How Do I Get The Protection I Need?

The coronavirus pandemic has highlighted just how financially vulnerable many of us are, as well as how important it is to have the right financial protection in place in the event of a crisis.

If this year has taught us anything, it’s that the unexpected can happen and being prepared is key to ensuring our loved ones are financially secure.  

The importance of life insurance

Data shows that 60% of Brits don’t have life insurance, despite a large majority having dependants or a mortgage, or both. Buying life insurance can be easy to put off – after all, no one likes to think about the worst happening to them.

However, if you’ve realised your family would be financially vulnerable if something happened to you, buying life insurance for as little as £5 a month can be a small price to pay for safeguarding your family’s future.   

Many life insurance policies will cover you for coronavirus, providing you answer the application questions honestly and don’t hide any pre-existing conditions. Most insurers will now ask you if you’ve recently been abroad and whether you’ve been in contact with someone with COVID-19, tested positive for the virus or had any symptoms.

If any apply to you, insurers may postpone accepting your application until they are satisfied you are not at increased risk. 

Adding critical illness cover

Many life insurance policies also allow you to add critical illness cover which pays out a lump sum if you are diagnosed with a condition or illness listed on your policy. Coronavirus is not one of the illnesses listed in any critical illness cover so you would not be covered if you tested positive, but this doesn’t mean critical illness cover is not worth having.

If you contracted the virus and it led to severe complications such as a heart attack or stroke, you may still be able to make a claim.

Don’t forget income protection

It’s easy to forget about income protection or believe you don’t need it, but as the pandemic has shown, loss of income can become a very real problem. Income protection can help replace your salary if you cannot work due to an accident, illness or redundancy. 

Having this type of cover can prove valuable if you have bills to pay, a mortgage and dependants to care for.

However, it’s essential to check exactly what you’re covered for. Many policies have a waiting period of at least 30 days before they will pay out, so if you are only off work for a couple of weeks, you may not receive anything. Some policies also now have coronavirus-related exclusions.

Seek advice

If you’re not sure which type of cover is most suitable for you and your circumstances, please get in touch and we can help ensure you and your family have the right financial protection in place.

As with all insurance policies, conditions and exclusions will apply

Catch up on our other blog posts: