If you do this at work, you might need sick pay insurance

Many of us spend a large amount of our time sitting down. Whether it’s; working, watching TV, eating, driving, reading - the list goes on. But according to the NHS, sitting down too much can be a risk to your health.

Income protection and musculoskeletal illnesses



The NHS says that many UK adults spend around 9 hours a day sitting. Sitting down for long periods of time can contribute towards lower back pain, especially when you’re sitting with bad posture.

Looking at a recent report from WHO (World Health Organization), they found that low back pain is the main contributor to the overall burden of musculoskeletal conditions. Overall the report stated that approximately 1.71 billion people have musculoskeletal conditions worldwide.

Musculoskeletal conditions is an umbrella term for illnesses that can affect your bones, joints, muscles, and more. Looking at Legal and General claims statistics from 2021, 37% of income protection claims (the majority) were musculoskeletal related. 


Is sitting down the problem?

In the working world, spending the majority of your time sitting down is the norm for a lot of professions.

As well as anything office based, some of the most common jobs where you’ll be sitting for a long period of time are:

• Driver
• Receptionist
• Writer
• General manager
• Administrative assistant
• Graphic designer
• Accountant

What is sick pay insurance?

Have you ever wondered what you’d do if you suddenly became ill or injured and you couldn‘t work?

Also known as income protection insurance, this policy can cover up to 60% of your monthly income, if you couldn't work due to illness or injury.

What it covers

One of the aspects that sets income protection apart from any other type of life insurance is that it covers time off work due to accident or illness, and unlike other traditional types of life insurance, income protection insurance also covers mental health.

To make a claim on your income protection policy, all you need to do is get signed off work by your doctor and notify your insurer. In the event of a valid claim, after your deferral period, your income protection payments will begin.

Can you get income protection if you’re self-employed?

Income protection is there to partly replace your income, if you were diagnosed with an illness or were to become injured.

As a self-employed person, you don’t have the same benefits as those in traditional employment (think sick pay, paid holidays, maternity leave). So for those who are self employed, income protection could make all the difference, if you were to suddenly become ill.

Is income protection taxable?

No.



In the event of a valid claim, the payments you’d receive from your income protection policy would be income tax-free.

Why do you need this policy?

This policy can help pay for the essentials in life, to keep you going whilst you’re out of action, and unable to work. 

If you couldn’t work due to illness or injury, the money from your policy could be used for the following, and so much more:

• Childcare costs
• The food shopping
• Your monthly bills
• Rent or mortgage payments
• Vets bills
• Pay towards any loans you may have

What about SSP?

Statutory sick pay (SSP) is a type of sick pay that’s paid by your employer. If you qualify, you’ll receive a pay-out of £109.40* a week, for up to 28 weeks.


Every year, the amount of SSP you can get could increase slightly every tax year. But it's still not enough. According to the Office for National Statistics, the average weekly household outgoings in the UK are £481.50 which means that on average, weekly SSP payments would cover just 22% of the average cost to run a home.

Numbers

We’ll let the numbers speak for themselves here…

Just last year, in 2022, Aviva paid out over £50 million in income protection claims.

Please don’t wait

With an income protection policy in place, you’ll have peace of mind that if you couldn’t work because of illness or injury, you can still pay for the things that matter.

We can compare income protection insurance policies from the UK’s leading providers. To kickstart your life insurance journey, click the button below to start your free income protection quote today! 

*Correct as of May 2023