Best Income Protection Insurance [Top 10 Insurers 2025]

Q: What is income protection insurance?

Income protection (or income protection insurance ) is an insurance policy that can provide you with an income while you’re unable to work due to illness or injury. Up to 70% of your income could be paid out on a monthly basis to help you cover your essential living costs. Cover could be secured on a short-term basis , where you’ll receive payments for a maximum of 1, 2 or 5 years, or long-term basis where you could receive payments until the policy comes to an end.

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Best income protection insurance

What is the best income protection insurance UK?

At Reassured, we’ve done a deep dive into the various income protection providers in the UK to bring you our top 10 shortlist.

According to our research, the best income protection insurance is offered by:

LV= (Liverpool Victoria)
Holloway Friendly
NFU Mutual
Shepherds Friendly
Aviva
Royal London
Legal & General
British Friendly Society
Guardian
Cirencester Friendly

While he have compiled this list based on research, the best income protection for you will depend on your personal circumstances (such as your budget and what you want to cover).

Keep reading our best income protection insurance review to find out more about each of these insurers and the cover they offer.

Through our advised service you can compare all the insurers from our top 10 list, plus many more.

Our whole of market income protection comparison service means you can find the best available deal to meet your needs and budget, without paying any fees.

Compare Best Income Protection Insurance »

How have we calculated the best company for income protection insurance?

We’ve researched each insurer and taken the following into consideration to compile our list:

Defaqto rating - The insurers we have ranked in our top 10 have each been rated 5 stars by Defaqto. This is the highest rating an insurer can receive.
Trustpilot score - This shows how customers rate the products and services offered. This score is based on all services offered by the insurer as a whole, not specifically income protection. 5 stars is the maximum score an insurer can receive
Maximum benefit amount - The maximum amount an insurer will pay out
Policy details - The specifics of the cover provided, such as age restrictions and additional benefits
Pay out rate - The percentage of claims paid out by an insurer in a specific year. We have taken pay out rates from 2023

Ranking		Age restrictions	Maximum benefit amount	Pay out rate [2023]
1	4.4 - 'Excellent'	18 - 59	Up to 60% of your earnings before tax	92.0% of all income protection claims
2	4.4 - 'Excellent'	18 - 59	Up to 65% of your earnings before tax	86.0% of all income protection claims
3	4.3 - 'Excellent'	17 - 59	Up to 60% of your earnings before tax	88.0% of all income protection claims
4	4.3 - 'Excellent'	16 - 60	Up to 70% of your earnings before tax	96.2% of all income protection claims
5	4.1 - 'Great'	18 - 59	Up to 65% of your earnings before tax	92.5% of all income protection claims
6	4.0 - 'Great'	18 - 59	Up to 60% of your earnings before tax	99.0% of all protection claims
7	4.0 - 'Great'	18 - 59	Up to 60% of your earnings before tax	80.0% of all income protection claims
8	3.8 - 'Great'	18 - 59	Protect: Up to 65% of your earnings before tax Breathing Space: £1,250 per month	89.0% of all income protection claims
9	3.5 - 'Average'	18 - 59	Up to 65% of your earnings before tax	Information not available (policy launched in April 2023)
10	Cirencester Friendly don’t have a Trustpilot page	18 - 54	My earnings protected: Up to 65% of your earnings before tax	95.8% of all income protection claims

This information has been taken from each insurers website. It is correct as of 30/08/24 and is subject to change at any time

Our advised team offer a whole of market service, allowing you to compare all the insurers mentioned in this article, plus more.

However, please note, while some insurers offer cover to those aged 16 and 17, you must be over 18 to purchase a policy through Reassured.

Whole of Market Quotes » Find Your Best Deals

1. LV=

About LV=: LV= (Liverpool Victoria) has history dating back 180 years. They provide a variety of insurance, pension and savings services with over a million customers.

