Many UK workers would struggle financially within a few months of being unable to work. Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) pays just £123.25/week in 2026/27 (from the first day off sick since April 2026, or 80% of your earnings if that's lower), for up to 28 weeks, far below most people's expenses. Income protection insurance replaces 50–70% of your salary if you're unable to work due to illness or injury, paying until you return to work or reach retirement age. For most working people it's one of the most valuable but underused forms of financial protection.
How Income Protection Works
You choose: the monthly benefit amount (typically 50–70% of your gross income), a deferred period (how long before payouts begin: often 4, 13, 26 or 52 weeks), and the claim term (pays until a set age, usually 65–68, or for a fixed period of 2–5 years). A longer deferred period means lower premiums, so align it with how long your employer's sick pay lasts. Self-employed people with no sick pay should choose a shorter deferred period.
Cost of Income Protection UK
Premiums depend on: your age, health, occupation, monthly benefit, deferred period, and claim term. Prices vary widely: a younger, healthy office worker with a long deferred period will usually pay far less than an older person in a manual job wanting cover from week four. The only way to know is to get quotes from comparison sites (MoneySupermarket, Compare the Market) and consider using an independent protection broker who can access the full market.
- Deferred period: match it to your sick pay and savings; the longer you can cover yourself, the cheaper the policy
- Own occupation definition: pays if you can't do YOUR job (better than 'any occupation')
- Indexation: increases benefit annually with inflation, worth adding
- Waiver of premium: premiums paused during a claim (check it is included)
Income Protection vs Critical Illness Cover
These are different products. Income protection: pays an ongoing monthly income while you can't work, regardless of the illness/condition. Critical illness cover: pays a one-off lump sum on diagnosis of specific conditions (cancer, heart attack, stroke, etc.). IP is more comprehensive (covers any illness/injury stopping you working) but pays monthly. CIC gives a lump sum (useful for paying off mortgage or adapting home) but only covers listed conditions. Ideally you have both; if budget-constrained, IP covers more scenarios.
Does income protection pay for redundancy?
No. Income protection covers inability to work due to ill health or injury, not redundancy. For redundancy protection, look for Accident, Sickness and Unemployment (ASU) cover, though this is harder to find and has more restrictions.
Is income protection payout taxable?
Personally paid income protection: payouts are tax-free. Employer-paid income protection: payouts are usually taxed as employment income.
Who Needs Income Protection Most
Income protection is most critical for: self-employed people (no employer sick pay, no SSP), whose main safety net would otherwise be your own savings or new-style ESA (£95.55 a week in 2026/27 for those 25 and over) if you have enough National Insurance contributions, people with mortgages or significant financial commitments, those in households where one income would be insufficient to cover expenses, and people whose employer sick pay is limited (statutory minimum only). Check your employee benefits: some employers provide group income protection. If yours does, personal IP may still be needed to supplement or cover the gap period.
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