Critical Illness Protection (Corporate and Personal)

How Could A Serious Illness Affect You?

We all take good health for granted. Most people nevertheless do make financial provisions for their family if they were to die. However, very few consider what would happen if they were to suffer an accident or fall seriously ill and survive.

Every year in Britain millions of people are told their lives are at risk from some kind of serious illness. Due to advancing medical technology, such illnesses are not likely to mean death. Long term illness, however, is likely to mean a change in your lifestyle and might require a considerable amount of care, perhaps for the rest of your life. Therefore, provisions for the future are equally as important as provisions for death.

What would happen to your home if you suffered and survived a serious illness or accident? If you were unable to go to work, where would you look for an income?

The state would provide:

Incapacity Benefit Short Term Lower Rate (SSP) £44.50
Short Term Higher Rate (after 28 weeks) £52.50
Long Term Rate (after 53 weeks) £58.85
Dependent Adult Allowance £35.25
Dependent Child Allowance (first child) £11.05
Dependent Child Allowance (subsequent children) £9.85
Age Allowance (under 35) £12.40
Age Allowance (age 35-44) £6.20

How long could you survive on this income? Not just to pay your rent but all your monthly outgoings.

A professionally structured Critical Illness policy can easily offset this potentially devastating threat. Its value in both the professional and corporate arena is often grossly under-estimated.

Statistics

The need for critical illness cover is underlined by the following facts:

  • 1 in 3 will contract cancer at some time in their lives1
  • Every year more than 150,000 people will suffer a heart attack2
  • During 1993, over 2,600 people underwent major organ transplant3
  • Every year more than 120,000 people suffer a stroke4
  • For every person suffering a stroke, nearly 70% will be alive a year later on4
  • 1 in 8 healthy women will contract cancer before age 65,
    70% will survive the cancer for more than 1 year, and
    50% for more than 5 years5
  • If you have a first heart attack, you have at least a 50% chance of surviving for over a year6

Notes

All statistics relate to the U.K.

  1. Cancer Research Campaign 1989.
  2. OPCS Morbidity Statistics from general practice 1981/82.
  3. HMSO Official Handbook Britain 1995.
  4. Chest Heart Stroke Association.
  5. Based on a healthy group of women aged 20-40, contracting cancer before age 65. OPCS Cancer Statistics (Registrations 1983).
  6. 57% of individuals suffering a first heart attack survive more than 1 year. Health Education Authority Update (PLH.2.).