends on. Include housing costs, bills, food, childcare and credit commitments. Then consider how long savings and other reliable household income could help.
Ask your employer about sick pay and how long it lasts. Review any workplace or personal protection policies so the discussion includes existing cover. If you are self-employed, explain how the business and your personal income would be affected by time away from work.
Understand what the policy covers
Income protection generally pays a monthly benefit for an eligible illness or injury claim. It usually replaces a proportion of earnings rather than your full salary. The amount payable can depend on income evidence, continuing income and the policy’s limits.
Check the policy’s definition of being unable to work, including how your occupation is assessed. Standard illness-and-injury income protection does not cover redundancy. Life insurance and critical illness cover address different risks, so discuss how any policies fit together rather than assuming they do the same job.
Choose the waiting period and payout duration
The deferred period is the time you must remain unable to work before benefit becomes payable under the policy. Match the discussion to your sick pay, savings and the point at which the household would need help.
Distinguish the policy term from the benefit period. A policy may run for many years while limiting how long each claim pays. Other options can offer longer claim payments, subject to their conditions. Ask when the first payment would arrive and what happens if you return to work and later become unwell again.
Compare the details as well as the price
- The monthly benefit, deferred period and maximum payment period for a claim.
- The definition of incapacity and any occupation-related restrictions.
- Exclusions and any specific terms resulting from medical underwriting.
- Whether premiums and benefits can change, and how inflation is addressed.
- How a change in earnings, work or existing cover could affect a claim.
A cheaper premium may reflect a shorter benefit period or different terms. Compare options using the same assumptions and ask which features matter for your circumstances.
Give accurate information and review the cover
Answer application questions about health, work, activities and income fully and accurately. Ask for clarification if you are unsure what a question means. Incorrect or missing information can affect cover and claims.
Read the policy summary, schedule and full terms before proceeding. Eligibility and claims remain subject to the insurer’s conditions; taking out a policy is not a guarantee that every future claim will be paid. If replacing existing cover, discuss the new policy’s acceptance and start date before cancelling the old one.
Review your arrangements when income, employment, family responsibilities or mortgage payments change. MOVA can help you identify the questions to ask and compare suitable protection options.
Common questions
Before you take the next step.
Can self-employed people get income protection?
Potentially. Eligibility, income evidence and the benefit calculation depend on the insurer and your circumstances.
Does it pay immediately when I stop working?
Usually there is a deferred period and a claims process. Check the timing and payment conditions for the particular policy.
Is it the same as critical illness cover?
No. Income protection generally provides regular payments for an eligible inability to work. Critical illness cover pays under its own specified illness definitions and terms.
Your next step
Talk through your plans with MOVA.
Tell us what you want to achieve and what you are unsure about. We will help you understand the next steps and the information needed for your circumstances.
The initial conversation is at no cost. Any applicable adviser fee will be explained and agreed before you proceed.
Related MOVA guides
Keep planning your next step.
General information, not a personal recommendation. Insurer terms, eligibility and availability can change.
Protection eligibility, exclusions and claims depend on the insurer and the policy terms. Cover should be reviewed when your circumstances change.
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