The word from Shepherds Friendly as they review their Income Protection claims data;
Shepherds Friendly paid out 96% of all income protection claims last year, a slight increase on its five-year average of 95%.
Musculoskeletal conditions represented more than half of new claims received during the year, accounting for 55.8% of new claims decided during the year.
The next most common causes for new claims were chest/lung/nose/throat conditions at 6.9%, with heart conditions responsible for the same percentage of claims.
Mental health conditions made up 5% of claims, gastrointestinal problems 4.8% and cancer 4%.
The value of the payments made was also dominated by musculoskeletal conditions, which accounted for 54.6% of the total sum paid out last year. Mental health conditions were the next highest at 11.5%, followed by cancer at 9.9%.
Despite making up a much higher percentage of the claims lodged, chest/lung/nose/throat conditions accounted for just 1.9% of the amount paid out, while gastrointestinal problems made up 1.2%. Heart conditions were responsible for 3.7% of last year’s payouts.
Ann-Marie O’Dea, CEO at Shepherds Friendly, said: “We’re really pleased to have helped so many members and their families last year, providing vital financial support during periods when they were unable to work. As a mutual, our members always come first and have done for almost 200 years. As we look ahead, we remain dedicated to meeting their changing needs in the future.”
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