Legal & General has confirmed it paid out £292m in group protection claims in 2018.
These latest figures show that mental health issues continue to be the main reason for group income protection claims, accounting for one in four claims last year. Mental health has been the top cause of claims on L&G’s GIP policies since 1999.
These L&G figures also show how many employees used the rehabilitation and early intervention services offered as part of this insurance benefit. These services are offered for employees with both physical and mental health illnesses.
According to L&G, its group income protection policies helped 631 employees back to work within the deferred period. This equates to 18 per cent of the employees covered by a GIP policy, who were absent from work due to illness.
A further 269 employee were able to return to work outside of this period, with the support of the EIS.
Last year the insurer facilitated almost 3,200 sessions for claimants via its physiotherapy and psychological healthcare provider partners.
The EIS and rehabilitation service utilise trained clinicians to asses the best course of action for employees. L&G says these services are designed to provide a flexible service, which actively seeks to improve the health and productivity of its clients’ workforce.
L&G’s claims and governance director Vanessa Sallows says: “Paying a total of £292m in 2018 highlights the valuable financial support these policies can provide to our customers and their employees when they need it most.
“However, financial peace of mind is not the only benefit these policies can provide. Being unable to work due to illness or injury can be a frightening prospect for many people which is why we are dedicated to supporting these individuals through our market leading rehabilitation services.”
She adds: “Supporting an employee at an early stage can be the difference between people being able stay in work and managing their health challenges and taking an extended period off that could stretch into months, or even years. So, it’s great to see so many people taking advantage of our flexible service, with nearly 3,200 treatment sessions being fulfilled through our partners.”