Accident, Sickness and Unemployment cover - past, present and future

Significant shifts in usage and design

clock • 6 min read

Ian Sawyer, commercial director at Assured Futures, takes a closer look at the changing face of Accident, Sickness and Unemployment (ASU) cover and asks what role it could play in the future protection landscape.

The first fire, accident and life insurance companies were set up in the UK in the 1700s. In an industry with a 300-year heritage, it is tempting to assume little changes. However, while the concept of insurance goes back centuries, how and why customers want and need it has evolved hugely as has the shape of those products and how they are viewed. Even products with much shorter histories like Accident, Sickness and Unemployment (ASU) cover have seen significant shifts in their usage and design, even across just this century. ASU is a form of income protection that pays a tax-free propo...

To continue reading this article...

Join COVER for free

  • Unlimited access to real-time news, key trend analysis and industry insights.
  • Stay on top of the latest developments around health and wellbeing, diversity and inclusion and the cost of living crisis.
  • Receive breaking news stories straight to your inbox in the daily newsletter.
  • Members only access to monthly programme 'The COVER Review'
  • Be the first to hear about our CPD accredited events and awards programmes.

Join now

 

Already a Cover member?

Login

More on Individual Protection

CII looks to reduce repeat disclosures for vulnerable customers

CII looks to reduce repeat disclosures for vulnerable customers

Launches cross-sector Vulnerability Data Sharing Taskforce

Jaskeet Briah
clock 08 July 2026 • 2 min read
UK lags behind global countries in managing chronic health: Zurich

UK lags behind global countries in managing chronic health: Zurich

Provider publishes Chronic Care Index

Jaskeet Briah
clock 07 July 2026 • 3 min read
Uptake for NHS health checks hits lowest level in over a decade

Uptake for NHS health checks hits lowest level in over a decade

Third of adults received NHS Health check in 2025/26

Jaskeet Briah
clock 07 July 2026 • 1 min read