Vitality income protection review

About Vitality

VitalityLife is a UK-based company founded in 2007 (then known as PruProtect, but rebranded as VitalityLife in 2014) which specialises in selling personal protection products – like life insurance and income protection – to individuals and families in the UK. Its sister brand, VitalityHealth, specialises in doing the same for private medical insurance. VitalityLife's mission is 'to make people healthier and to enhance and protect their lives'.

Vitality income protection policy features

If you buy your income protection policy through Vitality, your policy is likely to come with the features outlined below. Here we'll explain what the feature is, what it means for you, and how it compares to other insurers on the market.

Back-to-work benefit	If you become able to work while making an income protection claim, but can only go back part time (or to a different job with a lower salary), you’ll continue to receive a proportion of your income protection benefit.	VitalityLife’s back-to-work benefit is in line with other insurers in the market. This is a handy benefit to have, as it gives you some flexibility and security as you make your return to work.
Rehabilitation	Access to rehabilitation services to help you get back to work more quickly. This could include physiotherapy, counselling, or any other service/procedure that might help speed up your recovery.	VitalityLife’s rehabilitation benefit is good – in line with other insurers who offer this feature. Many insurers don't offer this feature at all.
Benefit guarantee	Your income protection benefit will never fall below £1,500/month – as long as you bought at least that amount when you took out your policy. You normally need to be working a minimum number of hours to qualify for this benefit.	VitalityLife’s benefit guarantee on income protection policies is good. The amount is on par with other insurers who offer this benefit. Meanwhile, other insurers offer lower benefit guarantee amounts, or don’t offer the feature at all.
Hospitalisation benefit	Get £100 per night if you are hospitalised for any reason during the waiting period of a claim. This benefit is usually subject to a minimum and maximum number of consecutive nights spent in hospital.	Again, some insurers don’t offer hospitalisation benefit at all, so this is a good feature to have on your income protection policy. The amount paid out by VitalityLife is on par with other insurers who offer this feature.
Waiver of premium	Most income protection policies come with this handy add-on that means you won't keep paying your monthly premiums if you're off work for medical reasons. You usually need to be off for a certain amount of time before you can claim this benefit.	VitalityLife’s waiver of premium benefit is in line with other insurers in the market. Having this benefit gives you peace of mind in case you can’t work for health reasons.

You also have the option of adding Wellness Optimiser or Vitality Optimiser to your policy plan to get access to discounts, rewards and cashback. These would be paid-for, ‘non-contractual’ benefits, meaning they’re not related to contractual conditions of your own policy. Bear in mind that these could be subject to change in the future.

Vitality income protection claim rate

In 2020, Vitality paid out 96.8% of income protection claims, amounting to £560,000. Claims not paid out were due to non-disclosure (i.e. providing inaccurate information during the application process).

Vitality income protection prices

The following prices are based on:

Healthy 25-year old male or female office worker
£1,500 of level income protection cover

Product	Waiting period	Non-smoker	Smoker
Long-term	13 weeks	£25	£36
Long-term	26 weeks	£22	£30
Short-term	13 weeks	£11	£15
Short-term	26 weeks	£10	£13

Healthy 25-year old male or female plumber
£1,500 of level income protection cover

Product	Waiting period	Non-smoker	Smoker
Long-term	13 weeks	£50	£75
Long-term	26 weeks	£42	£62
Short-term	13 weeks	£20	£29
Short-term	26 weeks	£16	£24

Healthy 35-year old male or female office worker
£1,500 of level income protection cover

Product	Waiting period	Non-smoker	Smoker
Long-term	13 weeks	£36	£53
Long-term	26 weeks	£32	£45
Short-term	13 weeks	£16	£21
Short-term	26 weeks	£13	£18

Healthy 35-year old male or female plumber
£1,500 of level income protection cover

Product	Waiting period	Non-smoker	Smoker
Long-term	13 weeks	£76	£115
Long-term	26 weeks	£62	£97
Short-term	13 weeks	£30	£44
Short-term	26 weeks	£26	£37

Quoted on 06/03/2020
Long-term: Vitality Essentials Income Protection
Short-term: Vitality Essentials Income Protection

It’s important to make an informed decision when buying income protection – which is where Anorak can help. We scan all the major insurers to match you to the products most suitable for you, based on your unique needs. We give you peace of mind about who to go with (especially if your most suitable policy is from an insurer you’ve not used before).

What is income protection?

An insurance policy that pays a monthly amount if you can't work for any medical reason. It's designed to replace part of your missing income, so you'll always be able to cover the essentials, even if lose your income because of an illness or injury.

What does income protection cover?

An income protection policy covers you if you're unable to work and lose your income for medical reasons. This includes any illness or injury, physical or mental, that leads to you being signed off work by a medical professional.

What doesn't income protection cover?

Income protection won't cover you if you're not working for anything other than a medical reason – like redundancy or resignation. You won't be able to claim on your income protection unless you're signed off work by a medical professional.

How much does income protection cost?

The cost of cover is different per person because it depends on how much cover you buy, how quickly you'd need the policy to start paying out, and how much of a risk you are to insure (based on your age, health and lifestyle).

Will my income protection pay out?

Yes, if you meet what's known as your insurer's 'definition of incapacity' – in other words, you meet their criteria for being unable to work. This definition is based, among other things, on the job you do, and you can read it before buying the policy.