Self-Employed Income Protection

There are many advantages that come with being self-employed. You have the flexibility to work during the hours that suit you best and let’s not forget about the tax breaks! But being your own boss means that you don’t qualify for the typical employee benefits that you would get if you worked for a company. This means that you are responsible for ensuring that protective measures are put in place so that you do not feel financial strain during unforeseen events where you cannot receive an income. This is where self-employed income protection insurance can be a saving grace.  

When you’re self-employed, then you will not have access to the insurance cover that’s generally provided by an employer. If something were to happen to you and you could no longer perform the duties that generated your income, then you could potentially suffer financially. No income could mean that you would not be able to pay your bills or cover the day-to-day expenses that you have become accustomed to. 

We, therefore, advise self-employed individuals to obtain income protection insurance (sometimes referred to as income replacement insurance). 

Self-employed income protection insurance is a policy that pays you if you cannot work anymore due to an unforeseen injury or illness. Depending on the terms of your policy, the payment you receive could cover your rent, mortgage payments, outstanding debts, and employees’ salaries until such time that you can once again work. 

Self-employed income protection cover will provide you with a long-term monthly income if you suddenly become ill or are in an accident and can no longer perform the role that was generating your income. The monthly income that will be paid will be determined before your policy is signed but most insurers will agree to a pay-out of between 50% and 80% of the income you were earning whilst you were healthy and working as normal. 

These monthly payments will be paid to you every month until such a time that you can work again. If you are not able to ever work again, then they will pay-out until the time that you reach retirement age.    

When purchasing a self-employed income protection policy, there are three types of cover that you need to consider before agreeing to a plan. You may want to include each type in your policy or you can select the terms that you feel will best suit your situation. 

The three types of self-employed insurance are:

This cover offers protection in the event that you have a short-term illness, or something more serious and cannot work again.

This type of insurance will replace your income if you cannot work due to an injury.

Self-employed sick pay insurance will provide cover if you are self-employed and do not qualify for statutory sick pay.

The price of a self-employment policy will vary from person to person. The main deciding factors that will determine your monthly premium are:

 

Long-term income protection will give you cover in the unforeseen event that you fall ill or are injured. If your illness or injury prevents you from working, then you will receive pay-outs until you’re able to start working again or until you retire (whichever is soonest).

Short-term income protection is generally cheaper. This is because the pay-outs last for a shorter amount of time (usually between six months and two years). Once the payment period has elapsed, you will no longer receive payments even if you still cannot work. 

When shopping around for a self-employed income protection plan that will suit your lifestyle and your budget, then we urge you to compare income protection insurance quotes and terms from a few providers before making a final decision. 

The quickest and easiest way to find affordable and accommodating self-employed income protection policy is to use our online insurance comparison tool. Simply fill in our form with just a few of your details and we will provide you with a range of quotes that have been sourced from reputable insurance providers found in the UK. Our format will allow you to easily compare prices and terms so that you can select a plan that will give you the cover you need at premiums you can afford.