Policy name: Flexible protection plan income protection and Flexible protection plan income protection budget
Defaqto rating: 5 stars (out of 5)
Trustpilot score: 4.0 stars (out of 5) / ‘Great’
Awards: ‘Best Income Protection Provider’ 14 years in a row (2010 - 2023) from the Moneyfacts Awards
Website: www.lv.com/income-protection

Policy features	Feature description
Age restrictions	Cover is available to UK residents aged 18 - 59
Policy term	Minimum term of 5 (cover must cease by age 70)
Maximum benefit amount	Up to 60% of your income before tax could be protected Up to a maximum payment of £20,833 per month
Definition of incapacity	Cover uses an own occupation definition
Deferred period	Options include 1, 2, 3, 6 or 12 months
Payment period	Standard option: Short term of 12 or 24 months or long term (full term) Budget option: Short term (up to 12 or 24 months)
Premium type	Premiums can be guaranteed or reviewable
Additional benefits	Free benefits: Fracture cover, death benefit, waiver of premiums, parent and child cover, £1,500 benefit guarantee, back to work support, teachers sick pay guarantee, features for doctors and surgeons, member benefits
Pay out rate	92.0% of all income protection claims were paid in 2023

2. Holloway Friendly

About Holloway Friendly: Holloway Friendly are the original income protection specialists, having invented this form of cover in 1875 (or what was once known as a ‘Holloway Contract’).

Policy name: My Sick Pay
Defaqto rating: 5 stars (out of 5)
Trustpilot score: 4.3 stars (out of 5) / ‘Excellent’
Awards: ‘Best New Product’ for My Sick Pay at the 2022 Protection Review Awards
Website: www.holloway.co.uk

Policy features	Feature description
Age restrictions	Cover is available to UK residents aged 18 - 59
Policy term	Minimum term of 5 (cover must cease by age 70)
Maximum benefit amount	Up to 65% of your income before tax could be protected Up to a maximum of £65,000 in payments per year
Definition of incapacity	Cover uses an own occupation definition
Deferred period	Options include 4,8,13,26 or 52 weeks
Payment period	Short term (up to 1 or 2 years) or long term (full term)
Premium type	Premiums can be guaranteed or age-based
Additional benefits	Free benefits: £1,500 drop in earnings guarantee, life changes guarantee, payment holiday, back to work support, waiver of premiums, terminal illness cover, financial support for medical treatment, member assistance programme
Pay out rate	86.0% of all income protection claims were paid in 2023

3. NFU Mutual

About NFU Mutual: NFU has been in business for more than 100 years, created by 7 farmers from the Midlands. Now, the company boasts 900,000 customers across all their services. Their life cover, including income protection, is actually provided by AIG.

Policy name: YourLife (provided by AIG)
Defaqto rating: 5 stars (out of 5)
Trustpilot score: 4.3 stars (out of 5) / ‘Excellent’
Awards: ‘Brand of the Year 2024’ by Which?
Website: www.nfumutual.co.uk/life-cover/income-protection

Policy features	Feature description
Age restrictions	Cover is available to UK residents aged 17 - 59
Policy term	5 - 53 years (cover must cease by age 70)
Maximum benefit amount	Up to 60% of your income before tax could be protected Up to the first £60,000 you earn and 50% on earnings above this
Definition of incapacity	Options include own occupation definition or work tasks
Deferred period	Options include 4, 8, 13, 26 or 52 weeks
Payment period	Short term (up to 12 or 24 months) or long term (full term)
Premium type	Premiums are guaranteed
Additional benefits	Free benefits: Make changes to your cover, waiver of premiums, sick pay guarantee, sabbatical break cover, unemployment support, features for doctors and surgeons
Pay out rate	88.0% of all income protection claims were paid in 2023

4. Shepherds Friendly

About Shepherds Friendly: Shepherds Friendly are a mutual society. Founded back in 1826, they now have over 100,000 members. As a mutual society, they’re owned by their members.

Policy name: Income protection plan
Defaqto rating: 5 stars (out of 5)
Trustpilot score: 4.2 stars (out of 5) / ‘Great’
Awards: ‘Best Protection Service’ at the 2022 ILP Moneyfacts Awards
Website: www.shepherdsfriendly.co.uk/income-protection

Policy features	Feature description
Age restrictions	Cover is available to UK residents aged 16 - 60
Policy term	Minimum term of 5 years (cover must cease by age 70)
Maximum benefit amount	Up to 70% of your income before tax could be protected Up to a maximum payment of £33,600
Definition of incapacity	Cover uses an own occupation definition
Deferred period	Options include 4, 8, 13, 26 or 52 weeks
Payment period	Short term (up to 1 or 2 years) or long term (full term)
Premium type	Premiums can be age-based and reviewable
Additional benefits	Free benefits: Virtual GP, discount gym membership with Nuffield Health, guaranteed insurability, emotional wellbeing platform, waiver of premiums, house person benefit, bereavement payment, new child payment
Pay out rate	96.2% of all income protection claims were paid

5. Aviva

About Aviva: Aviva have more than 320 years of experience, protecting over 18.7 million people across the UK, Ireland and Canada.

