Seven benefits of income protection insurance

Why have income protection insurance?

Income protection insurance can give peace of mind for you and your loved ones, should you become unable to work due to illness or injury. Income protection insurance, sometimes known as income insurance, is designed to replace part of your income to make sure money is still coming in, even if you can't work.  Below are seven key benefits of income protection insurance.

1. It ensures your income continues even if you can't work

None of us like to dwell on the thought that we could suffer a serious illness or injury. But every week thousands of Australians find their lives unexpectedly turned upside down because of a health issue.

If you have income protection insurance you could continue to receive up to 70 per cent of your regular income if you are unable to work due to an illness or injury.

That means you can focus on getting better rather than worrying about how you’re going to cover bills such as the mortgage, school fees, groceries, healthcare or other outgoings.

2. Income protection insurance can be customised

An income protection policy purchased from an insurer (as opposed to income protection provided by many super funds) can be adjusted to your individual circumstances.

You can choose to pay a higher premium so your policy starts paying out two weeks after you make a successful claim, or opt to reduce your premiums by extending this period. Under some policies, you can stretch this period to two years.

Likewise, you can select a policy that will pay a benefit for one, two or five years. Or one that could provide a monthly benefit until age 65, provided you are still unable to work.

You can opt for a stepped policy, where your premiums start out cheaper when you’re younger and rise as you age. With this option, premiums are recalculated based on your age on the anniversary of your policy each year. Or a level policy, where the premiums will be based on your age at the time you took out the cover.

In short, you have plenty of scope to tailor your policy to suit the amount of cover you want at a price you can afford.

3. You may be able to use income protection insurance to care for a sick child

Not only can you customise your income protection policy, you can also opt for extra features. One of the features that may be available is commonly called Family Care Cover. It's important to read through the Product Disclosure Statement to make sure this is available before taking out a policy – not all insurers offer this.

Parents whose child suffers a serious accident or illness may need to take time off to care for them full-time.

But, because the parent remains in good health and capable of earning an income, they usually cannot make a claim against any of their insurance policies.

If financial assistance is available from the government, it's unlikely to be enough to cover even the standard expenses, let alone added medical bills.

(The current carer allowance paid to those looking after someone with a serious illness is $153.50 per fortnight.)

4. Your income protection premium may be tax-deductible

Premiums for insurance on things such as your house are generally not tax deductible.

Even other forms of personal insurance, such as life cover, TPD (total and permanent disability) and trauma insurance that can prevent people becoming a burden on the welfare system are generally not tax deductible.

But premiums for an income protection insurance policy paid directly by you (that is, one not taken out through superannuation) may be tax-deductible, depending on the types of benefits covered.

5. You may be covered for redundancy

If you suspect you'd struggle to keep up with your mortgage, personal loan, car or credit-card repayments for a few months after being made involuntarily redundant then it's worth considering covering yourself against this.

Depending on the type of policy you have, it pays a monthly benefit while you remain unemployed but may last for a set period, for example, three months.

6. Making a claim is straightforward

Insurers aim to make the claim process as smooth as possible.

If you're out of work due to illness or injury, contact your insurer to inform them of the situation. Then it's typically just a matter of sorting out the paperwork (a claim form, a doctor's report and privacy statement) and providing some supporting information about your income.

If you have ANZ Income Protection and want to make a claim or ask a question about your policy, please call 13 16 14 weekdays 9am to 5pm (AEST).

If you hold an Ezicover Income Protection policy and need to make a claim, please call 1800 025 015 or visit Zurich's claim page for more information.

7. It helps your life get back to normal quicker

Being out of work for even a short period can have serious long-term negative consequences for most people. The family home may need to be sold, retirement plans delayed, children sent to different schools, high-interest loans taken out to cover urgent bills, or bankruptcy declared.

It can also take years for things to get back to normal again. By taking out income protection insurance, you’re not only helping ensure you and your family will be OK while you're out of action, you’re also maximising the chance of everything quickly going back to the way it used to be once you’ve recovered.