Helping provide financial security for your family if you’re no longer around.
Life insurance is designed to provide financial security for your loved ones if you die. Family protection is the broader approach — using life insurance and income-based cover to help support your family’s lifestyle, income, and future plans.
Family protection isn’t one-size-fits-all. We help you understand what type of life insurance is suitable, how much protection may be appropriate, and how it fits alongside your mortgage and wider plans.
Family protection is about using life insurance and related protection policies to provide financial security for your loved ones if you die during the policy term. It’s designed to help support your family’s lifestyle, cover everyday living costs, and protect long-term plans, helping ensure your family can continue financially when your income is no longer there.
Family protection typically uses life insurance to pay out if you die during the policy term. This can be arranged as a lump sum or a regular income, depending on how you want your family to be supported. Cover is set up around your circumstances, such as household income, dependants, and financial commitments, and can include additional options like critical illness cover or indexation.
Family protection is suitable for anyone whose family or dependants would be financially affected if they were no longer around. This often includes parents, couples with shared commitments, and households that rely on one or more incomes. Life insurance can help provide financial stability and reduce immediate financial pressure during difficult times.
Family protection can be structured in different ways depending on how you want to support your loved ones financially. Some people prefer a lump sum, others a regular income — and in many cases, a combination of both may be appropriate. Everyone’s circumstances are different, and the right approach depends on your family, commitments, and long-term plans.
Pays a regular monthly or annual income for the remainder of the policy term following a valid claim.
Pays a regular income, rather than a single lump sum
Can be taken on death only or combined with critical illness cover
Can be index-linked to help maintain buying power over time
Some policies offer options to convert income to a lump sum later
Policy term usually aligns with the period your family would financially depend on you
When maintaining ongoing household income is a priority rather than receiving a single lump sum
Covering a defined period, such as children’s dependent years where regular costs are more
Supporting a partner where a significant proportion of household income would be lost
Situations where regular income feels more appropriate than receiving all funds upfront
Provides a tax-free lump sum if you die (or are diagnosed with a specified critical illness, if included) during the policy term.
Pays a tax-free lump sum in the event of a valid claim
Can be taken on its own or combined with critical illness cover
Can be index-linked to help protect against the rising cost of living
Flexible policy term, often running until a chosen age (commonly 75–90, depending on insurer)
Providing a financial safety net to replace lost income following a claim
Creating a lump sum to support long-term plans, such as education costs or future financial security
Giving surviving family members flexibility over how funds are used
Family protection isn’t one-size-fits-all. Policies can be structured in different ways depending on how your family relies on your income, what commitments you have, and how you want support to be provided if the worst were to happen.
Family protection policies are flexible and can be tailored around your circumstances. Understanding how cover is set up helps ensure it provides the right support, at the right time, for the right reasons.
The level of cover is based on what your family would need financially, rather than a fixed formula. This could mean:
- A lump sum designed to clear debts or fund future plans
- A regular income to replace lost earnings and support day-to-day living
- Cover aligned to a specific purpose, such as childcare, education costs, or household bills
Cover can often be index-linked, helping protect against the rising cost of living over time.
The policy term determines how long protection remains in place and is usually linked to:
The period your children are financially dependent
- A chosen life stage, such as retirement
- Key financial commitments reducing or ending over time
This ensures protection is focused on the years it’s most needed.
Family protection can be arranged to pay:
- A tax-free lump sum (e.g. Level Term Assurance)
- A regular monthly or annual income (e.g. Family Income Benefit)
- Or a combination of both, where appropriate
Policies can often include critical illness cover and may offer indexation or future flexibility depending on insurer terms.
It’s common for people to put family protection off — often because it feels uncomfortable to think about. Below are some of the most common concerns we hear, and why it’s worth reviewing them properly.
Employer benefits can be helpful, but they’re usually linked to your job. Cover may change if you move roles, reduce hours, or stop working — and it’s rarely designed around your family’s long-term needs.
Losing an income can significantly impact a household — especially when childcare, ongoing commitments, and emotional strain are involved. Family protection can provide financial breathing space when it’s needed most.
Selling a home during an already difficult time can add pressure. Many families prefer the option to stay put, particularly when children, schools, and support networks are involved.
Family protection is often more affordable than expected, particularly when structured around real needs rather than maximum cover. Costs depend on age, health, and policy design, and advice helps avoid unnecessary or duplicated cover.
“Family protection can feel like a minefield. We guide you through the options clearly and carefully — helping you put the right protection in place for your family, without over-insuring or unnecessary complexity.”
Protecting your family is about more than choosing a policy — it’s about understanding what would actually happen financially and putting the right support in place.
Family protection can feel overwhelming. We explain your options in plain English, helping you understand what cover does, what it doesn’t, and why it matters — so you can make informed decisions at your own pace.
Every family is different. We look at income, dependants, future plans, and existing cover to recommend protection that genuinely fits your circumstances — not generic levels or off-the-shelf solutions.
Family protection doesn’t sit in isolation. We consider how life cover, family income benefit, critical illness, mortgages, and savings work together, helping protect your home and lifestyle without unnecessary or duplicated cover.
Still have questions and not sure where to turn? Feel free to contact ME for some straight forward advice based around you
Choosing the right protection can feel overwhelming at first. These FAQs cover some of the most common questions we’re asked, helping you understand how Family Protection works and what to consider before getting started.
Family protection is designed to provide financial support to your loved ones if you die during the policy term. It can help replace lost income, cover everyday living costs, repay debts, and support your family’s long-term financial stability.
Life insurance (often called term assurance) usually pays a tax-free lump sum if you die during the policy term.
Family income benefit pays a regular monthly or annual income for the remainder of the policy term, helping support ongoing household costs. Some families choose one option, while others combine both.
The amount of life insurance you need depends on your family’s income, outgoings, debts, and how long financial support would be required. Some people choose a lump sum, others prefer regular income, and many use a combination as part of a wider family protection plan.
Family protection is often set to cover the period your family would financially depend on you. This could be until children are financially independent, a specific life stage is reached, or retirement. The term should reflect when protection would no longer be needed.
Yes. Many family protection policies can be arranged to include critical illness cover, which pays out if you’re diagnosed with a specified serious illness during the policy term. This can provide financial support even if you’re unable to work but survive.
Employer benefits can be useful, but they’re usually linked to your job and may change if you move roles or stop working. Workplace cover also isn’t tailored to your family’s long-term needs, which is why many people choose to review additional protection.
Policies are set up based on your circumstances at the time, but many allow adjustments or additional cover later. Life events such as having children, moving home, or changing income are good times to review your protection.
One phone call can change the future of a business. A director doesn’t come in
When it comes to protecting your home, it’s easy to be drawn in by the
When thinking about protecting your income, two of the most common options are Income Protection
When you move home — whether you’re upsizing, downsizing, or simply relocating — your mortgage
For many working adults aged 25–50 — especially first‑time buyers, home movers, busy professionals and
Why Do You Need a Mortgage Broker to Find a Mortgage? Finding the right mortgage
Most mortgage problems don’t appear at the application stage — they develop quietly in the
A Guide to Joint Borrower Sole Proprietor (JBSP) Mortgages Buying a home can feel out
First Time Buyers AIP Explained As a first time buyer you may have come across
How to reduce your household outgoings At ME we speak to a lot of clients
