Types of income protection policy

The insurance industry can confuse customers and itself with the titles it gives to types of policy within the wider definition of Income Protection Insurance. The narrow definition of Income Protection Insurance only applies to products, which pay you an income if you become unable to work due to sickness or injury.

We are following consumer logic by including within Income Protection Insurance, other products which the industry calls Mortgage Payment Protection Insurance, Payment Protection Insurance, and International Income Protection. To add to the confusion, other commonly used names for income protection are; Permanent Health Insurance (PHI)-which was used in days before the Income Protection name was used, Income Replacement Insurance, or Long Term Disability Insurance

Policies to protect mortgages, loans or credit card debts are frequently called Accident Sickness Unemployment (ASU) policies.

Insurers themselves often confuse it further by using product names like " Protection " which can include income protection, critical illness, life and other products.

We will guide you through the maze.

The insurance industry has realised that the confusion is turning people away from income protection insurance. So it has set up the Income Protection Task Force to seek solutions. Early suggestions include some standardisation of non-competing elements to help compare products, and even yet another name change. 

• Credit card payment protection

• Group income payment protection

• Holloway Plans

• Housepersons cover

• Child sickness cover

• Individual income protection

• International payment protection

• Loan payment protection

• Menu products

• Mortgage payment protection

• Sports income protection

• Income protection insurance for business