Nearly two-thirds (63%) of people in Britain continue to think ‘it' will never happen to them according to new independent research commissioned by Scottish Provident.
Those surveyed in their thirties and forties believe they are most likely to be affected if they or someone in their household were to lose their job, with 88% stating that they would be affected. This is a lot higher than the survey total which is 66% across all age groups.
The research found that 65% of people surveyed would be affected if they or someone in their household contracted a serious illness and had to give up work for more than six months. This rises to 85% for those with children, as opposed to just 73% for those without childre.n
Those who do not have insurance believe they are less likely to be affected than those who do, at 55% and 74% respectively.
Home ownership may also provide a false sense of security, as 64% of those owning their own home would be affected, but this rises to 80% for those in private rented accommodation.
Susan Barclay, head of marketing at Scottish Provident, says: "Despite some very high profile cases of critical illness in the media and news of mass redundancies nearly every day, people in Britain still think that ‘it' will never happen to them.
"The results clearly show that, should the unexpected happen, most people would be affected."
