A serious illness can shake a business - be ready
From founders to frontline staff, Critical Illness doesn’t just affect people - it hits profits, operations and morale. This cover helps soften the blow when life gets tough.
Critical Illness Cover, made for businesses
What is it?
Illness protection.
A policy that pays a lump sum if a key person, shareholder or employee is diagnosed with a serious illness like cancer, heart attack or stroke.
Who’s it for?
Key roles & teams.
Business owners, essential employees, shareholders, and groups of staff - anyone whose illness would create financial risk for the company.
Why it matters
Business continuity.
Losing a key person to illness can stall projects, scare investors, or even trigger buy-sell clauses. This cover buys you time and breathing room.
Key person use
Keep operations running.
A payout helps cover lost revenue, temporary staff, or recovery plans while your critical team member focuses on getting better.
Shareholder use
Keep control.
Provides funds to buy back shares if a shareholder is diagnosed with a serious illness - avoiding unwanted business partners or disputes.
Group Use
Team-wide support.
A cost-effective employee benefit that pays staff a lump sum for serious illnesses - boosting morale and financial wellbeing.
Serious cover for serious setbacks
Protect your profit makers
Your key people drive sales, delivery and strategy. If they fall seriously ill, Key Person Critical Illness Cover helps you absorb the hit - covering costs, finding cover, and keeping the business afloat.
Cover Your Core 💼
Safeguard your shareholders
If a shareholder is diagnosed with a Critical Illness, the last thing you want is chaos. This cover gives you the money to buy back their shares and keep control where it belongs - with the business.
Protect Your Ownership 🔒
Reward and retain your team
Group Critical Illness Cover shows your team you’ve got their back. It pays a tax-free lump sum if they’re diagnosed with a major condition - boosting financial security and loyalty.
Support Your Team ❤️
Why Critical Illness Cover matters
Illness doesn’t just impact health - it impacts business. Whether it’s a founder with cancer, a shareholder with MS, or an employee with a heart attack, Critical Illness Cover gives your business options, time, and financial flexibility when it matters most.
Fast Access to Cash
Critical Illness payouts offer fast access to cash when revenue drops or urgent action is needed to stabilise operations.
(Legal & General, 2024)
Tax-Efficient Protection
Group Critical Illness Cover is a highly valued employee benefit that improves staff wellbeing and retention while offering tax-efficient protection.
(GRiD, 2024)
Business Continuity
A single claim could be the difference between business continuity and closure during a health crisis.
(Unbiased, 2024)
1 in 2 Face Cancer
1 in 2 people in the UK will face a cancer diagnosis
(Cancer Research UK, 2024)
Survival Planning
In small businesses, losing a key player to illness can cripple the entire operation. A Critical Illness payout gives you a financial buffer - to recruit, restructure, or simply stay afloat while your people recover. It’s not just protection - it’s survival planning.
(SME Insights Report, 2023)
70% of Absences
Over 70% of long-term absences are due to serious illness
(GRiD, 2023)
Directors & Key Staff
Directors and key staff are often uninsured for illness - despite being the linchpin of business performance. Critical Illness Cover helps bridge the gap when they can’t work.
(Canada Life, 2024)
Keep Control
Shareholder Critical Illness Cover keeps control within the company - not passed to families or external parties.
(Aviva, 2024)
60% of Businesses
60% of businesses without a succession or illness plan fail to survive serious illness of an owner or decision-maker.
(PwC, 2023)
Income Protection = Stability
Critical Illness pays out once - but what if recovery takes a year? Add Income Protection to provide ongoing salary support while your team or directors recover.
Add Ongoing Support 🦸
FAQsFrequently asked questions
Usually cancer, heart attack, stroke, MS, organ failure and other serious long-term conditions. It varies by provider.
No - Life Cover pays if you die. Critical Illness pays if you’re seriously ill and survive.
Yes - many businesses use the payout to hire temporary support or contractors.
Sometimes - it depends how the policy is set up. We’ll advise you on the most efficient way.
Yes - many policies bundle both together for comprehensive cover.
Key Person helps the business survive. Shareholder Critical Illness Cover helps buy back shares if an owner becomes ill.
Group Critical Illness Cover is for employees, paid by the business, and usually doesn’t need medical underwriting.
Yes - they often are. We’ll help you find a policy that works for your structure.
It varies - typically it’s based on salary, business value, or shareholding. We’ll tailor it to fit.
Usually not for group schemes. Individual policies may require basic medical disclosure depending on the sum insured.
About the same as spilling coffee on your laptop… or getting a text from HMRC. It’s not panic planning - it’s penguin-level preparedness 🐧
Hear it from our customers
Your cover, checked
Already have protection in place? We believe your cover should grow with you. Our friendly Policy Check reviews what you have, highlights strengths and gaps, and gives honest, expert advice to keep your cover working its best for you.
