Accident, Sickness and Unemployment Insurance

Much is like it sounds, Accident, Sickness and Unemployment insurance could make ends meet and help with your financial commitments if you can’t work. If you fall ill or injure yourself and are unable to work, then most companies will continue to pay your salary for a set period of time. If and when that time elapses, or your company does not have such a policy, then your income protection insurance will kick in. Its main function is to cover a portion of your salary so you are not left too severely out of pocket. Unfortunately, it’s important to remember that if you feel like quitting your job and taking out a policy to cover the downtime, you’re out of luck as income protection insurance will only cover situations which are out of your control.

Exactly what kind and how much cover you decide to go for will generally depend on the situation you are in and how much you have to lose from a loss of income. Some people will opt for income protection insurance which will be there specifically to cover a portion of their salary should they be unable to work. Exactly how much you will receive when the policy starts paying out is dependent on what kind of policy you take out with typical benefits being around 50% of your salary.

If you want to make sure that a specific bill or mortgage gets paid is paid in case of injury, illness or unemployment then you may be better off considering payment protection insurance.

There are different kinds of policies depending on the type of payment but, in essence, this insurance will mean that certain financial commitments are covered in a situation where you are unable to pay.

When it comes to choosing a length of policy there are generally two options:

Short Term Policy

This policy is designed to cover those unable to work for a set period of time. If you opt for a short-term policy then the maximum amount of time you can receive cover for is usually up to 12 months. This option is better for those who do not wish to pay as much of a premium and have a lower risk of a chronic problem preventing them from working in the long term.

Long Term Policy

The policy will continue to pay out either until you return to work or retire which could be, within reason, any amount of time. This policy could be more suitable for those who are at higher risk of long-term unemployment.

A deferred period is the time in between you becoming unable to work or unemployed and when your policy starts paying out. How long your deferred period is will have an effect on the cost of your policy so, if you are able to last a few months without receiving payment, then you will pay less in premiums. A longer deferred period may suit those who can get by for a short period without payment but would struggle in the long term.

There are a few factors that insurers will look at before accepting an application for an accident, sickness or unemployment policy. First of all, you will generally need to have been in work for a certain amount of time which may include passing any probation period. You will in most cases have to be in full-time work to be considered, and not in a position where your job is in danger at the time of you applying. 

This will depend on a range of factors including.

• Length of policy
• Length of deferred period
• Amount of salary covered (if income protection insurance)
• Value of bills/mortgage covered (if payment protection insurance)
• Current state of health, previous employment record may also be taken into account

Our advice is to shop around, Money Expert can help you compare life insurance so you can find the right deal to suit your needs.