Protect the home you worked so hard for
A mortgage is a long-term promise. The right protection means your family keeps the home and the lifestyle that goes with it, even if life takes a turn. We make it simple, honest and right for you.
Most people are one illness away from struggling with the bills
Life insurance gets all the attention, but it only pays out if you die. Being off work for months is far more common, and it is the bit most families have no plan for.
Try the calculator below to see how long your money would last if you could not work. Then let us help you put the right plan in place.
- Protection from a range of insurers, based on a fair analysis of the market
- No fee for protection advice
- Help with claims if you ever need to make one
If you were signed off work, your money would last about
Income protection is designed to fill this gap until you can return to work. We will help you work out the right waiting period and amount.
Book a protection reviewA simple illustration, not advice. It assumes outgoings stay the same and no other income.
The 4 pillars of protection
These are the four areas we walk through in every protection review. Together they protect your home, your family's lifestyle, your income and your health.
Keep the bank away
Mortgage protection is life insurance designed around your mortgage. If you die during the policy term, it pays a lump sum to clear or reduce the mortgage, so the people you leave behind keep the home rather than the bank.
Cover can be decreasing, falling roughly in line with a repayment mortgage, or level, staying the same throughout. Critical illness cover can be added so it also pays out on diagnosis of a serious illness covered by the policy.
Worth considering if
- You have a mortgage in joint or sole names
- Someone relies on you to help pay for the home
- Your existing cover no longer matches your mortgage
Questions we will ask
- How much is left on your mortgage, and for how long?
- Would your partner manage the payments alone?
- Is any cover through work tied to that job?
Cover the rest of the bills
Clearing the mortgage is only half the story. Food, energy, childcare, cars and clubs still need paying. Family Income Benefit pays a regular monthly income to your family for the rest of the policy term, instead of one lump sum.
Because it is designed to replace income month by month, it is often a cost-effective way to protect a family's lifestyle, especially while children are young.
Worth considering if
- You have children or others who depend on your income
- Your household needs two incomes to run
- You want your family to stay in their routine
Questions we will ask
- What does your household spend each month beyond the mortgage?
- Until when would your family need support?
- Would a monthly income be easier to manage than a lump sum?
Pay the bills if you are off work
You are far more likely to be off work through illness or injury than to die during your working life. Income protection replaces a proportion of your income if you cannot work, paying out monthly until you return, retire or the policy ends.
The key is your sick pay. If your employer pays you in full for six months, your cover can start then, which keeps the cost down. If you are self-employed or only get Statutory Sick Pay, the gap starts almost immediately.
Worth considering if
- You rely on your salary to pay the mortgage and bills
- Your employer sick pay is limited or you are self-employed
- Your savings would only last a few months
Questions we will ask
- What sick pay does your employer provide, and for how long?
- How long would your savings last?
- Is your job manual, or desk-based?
Get treated sooner
Private medical insurance pays for private diagnosis and treatment for eligible conditions, so you can be seen and treated faster rather than waiting on long NHS lists. Getting back to health sooner can also mean getting back to work, and your income, sooner.
Costs can be managed with choices such as an excess, a hospital list or an option that uses the NHS when waiting times are short. Pre-existing conditions are usually excluded.
Worth considering if
- NHS waiting times worry you
- You are self-employed and cannot afford long time off
- You want choice over where and when you are treated
Questions we will ask
- Are you or your family currently on a waiting list or awaiting results?
- Do you have cover through work already?
- What excess or hospital list would suit your budget?
More ways we can protect you
Critical illness cover
A lump sum if you are diagnosed with a serious illness covered by the policy, to clear debts, adapt your home or give you time to recover.
Business protection
Relevant life, key person, shareholder and business loan protection for company directors and business owners.
Buildings and contents
Home insurance from a panel of providers, arranged alongside your mortgage so it is ready on completion day.
Get a free protection review
Policies taken out years ago often no longer match your mortgage, your family or your income. We will check what you have, what it would actually pay and whether there are gaps.
- Does your cover still match your mortgage balance and term?
- Would your family have enough to live on, not just to clear the debt?
- What happens to your income if you are off work for six months?
- Are your policies written in trust, where appropriate?
- Are you paying for cover you no longer need?
Protection policies typically have no cash-in value at any time and will cease at the end of the term. If premiums are not maintained, cover will lapse.
Where we suggest placing a life policy in trust, we provide general guidance on the benefits of trusts rather than a specific recommendation. We do not give tax or trust advice.
Let us check you are properly protected
Book a free, no-pressure protection review by phone, in person or through the First Stop app.