Vitality to widen access to Income Protection cover
Vitality has announced it will be making a number of changes to its Income Protection product to ensure its proposition can protect more people than ever before, as well as align with modern working trends.
From 7th October, Vitality will expand its range of deferral periods for a further 280 occupations, including manual occupations and skilled trades such as plumbers, mechanics and warehouse workers. The change will see even more individuals become eligible for shorter one and two-month deferred periods.
Additionally, the provider has extended the maximum retirement age to age 70 for 22 occupations, including teachers, nurses and care workers who are increasingly working beyond the age of 65. This has been changed to reflect the different ways people are working, many retiring much later in life.
Alongside these changes, Vitality will be moving 349 manual roles and skilled trade occupations to an Own Occupation definition of incapacity, replacing their Special Definition* that was previously used. This change means these occupations will now be assessed on an Own Occupation basis for the entirety of their claim.
These changes build on the provider’s previous enhancements, made in 2023, which included the introduction of access to private healthcare pathways for claimants through their Recovery Benefit and the Vitality Income Boost, boosting claims by up to 20% for the first 6 months of every claim when members engage with the Vitality programme, plus introduced enhanced Guaranteed Insurability Options allowing members to increase their term and shorten their deferred periods after a change in occupation.
Justin Taurog, Managing Director, Vitality Life said “Income protection provides people with support during an incredibly difficult time, and we are pleased to be able to update our product in this way, and expand access to our cover.
“Vitality has a core purpose to make people healthier and to enhance and protect lives. Today’s announcement is the latest in the evolution of our Income Protection product, and when combined with our unique access to our UK-wide network of physiotherapists and mental health support that help people get back to work as part of their cover, and the Vitality Programme, we can both protect our members and support them to live a healthier life for even longer.”