Income protection is the product more UK workers are finally buying
For years it was the protection product people skipped. In 2026 income protection is quietly having its moment.
Life insurance still does the heavy lifting in most households, but the conversation has shifted. More people are realising that being unable to work for a long stretch is statistically more likely than dying during their working life — and that a lump sum does not pay the mortgage every month while you recover.
The self-employed are leading the change. With no sick pay behind them, sole traders, contractors and tradespeople have the most to lose from time off, and income protection is the only product that directly replaces a monthly wage. Flexible deferred periods — from day one on a Personal Sick Pay plan to twelve months on a standard policy — let people match cover to whatever savings or employer support they already have.
Professionals are buying too, often through their limited companies. Executive income protection lets directors cover salary and dividends and pay through the business, which has nudged a lot of previously under-insured contractors into proper cover.
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