Out of the fast lane.

As the future for State incapacity benefit looks increasingly uncertain, the need for people to make their own provisions in case of long-term absence from work is vital. Tim Collison looks at the income protection policies on the market.

More and more people are becoming aware of the need to make their own
provisions for retirement. However, comparatively few stop to consider
what would happen if they were kept away from work before retirement due
to long-term illness. Most people simply think it will not happen to them,
or they have a vague notion that their company will pay their wages.


While a company may well continue to pay someone's salary for up to six
months, the statistics about long-term illness reveal that the number