Policy name: Income protection+
Defaqto rating: 5 stars (out of 5)
Trustpilot score: 4.1 stars (out of 5) / ‘Great’
Awards: shortlisted for the ‘Best Income Protection Provider’ in the 2024 LifeSearch Protection awards
Website: www.aviva.co.uk/insurance/life-products/income-protection-insurance

Policy features	Feature description
Age restrictions	Cover is available to UK residents aged 18 - 59
Policy term	5 - 52 years (cover must cease by age 70)
Maximum benefit amount	Up to 65% of your income before tax could be protected Up to the first £60,000 you earn and 45% on earnings over £65,000 Up to a maximum of £240,000 in payments per year (or £20,000 per month)
Definition of incapacity	Cover uses an own occupation definition
Deferred period	Options include 4, 8, 13, 26, 52 or 104 weeks
Payment period	Short term (up to 24 months) or long term (full term)
Premium type	Premiums can be guaranteed or reviewable
Additional benefits	Free benefits: £1,500 benefit guarantee, back to work benefit, waiver of premiums, life change benefit, hospital benefit, trauma benefit, features for NHS doctors, surgeons, nurses and midwives, Aviva Digicare+, maternity and paternity leave cover, restricted benefit Can be added for an extra cost: Fracture cover, access to treatment aboard (global treatment)
Pay out rate	92.5% of all income protection claims

6. Royal London

About Royal London: Royal London are the UK’s largest mutual life, pensions and investment company.

Policy name: Personal menu plan income protection
Defaqto rating: 5 stars (out of 5)
Trustpilot score: 4.4 stars (out of 5) / ‘Excellent’
Awards: ‘Company of the Year’ at the 2023 Financial Advisor service Awards
Website: www.royallondon.com/insurance/illness-income-protection/income-protection

Policy features	Feature description
Age restrictions	Cover is available to UK residents aged 18 - 59
Policy term	5 - 52 years (cover must cease by age 70)
Maximum benefit amount	Up to 65% of your income before tax could be protected Up to the first £15,000 you earn and 55% on earnings above this Up to a maximum of £250,000 in payments per year
Definition of incapacity	Cover uses an own occupation definition
Deferred period	Options include 4, 8, 13, 26 or 52 weeks
Payment period	Short term of 1, 2 or 5 years or long term (full term)
Premium type	Premiums can be guaranteed or age-based
Additional benefits	Free benefits: Waiver of premiums, guaranteed insurability, fracture cover, hospitalisation benefit, minimum benefit, guarantee, back to work payment, payment upon death, terminal illness cover, Helping Hand support
Pay out rate	99.0% of all claims were paid in 2023

7. Legal & General

About Legal & General: Founded in 1836 by 6 lawyers, Legal & General are now one of the UK’s biggest insurers. Today they help over 10 million customers through savings, retirement and life insurance.

Policy name: Income Protection Benefit & Low Start Income Protection
Defaqto rating: 5 stars (out of 5)
Trustpilot score: 4.0 stars (out of 5) / ‘Great’
Awards: ‘Outstanding Insurer’ at the 2024 LifeSearch Awards
Website: www.legalandgeneral.com/insurance/income-protection-insurance

Policy features	Feature description
Age restrictions	Cover is available to UK residents aged 18 - 59
Policy term	Minimum term of 5 years (cover must cease by age 70)
Maximum benefit amount	Up to 60% of your income before tax could be protected Up to the first £60,000 you earn and 50% on earnings above this Income protection benefit: Up to a maximum of £240,000 in payments per year Low start income protection: Up to a maximum of £120,000 in payments per year
Definition of incapacity	Cover uses an own occupation definition
Deferred period	Options include 4,8,13,26 or 52 weeks
Payment period	Income protection benefit: Short term (up to 12 or 24 months) or long term (full term) Low start income protection: Short term (up to 12 or 24 months)
Premium type	Income protection benefit: Premiums are guaranteed Low start income protection: Premiums are aged-based
Additional benefits	Free benefits: £1,500 benefit guarantee, proportionate benefit, member assistance programme, life changes benefit, waiver of premiums, top up your sick pay, stepped benefit, features for NHS doctors, dentists, midwives, nurses and surgeons Can be added for an extra cost: Fracture cover, private diagnostics
Pay out rate	80.0% of all income protection claims were paid in 2023

8. British Friendly Society

About British Friendly Society: Founded in 1902 to provide sickness benefits for commercial travellers, now a mutual society. British Friendly also provide the staff benefit for British Airways (and have done since 2002).

