The most common reasons income protection pays out

If illness left you unable to work, could you afford to keep paying the bills?

While income protection can help if you're diagnosed with a serious illness, new figures from insurer Aviva suggest common health conditions account for a larger share of claims. 

Here, Which? reveals the most common income protection claims, and what to check before buying a policy.

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What is income protection?

Income protection insurance pays a regular income if illness or injury leaves you unable to work. 

Unlike critical illness cover, which usually pays a lump sum for specific conditions, income protection is designed to provide ongoing financial support while you're off work.

Policies typically pay a percentage of your salary and continue until you return to work, retire or the policy ends, depending on the terms of your cover.

• Find out more: best income protection 2026

The most common income protection claims

Musculoskeletal conditions accounted for 27.1% of Aviva income protection claims in 2025, making them the most common reason for claiming.

Mental health conditions were close behind at 26.8% of claims.

Cancer accounted for 13.3% of claims, followed by neurological conditions at 11.4%. Gastrointestinal conditions and heart conditions made up a smaller share at 3% and 2.9% respectively.

Aviva paid £63.5m across 4,154 income protection claims in 2025. The average claim lasted more than six years and four months, highlighting the long-term support these policies can provide.

Could you rely on sick pay instead of income protection? 

Before buying income protection, check what support you would already get from your employer if you were too ill to work.

Some workers get full pay for a set period, but others may only qualify for statutory sick pay. This is paid for up to 28 weeks, but is unlikely to match your normal earnings.

If your sick pay is limited, you’re self-employed or your household would struggle without your wages, income protection may be worth considering.

Even if you do have workplace sick pay, income protection can still be useful if you would need support after that runs out. Matching the policy’s deferred period to your sick pay or savings can also help reduce the cost of cover.

• Find out more: how much is statutory sick pay?

What does income protection usually exclude?

Income protection won’t usually pay out if you lose your job, are made redundant or choose to stop working, because it’s designed specifically to cover loss of earnings caused by illness or injury.

Pre-existing medical conditions may also be excluded or come with special terms, especially if you had symptoms, treatment or medical advice before applying.

Claims can also be rejected if you don’t meet the policy’s definition of being unable to work, or if you gave inaccurate information when taking out the cover.

This makes it important to read the policy wording carefully and answer health, job and lifestyle questions honestly when applying.

What to check before taking out a policy

Before taking out income protection, be sure to run these key checks:

1. How much income it would replace: Income protection usually covers a proportion of your earnings, not your full salary. Check whether the payout would be enough to cover essential bills.
2. How long you’d wait before payments start: Most policies have a deferred period, which is the time between being unable to work and receiving your first payment. Match this to any sick pay or savings you could rely on.
3. How long the policy would pay out for: Some policies can pay until you return to work, retire or the policy ends, while cheaper short-term policies may only pay for one or two years.
4. What definition of being unable to work applies: Stronger policies usually assess whether you can do your own job, while others may only pay if you can’t do a wider range of work.
5. What’s excluded: Check how the policy treats pre-existing conditions, including mental health conditions, along with self-employment and any limits linked to your job or lifestyle.

Find out more: critical illness insurance explained