Faqs
When should I get cover?
As young as possible as cover goes up on each birthday. The older you are the more likely you are to make a claim and the insurer has not had the benefit of many claim free years of premium payments. When considering Unemployment insurance take it out before there is even a hint of redundancies at your company, i.e. when your job is secure.
Why do I need any type of Income Protection insurance?
Look at it this way. You are your most valuable asset, responsible for your family’s cost of living as well as your own. You insure yourself against being without a car, a TV or kitchen, neither of which would be nearly as devastating as being without your wage for a long period of time!
Can I get Income Protection insurance if I am self-employed?
Yes. You can protect your income if you are unable to work due to a sickness or accident but not unemployment. All other insurances are available to the self-employed.
How much does insurance cost?
As much or as little as you can afford. Options such as payment period, time insured, and amount to be paid out determine the cost. So, it’s a matter of choosing what’s important and letting us find which insurer can provide those at a premium you can afford.
How do I know which insurance is right for me?
By talking to us. We know the questions to ask and can advise what is right for you based on your responses.
What are the cover options?
Our web-site provides a comprehensive list of insurances and the options each has, take a look around and give us a call.
Can I tailor my plan?
Absolutely. That’s where speaking to an adviser is more effective than trolling around the web yourself. Tell us what you want and, as specialists who provide solutions full-time, we know who does what to quickly advise on a plan that meets your needs.
How much can I claim with Income Protection insurance?
The maximum amount you could be paid each month varies from insurer to insurer, broadly 50-70% of your gross monthly income (i.e. your earnings before tax). Executive Income Protection is a specialist protection that covers both your salary and dividends paid by your company under which it is possible to cover up to 80% of your earnings.
When will you start paying out after I claim?
As you can imagine, there is a process to ensure only legitimate claims are made. The Insurer will need to see medical evidence and we understand this can often be difficult to obtain quickly from a busy NHS surgery. For Income Protection, you will be asked to choose a period you can wait before receiving a payment, which is known as the ‘deferred period’. Again, the actual payment is dependent on medical evidence reaching the Insurer for them to process but you will be kept informed at every stage.
Why should I not just rely on state benefits?
If you meet the government’s eligibility criteria the maximum weekly income is £88.45 per week Statutory Sick Pay or £109.30 (after 13 weeks) if you are self-employed. So, if you need more than that and cannot rely on any other source of income, then Income Protection is the safety-net you need.
How do I arrange cover?
The first step is a brief and confidential chat with one of our specialist advisers, so that we can listen to you and find out about your needs. We will then research the whole market far beyond what the comparison sites can offer and provide you with only the most relevant options. Once you are happy we have selected the best and most affordable policy to meet your needs, we will then help you fill in an application. It is really simple to do and can be done online, over the phone or via email.
What is Income Protection?
Like all insurance policies, it is design to be a safety-net against unforeseen circumstances. Specifically, Income Protection is a way to receive an income if you have an accident or sickness for a period longer than the sick-pay provided by your firm, or if you are self-employed, and sometimes with an option for an income if you are made involuntarily redundant.
Am I eligible for Accident and Sickness Insurance?
You need to have been a resident in the UK for the last two years, employed and registered with a GP who has access to your medical records.
Am I eligible for Unemployment Insurance?
You are if you work over 16 hours a week, have been employed for six months in your current job, and have a 12 month work history with no more than a two week gap. Not sure, give us a call.
Will insurance companies payout?
If you’ve had good professional advice to ensure you have the cover you sought, been honest when you took out the policy, and the claim is genuine; then there should be no reason why they wouldn’t. To feel sure, you need to have had professional advice as the options, specialisations and exclusions are many and varied and it’s easy to think you have the right protection when in fact you don’t. The most likely reason for them not to pay out is that a cheap policy taken out online without independent advice is underwritten at the time of the claim and not when it was taken out. A guaranteed pay-out is the reason you take out a policy so it’s important you have the right policy for you and therefore a quick call to LightBlue is time well spent.
Why shouldn’t I buy direct off the web?
Knowing you’ve chosen the right protection solution is only achieved if you have received professional advice. There are many Protection providers and each has their own specialisations and exclusions which means policies taken out online or without independent advice are often not paid out.
What’s the difference between Critical Illness Insurance and Income Protection Insurance?
Critical illness cover is a like playing the lottery – your illness must match the Insurer’s criteria. Often your illness is not critical, just debilitating and keeping you off work. This is where Income protection is invaluable as it doesn’t care about the specifics of your illness or condition as long as the Insurer receives information and evidence from you, your GP and other medical professionals regarding your inability to continue to work. Infact, you are more likely to claim on Income Protection than you are Critical Illness.
I work off-shore can I get cover?
Probably, but it’s a little more complicated so we need to talk.
