Maybe it’s been covered but if not,has anyone on here taken out apolicy that compensates you financially if illness befalls you?
On the surface it seems sensible as several months on statutary would soon have the ballifs calling.From my experiences anyway.
I believe Unite union run one that pays 65 pc of income,as well presumably as statutary which i’m investigating currently.Any observations,criticisms greatly welcome?
I’ve not done extensive research by any stretch of the imagination but briefly looked into it a few years back and it did not appeal to me, they would only pay out in certain circumstances, you had to be off work for a number of months before they paid out and then they would only pay out for a limited amount of time… it seemed a lot of money for what you were likely to get back.
Driver I no had a heart attack and his plan paid full wages for something like 9 months, he got his plan of that man who used to be in the services down bottom end of M1
It’s more a question of can anyone afford the risk of ‘not’ having such cover.On that note it could be the most important decision you ever make.But don’t take the cheap options of ‘critical’ illness and/or limited period cover.It needs to cover any type of illness relevant to the ‘occupation’ with no time limits on the cover provided. 
I took one out in the early 90’s. I didn’t realize it was a con until years later, when I tried to claim on it - and got told the “first five days in hospital - are the excess” and “no pre-existing conditions covered”.
About the only thing you’d be able to claim for then - would be a sudden onset fatal disease, a type of which kills less than 1% of the population.
I wanted cover for ANY fatal or debilitating disease that would prevent me from working. That’s not what I got though.
They don’t give you a medical - but will reject a claim for say, “heart disease” if you have anything wrong on your medical records already - anything remotely connected to “heart disease” essentially in this example.
I’d taken out cover for myself and my wife - and tried to claim when my wife had a 4 day stay in hospital following a lumbar puncture.
“You can only claim from day five onwards” I got told.
“Even having your appendix out sees you being discharged in under a week nowdays!”
…And therein lies the con which I didn’t realize from the start.
Bigger fool me I guess… 
The sales spiel was hard-sold on it “covering you for not being able to work due to hospitalization” - which was total ■■■■■■■■ of course. 
I have two plans. One that pays out immediately and if I don’t use it, pays out a lump sum when I get to 60(that was my retirement age when I took it out in the 90s). I also have a much cheaper policy that only kicks in if I am off work for 12 months.
Both were recommended by an IF A and that’s maybe what people should do, so they end up with a decent plan and not a rip off one.
yep sort of expected this type of feedback,very same deal as banks lending the proverbial brolly and confiscating it when it rains.Beginning to wonder if unions are where it’s at,you would think universal sick pay would be a central plank of their modus,especially with our games tendency to be inherently unhealthy,to put it mildly,notice unite are getting very agitated with this posh burger restaurants dealings with recent illegal labour practices,a reality check for me i think is overdue.
Carryfast:
It’s more a question of can anyone afford the risk of ‘not’ having such cover.On that note it could be the most important decision you ever make.But don’t take the cheap options of ‘critical’ illness and/or limited period cover.It needs to cover any type of illness relevant to the ‘occupation’ with no time limits on the cover provided.
Know yee of such a plan old fruit? 
manalishi:
Carryfast:
It’s more a question of can anyone afford the risk of ‘not’ having such cover.On that note it could be the most important decision you ever make.But don’t take the cheap options of ‘critical’ illness and/or limited period cover.It needs to cover any type of illness relevant to the ‘occupation’ with no time limits on the cover provided.Know yee of such a plan old fruit?
which.co.uk/money/insurance/ … rotection/
which.co.uk/money/insurance/ … -to-avoid/
which.co.uk/money/insurance/ … rotection/
Generally it’s more a case of requesting what’s needed rather than the insurers stating any set ‘plan’.On that note ‘no time limits’ in practice means requesting the shortest deferral period.Together with the longest term protection type cover available which if not unlimited still generally runs into years.After which time the insurers usually settle a claim with a considerable lump sum payment if there’s no possibility of a return to work.Combined with the cover of ‘own occupation’.All of which is a ‘lot’ better than anything available from the Social Security system and worth paying for to get the best possible cover.
I’m lucky as I now work for a company who have a very good sick scheme but before that I didn’t get it but looked into some of these schemes and I’d say read the small print several times before deciding, in the end I decided to put extra money away in a building society account just in case I went sick for a while but luckily enough I didn’t .
Mine paid out in 2010 when the heart problem started and paid for 3 yrs until I was deemed allowed back to work , even though the truck licence was still not returned.
They said I could do other work of a similar nature .
Ideally, you want a plan that will pay out for a condition you think you might develop in the future… It would have to be one currently “not in the family” of course - and you’d have to be right in your most pessimistic speculations…
So Forget covering yourself against things like “Cancer” or “Diabetes” or “Heart Disease”.
You might fare better on things like Multiple Sclerosis, Motor Neuron Disease, and Crohn’s disease though.
That latter one killed one of the drivers where I work at Aylesford in a few DAYS last year.
Winseer:
Ideally, you want a plan that will pay out for a condition you think you might develop in the future… It would have to be one currently “not in the family” of course - and you’d have to be right in your most pessimistic speculations…So Forget covering yourself against things like “Cancer” or “Diabetes” or “Heart Disease”.
You might fare better on things like Multiple Sclerosis, Motor Neuron Disease, and Crohn’s disease though.
That latter one killed one of the drivers where I work at Aylesford in a few DAYS last year.
We had a plan covering critical illness paid out 35k when my wife was diagnosed with cancer so I’d say the plans are worth it,the money just meant we had one less thing to worry about as my wife has been off work since December and unlikely to return this year.
We are with Royal London and they were absolutely fantastic when we made the claim no lengthy form to fill in ect we just had to sign a form giving them permission to get her medical records from the hospital and that was it,within 3 week the money was paid into our bank.
Thanks all gents,most appreciated.
Winseer:
Ideally, you want a plan that will pay out for a condition you think you might develop in the future… It would have to be one currently “not in the family” of course - and you’d have to be right in your most pessimistic speculations…So Forget covering yourself against things like “Cancer” or “Diabetes” or “Heart Disease”.
You might fare better on things like Multiple Sclerosis, Motor Neuron Disease, and Crohn’s disease though.
That latter one killed one of the drivers where I work at Aylesford in a few DAYS last year.
Christ had no idea Chrones was a fatal condition.
manalishi:
Winseer:
Ideally, you want a plan that will pay out for a condition you think you might develop in the future… It would have to be one currently “not in the family” of course - and you’d have to be right in your most pessimistic speculations…So Forget covering yourself against things like “Cancer” or “Diabetes” or “Heart Disease”.
You might fare better on things like Multiple Sclerosis, Motor Neuron Disease, and Crohn’s disease though.
That latter one killed one of the drivers where I work at Aylesford in a few DAYS last year.
Christ had no idea Chrones was a fatal condition.
Ahem…Chrohn’'s,
mac12:
Driver I no had a heart attack and his plan paid full wages for something like 9 months, he got his plan of that man who used to be in the services down bottom end of M1
toddington. 
he’s still there now. 
good lad. 