Most people hate the uncertainty that they feel about their futures, and there are many things that we simply cannot take for granted, such as our health, our relationships, and our jobs. Uncertainty about the latter has been particularly affected in the last few years due to the financial climate, and many people would seriously struggle if they were unable to work due to sickness, injury, or redundancy.

When you think about how much you rely on your income to pay bills, settle debts, put food on the table, and put a roof over your head, you realise just how difficult things would be if you suddenly lost that income. Every year many people find themselves suddenly unable to work due to sickness, injury, or redundancy, and the loss of that income can cause serious problems.

In today’s climate in particular losing an income can be very difficult because not only do people have bills and mortgage or rent to deal with but also debts that they might have accrued over recent years. This would put those losing their income in a particularly difficult position, as it means that they would not be able to deal with their debts as well as not being able to deal with their living costs.

One thing that workers can do protect themselves and ensure that they can continue to meet their financial commitments and pay their living costs is to take out income protection insurance, and this is available from a number of providers. With income protection cover you can protect yourself against losing your income through sickness, injury, or redundancy, and for a specified period you will continue to receive the sum of money that you have covered yourself for if you lose your job or you are unable to work.

You will generally find that with income protection cover you can cover up to 75 percent of your monthly income, although this does vary from one provider to another. The time over which you can receive benefits will also vary, and choices often include six months, a year, two years, and five years. Again, the choices will vary based on the provider.

The cost of cover will vary based on the provider you go through, the level of cover that you choose, and the period over which you want to receive the benefit if you have to make a claim.