Friends Life, now part of the Aviva Group, has announced new enhancements to its Protect+ income protection proposition including improved guaranteed benefits.
The insurer has also introduced a new significant professional development guaranteed insurability option for those who receive significant pay rises.
In addition, Friends Life has added an improved therapy benefit of up to £200 per year
Friends Life has increased the guaranteed benefit from £1,300, up to £1,500 a month.
If a reduction in earnings means the customer's benefit entitlement drops below what they originally insured for, they will be paid the lower of the original sum assured and £1,500 per month.
For customers where their maximum benefit is over £1,500 a month, but their earnings drop by less than 10%, Friends Life will now pay the full benefit for the duration of their claim (previously the full benefit would only have been guaranteed for up to 12 months).
Friends Life has also introduced a guaranteed insurability option for significant professional development.
If customers' earnings increase by more than 20% as a result of career progression, they can now make a one-off increase of their annual benefit of up to a maximum of £20,000 a year without the need for new underwriting.
The improved therapy benefit is now a contractual benefit and customers can claim up to £200 per policy year for physiotherapy, osteopathy and visiting a chiropractor. The benefit now covers 100% of the cost.
Louise Colley, managing director, protection for Aviva, said:"It is vital that we make income protection as attractive as we can to potential customers. Only last month, our own research showed that more people have pet insurance than income protection and critical illness cover combined so we have to boost the profile of these important products as they can really support families when they need it most.
"These enhancements are being made to the Friends Life Protect+ proposition, where customers taking out income protection also have access to Global Treatment - an additional option which gives customers the chance to be treated for an illness at top international hospitals.
"This is another reason why advisers should be talking to their customers again to make sure they are happy with their level of protection.
Further reading
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