Policy name: Breathing Space and Protect
Defaqto rating: 5 stars (out of 5)
Trustpilot score: 3.8 stars (out of 5) / ‘Great’
Awards: ‘Best Income Protection Provider’ at the 2018 LifeSearch Protection Awards
Website: www.britishfriendly.com

Policy features	Feature description
Age restrictions	Cover is available to UK residents aged 18 - 59
Policy term	Minimum term of 5 (cover must cease by age 70)
Maximum benefit amount	Protect: Up to 65% of your income before tax could be protected Up to the first £60,000 you earn and 45% on earnings up to £100,000 (up to a maximum of £57,000 per month) Breathing Space: Choose a monthly payment of between £541 and £1,250 per month
Definition of incapacity	Cover uses an own occupation definition
Deferred period	Options include 4, 8, 13, 26 or 52 weeks
Payment period	Protect: Short term (up to 1, 2 or 5 years) or long term (full term) Breathing Space: Short term (up to 1 or 2 years)
Premium type	Protect: Premiums can be guaranteed or age-based Breathing Space: Premiums are age-based
Free benefits	Free benefits: Life changes benefit (guaranteed insurability), premium holiday, back to work support payments, terminal illness cover, waiver of premiums, mortgage payment option Can be added for an extra cost: Fracture cover, children’s critical illness cover
Pay out rate	89.0% of all income protection claims were paid in 2023

9. Guardian

About Guardian: Established in 1821 as Guardian Fire & Life offering fire and life insurance, Guardian now offer a range of financial services.

The products offered by Guardian Financial Services Limited are actually provided by Scottish Friendly Assurance Limited, who have 160 years’ experience in providing financial services.

Policy name: Income Protection
Defaqto rating: 5 stars (out of 5)
Trustpilot score: 3.5 stars (out of 5) / ‘Average’
Awards: 'Best New Income Protection Product/Enhancement’ at the 2023 Protection Review Awards and ‘Outstanding Individual Income Protection’ at the 2023 Cover Excellence Awards
Website: www.guardian1821.co.uk/our-protection/income-protection

Policy features	Feature description
Age restrictions	Cover is available to UK residents aged 17 - 59
Policy term	5 - 53 years (cover must cease by age 70)
Maximum benefit amount	Up to 60% of your income before tax could be protected Up to the first £30,000 you earn, plus 55% on earnings between £30,000 - £100,000 and 45% on earnings over £100,000 Up to a maximum payment of £20,833 per month
Definition of incapacity	Options include own occupation, suited occupation or work tasks
Deferred period	Options include 4, 8, 13, 26 or 52 weeks
Payment period	Short term (up to 24 months) or long term (full term)
Premium type	Premiums are guaranteed
Free benefits	Free benefits: waiver of premiums, free cover during underwriting, rehabilitation support, trauma benefit, hospitalisation benefit, death benefit, terminal illness cover, AIG Smart Health app
Pay out rate	88.0% of all income protection claims were paid out in 2023

10. Cirencester Friendly

About Cirencester Friendly: Cirencester Friendly are a mutual society, meaning they’re owned by their members. They were founded in 1890 and now have 37,000 members.

Policies name: My Earnings Protected
Defaqto rating: 5 stars (out of 5)
Trustpilot score: Cirencester Friendly don’t have a Trustpilot page
Awards: ‘Best Protection Service’ in the 2023 Moneyfacts Awards
Website: www.cirencester-friendly.co.uk

Policy features	Feature description
Age restrictions	Cover is available to UK residents aged 18 - 54
Policy term	No minimum term stated but cover must cease by age 70
Maximum benefit amount	Up to 65% of your income before tax could be protected Up to a maximum of £52,000 in payments per year
Definition of incapacity	Options include own occupation and suited occupation
Deferred period	Options include 4, 8, 13, 26 or 52 weeks
Payment period	Short term (up to 2 years) or long term (full term)
Premium type	Premiums can be guaranteed or guaranteed age-based
Free benefits	Free benefits: Guaranteed insurability, temporary suspension of cover, refund of premiums during a claim period, terminal illness cover Can be added for an extra cost: Fracture and hospitalisation benefit, immediate death benefit, severe injury cover, recovery benefit
Pay out rate	95.8% of all income protection claims were paid out in 2023

Why use Reassured to find the best income protection insurance?

