What is critical illness cover?
Life can be extremely unpredictable – often in a good way, but sometimes in a bad way. If the worst happens and you are diagnosed with a serious illness, disease or disability, it is important to have cover in place. Critical illness cover is an insurance designed for that purpose.
It is a safety net to help you cover your financial commitments, including rent/mortgage and bills, so you can concentrate on improving your health. This type of cover is paid out as a lump sum and is tax free.
Every policy is different though and not all illnesses will be covered. You would need to make sure your medical condition or illness is covered in the policy supplied by your insurance company, prior to seeking a life and critical illness cover quote.
This type of insurance is far more intricate than people are led to believe. TCF Financial Planning has vast experience dealing with many insurers in the market place, and know the different niches that insurers can offer.
Is critical illness cover worth it?
None of us really know what’s around the corner. As much as we all like to think we are invincible – none of us have that privilege, and critical illness insurance can provide peace of mind if you are struck down with an illness or disability that prevents you from being able to work.
Critical illness insurance is particularly important for those who don’t have savings and wouldn’t be able to pay their bills if they could no longer work for a period. Of course, there is the option of state benefits, but as we all know, these are rarely enough to cover the essentials, never mind any ‘luxuries’ such as mobile phones or broadband.
It is worth considering critical illness insurance if you want to have peace of mind that you will be able to cope with any financial commitments in the future, no matter what might happen to the state of your health.
What does critical illness cover?
The illnesses/diseases covered by critical illness cover would usually include cancer, blindness, heart attack, kidney failure, stroke multiple sclerosis, speech loss and many more. Critical illness cover is not the same across the board though, so you would need to check with your insurance company as each policy is different.
Our trained critical illness cover advisors will be able to help you make the right decision to suit your own circumstances and needs.
Below are just some of the critical illnesses which we can help you find cover for:
Cancer | Heart attack | Stroke | Multiple sclerosis |
Coronary artery | Parkinson’s disease | Benign brain tumour | Heart valve replacement |
Alzheimer’s | Blindness | Coma | Deafness |
How long does critical cover last?
Critical cover payments are paid as a tax-free lump sum, rather than monthly instalments, so it lasts if you manage it. Insurance companies all have different terms, so it is important to understand the facts, which is where we can help at TCF Financial Planning.
A cheap insurance policy isn’t necessarily the best one and you need to be sure that the payment you receive will be enough to cover your mortgage payments and bills. A trained advisor will be able to help you understand the right option for you.
How much does critical illness cover cost?
The cost of critical illness cover depends on the policy terms, but it can be cheaper if you take it out alongside a life insurance policy. Some insurance companies will not offer critical illness cover on its own, so you may need to take out both. The average cost is said to be around £58 per month (https://www.moneysupermarket.com/life-insurance/critical-illness-is-it-worth-it/) for a combination of both but it is worth also baring in mind, that this is usually dependent on your lifestyle.
For example, if you smoke, your premiums are likely to be higher as you are at a higher risk of illness. The cheapest critical illness cover is not necessarily the best one to choose, so get advice from a trained insurance policy advisor, before making any decisions. Our advisors will be able to provide you with a life and critical illness cover quote.
How to make a claim?
You will need a confirmed diagnosis of your illness before you can start the process of making a claim and you must check that your policy covers that illness. It is not enough to do a self-diagnosis (or a diagnosis from Google!), you will need to get confirmation from your doctor/hospital.
You would then contact your insurer to let them know and they will advise you on the next steps. Your insurer will confirm if the policy covers your illness and if it does, you can start the process of making your claim. This will involve filling out some paperwork and signing it off. When your details are verified and your diagnosis is confirmed with this insurer, you will receive your lump sum pay-out.
You are only allowed to make one successful claim, so after your pay-out, your policy will be cancelled. The claim process is straightforward. If you qualify for the pay-out, there shouldn’t be any issues with it.
What is child critical illness cover?
If you have a child and they become seriously ill, child critical illness would work in the same way as critical illness cover. If your claim was successful, you would receive a lump sum of money, to help with the cost of medical equipment, or for day to day costs, if you are unable to work due to caring for your sick child. Child critical illness cover is usually added to the critical illness or life insurance policy.
You can take out child critical illness cover for more than one child. In much the same way as we don’t know what is around the corner for ourselves, there is, unfortunately, no guarantee for children either. This cover can offer parents a lifeline if their child becomes seriously ill, particularly if they need to give up work.
It is important to find out if this is necessary and to get the right cover for your needs. At TCF Financial Planning, we are here to help and can offer you advice and support to make the right decision. We can provide you with a critical illness cover quote to suit your needs.