More than 1,500 employees returned to work following rehabilitation from group risk benefits, according to trade body Group Risk Development (Grid).
The organisation found that 1,529 people were able to return to work during 2014 as a result of interventions by insurers before they were off sick long enough to claim.
It is the first time the data has been collated and released and Grid spokeswoman Katharine Moxham said they demonstrated the value such benefits could produce: "The fact that 1,529 people were helped back to work also clearly demonstrates the value that insurers add beyond the pure payment of claims.
"Employers are not obliged to provide any of these benefits, but by doing so they make a major contribution towards protecting employees and their families against the financial consequences of death or prolonged disability. Through this, they also ultimately benefit wider society by reducing the welfare burden."
In total, £1.26bn worth of claims was paid by the group risk industry last year supporting 24,570 families.
The main cause of claim across all three products was cancer, with the highest for group critical illness (68%), followed by group life (46%) and group income protection (24%).
For life schemes this was followed by heart disease (16%), by heart attack for critical illness (10%) and by mental illness for income protection (23%) benefits.
| Benefit | No. of claims | Value of claims paid | Average claim amount | % of new claims paid for 2014 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Group life | 8,877 | £869.4m | £97,936 | 99.80% |
| Group income protection | 14,763 | £338.0m pa | £22,940 pa | 83% |
| Group critical illness | 930 | £56.7m | £61,005 | 80% |
| Totals | 24,570 | £1,264.1m |
