Critical Illness Cover is designed to pay you a tax free lump sum or an income in the event of being diagnosed with one of a number of different illnesses for example having a Heart Attack, being diagnosed with having Cancer or having a Stroke.

Critical Illness Cover is very popular for people taking out a mortgage to give themselves peace of mind that the mortgage will be paid off were anything serious to happen, but many people are also considering this style of policy for other reasons.

Some people also consider Critical Illness Cover in the event of being diagnosed with an illness and they require this as an income replacement while they are being treated and while they recover.

With the price of income protection insurance increasing above the cost of normal inflation and many people opting to fund their own treatment instead of paying premiums to an Insurer, then you could consider a small amount of Critical Illness Cover to pay for private treatment if you were ever diagnosed with one of the illnesses under this type of policy. A Medical Insurance policy will cover many more surgical procedures so we wouldn’t recommend this as an alternative but for those who are opting to pay for their own claims this is ideal to cover the cost of major surgery related to Cancer and Heart Disease.

Your benefit can be used for any purpose that you wish e.g. -

• to pay off your loans or mortgage
• to buy special equipment to help you during your illness
• to adapt your car to make it easier to use/drive
• to hire help
• to go on a round-the-world trip
• to take care of the future for your family
• for any purpose you prefer

The thought of suffering a serious critical illness doesn’t bare thinking about; the reality is it’s a true threat to each and every one of us. Imagine the devastation?
Critical illness insurance covers a wide range of benefits to help with many types of illness/disabilities and their surrounding circumstances.

What can critical illness insurance do for you? Imagine the worst case scenario; you unexpectedly suffer from an illness which leaves you unable to work. How do you keep up with the mortgage payments? How do you feed the family? You may even need to make alterations to your home depending on whether your physical abilities have been affected. Who’s going to pay for these alterations? Would you need to hire a carer? Critical illness insurance is there to help with all sorts of unexpected situations. Above are just a couple of examples you could possibly be facing.

What financial help would I receive being a policyholder? Critical illness insurance will either pay out a tax free lump sum, or provide you with a regular income if diagnosed with certain critical illnesses. Some people may choose take out critical illness insurance if they have recently been diagnosed with a severe illness such as cancer or heart disease. This can provide many benefits when needing operations and aftercare. Not only does critical illness insurance protect your own wellbeing but also that of your family. Dealing with a critical illness is often just as painful to surrounding loved ones, having extra support and protection benefits all involved.

What will it cost me? There are thousands of insurers out on the market, all with competitive and affordable price plans to suit every budget. By searching a wide selection of insurers, you should be able to find a plan to find a policy that best fits your requirements.