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Exclusions in income protection insurance cover

These obviously vary from life office to life office, but the following are common examples.

Foreign residence and travel under an income protection insurance policy

Benefits are usually only payable whilst the insured is permanently resident in the area known as free limit area. The free limit area varies from life office to life office but would normally include the UK and Ireland and may extend to include EU or Western European countries and often the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Temporary residence outside the free limits area is often allowed for limit periods of time but the level of benefits may be affected in the time they are payable for.

It is fairly common for the insurance contract to provide for cancellation if the insured resides outside the free limits area for more than a year.

Change of occupation

Most life offices cease cover if the insured changes occupation unless they have agreed the change and any additional premium has been agreed.   Some occupations represent a greater risk not only of injury but also that a lesser injury/health problem can prevent the person insured from continuing that occupation.   Some offices do not have such a condition and therefore have to underwrite in the risk of occupation change. Most offices treat unemployment as a change in occupation.

Assignment

Most offices say that assignment is not allowed and would make the policy void.

Period of the Income Protection Policy

Most of these policies expire when the insured reaches the age of 60 or 65.   That might be 60 for females and 65 for males to coincide with most pension retirement ages. A more recent introduction is the renewable income protection insurance cover with an initial term of five years which is then subject to renewal. This type of policy would be cheaper in the first years but more expensive in the later years.   The right to renew usually exists irrespective of health but always subject to the insurers current premium rates for that age person. There may be options to increase the level of cover up to 50% of the previous limit at the renewal date.
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