Protecting income from unexpected illness and injury is particularly important if you have a mortgage, own a small business, or are self-employed and have no sick leave available.
With income protection insurance, you can be paid 70% of your income for a specified period to help when you cannot work. Typically, the most common claims are for illnesses such as cancer, heart attacks, anxiety and depression.
Payments generally last two to five years, although you can take a policy up to a certain age, such as 65. The amount is generally based on 70% of your income in the twelve months prior to the injury or illness.
For some, income protection insurance may be part of their superannuation, although more commonly, this is limited to life insurance and total and permanent disability cover.
If you have income protection insurance in your super, it’s important to check the extent of the automatic cover as it can be limited.
Another option is to purchase a policy outside of your superannuation, where you can benefit from tax-deductible premiums. It's worth noting that income protection insurance is the only insurance that offers this tax advantage.
Work out a budget
There are many considerations when looking at income protection insurance, and the best place to start is to work out your budget and consider how much you would need to maintain your family’s lifestyle if you are unable to work.
You can then determine the appropriate level of income protection insurance and other factors that affect premiums, such as how quickly you might need the payments to start and how long they will last.
Many people think income protection insurance is expensive, but you can fine-tune policies to suit your budget by changing the percentage payment amount, the length of time for which you would receive the payment and how soon you start getting a payment once you cannot work. Reducing these parameters can reduce your premiums.
Check the policy details
It’s important to be mindful of several factors that might affect the success of any claim you make – make sure you read the product disclosure statement.
Every insurer has a different definition as to what will trigger a payment, so you need to understand the difference between “own occupation” and “any occupation” for cover. For example, if you are a surgeon and lose capacity in one of your hands, you will receive a payout from your insurer if you have specified “own” occupation because you can no longer work as a surgeon. But if you opt for “any” occupation, then the insurer could argue that you could still work as a doctor, just not as a surgeon, and the claim may not be paid.
It is also wise to understand that if your policy does not seek your medical history, there may be limitations to what illnesses are covered.
Another consideration is whether you have stepped or level premiums. Stepped premiums start low and usually increase as you age. Level premiums begin at a higher rate but typically don’t increase until you reach 65. In the long run, the level may work out cheaper for some.
Next steps
You must work at least 20 hours a week to take out income protection insurance, and you can usually only buy a policy up to the age of 60. Additionally, if you receive a payout, you need to declare that income on your tax return.
Income protection can be complex. To ensure you have sufficient cover to protect you and your family should you lose your income, speak with your local Nexia Adviser today.