Using our advised team you’ll benefit from:

A whole of market comparison service, including the UK’s best income protection providers
Personalised recommendations on what’s best for you from our team of experts
Fee-free & no-obligation quotes
Support throughout the entire application process
An FCA (Financial Conduct Authority) regulated service
Affordable income protection premiums starting from 20p-a-day^‡

What’s the best value income protection insurance?

According to our income protection quote comparison service, Vitality offers the best value income protection.

This is based on them offering the most affordable income protection, starting from just £5 per month.

While we may identify one insurer as the ‘best value’, the right insurer for you could differ due to your personal circumstances and what type of cover you’re looking for.

Below we have highlighted 4 of our most affordable income protection providers.

Quotes are based on a non-smoker, in good health, with an annual income of £30,000. The policy term is until age 65, with a 13 week deferred period and short term payment period:

Age
30	£5.00	£6.41	£7.04	£9.66
35	£5.17	£6.88	£8.41	£11.23
40	£6.28	£8.60	£9.34	£13.33
45	£8.01	£11.00	£12.17	£16.88
50	£10.62	£14.63	£16.45	£21.86

The exact price you pay for cover can vary depending on your personal circumstances and which insurer you secure cover through.

Comparing multiple income protection quotes can help you find the best available price.

Why not use our fee-free service to compare whole of market quotes?

What is the best income protection insurance for me?

Hopefully the details outlined in this article can help you to identify suitable income protection for your needs.

Ultimately, the best policy for you will be the one that allows you to cover your essential costs and is at an affordable price.

How to get the best income protection insurance:

Always check the policy terms and conditions - Here you’ll find the key details to establish whether a policy is right for your needs
Work out how much cover you might need - Knowing what you need to cover and how much cover you’d need can allow you to find a suitable policy
Check your sick pay schedule - This way you can align your policy with your work sick pay schedule to get the most out of your policy
Be open and honest - Providing your insurer with all the correct information when applying is essential in making sure your cover is valid
Review your cover regularly - Once your cover is in place, it’s important to regularly check that it’s meeting your needs. If your circumstances change, you could change your policy or secure new cover
Consider using a broker - A broker (like Reassured) can help to provide you with all the information on each policy, while comparing quotes to make sure you get the best deal

Best income protection insurance calculator

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What other income protection providers are there?

There are many other excellent insurers out there that didn’t make the top 10 list. These include:

The Exeter - 5 stars on Defaqto
Vitality - 5 stars on Defaqto
Zurich - 5 stars on Defaqto
National Friendly - 3 stars on Defaqto
Wiltshire Friendly Society - 3 stars on Defaqto
HSBC - 2 stars on Defaqto

Find your best income protection insurance deal

To find the best income protection insurance policy, it’s essential to compare multiple quotes.

At Reassured, our advised team can provide you with quotes from the whole of the market. This means you can compare quotes from all the insurers mentioned in this article.

Find the best income protection insurance company for your needs by using our fee free service.

Quotes are no-obligation and start from just 20p-a-day, so why not get in touch?

Compare Quotes from UK’s Best Insurers »

Income protection insurance FAQs:

Income protection glossary

Policy term - The duration of your cover
Benefit amount - This refers to what’s paid out to you. Also known as a monthly benefit
Definition of incapacity - What makes you eligible to claim on your policy
Deferred period - The time that must pass before your policy will pay out. It can also be referred to as a ‘waiting period’
Payment period - How long your policy will pay out for
Premium type - How you’ll pay for your cover

What is income protection insurance?

Income protection (or income protection insurance) is an insurance policy that can provide you with an income while you’re unable to work due to illness or injury.

Up to 70% of your income could be paid out on a monthly basis to help you cover your essential living costs.

Cover could be secured on a short-term basis, where you’ll receive payments for a maximum of 1, 2 or 5 years, or long-term basis where you could receive payments until the policy comes to an end.

How does income protection work?

Income protection works by providing you with an income while you’re unable to work.

Should you develop an illness or injury that prevents you from working, you can make a claim on your policy, wait for your deferred period to come to an end and if you’re still unable to work after this time your payments will commence.

If you recover during your deferred period, no payments will be made.

You’ll receive payments until you recover and return to work, your payment period comes to an end, your policy comes to an end or you retire (whichever happens first).

What does income protection cover?

Income protection covers your income while you’re unable to work, paying out a maximum of 70% of your earnings before tax.

You’ll receive monthly, tax-free, payments allowing you to cover your living expenses and other costs such as: