Protection provider Vitality has updated its income protection product to widen access to more professions in alignment with current working trends.
Vitality has expanded its range of deferral periods for 280 more occupations, including manual jobs and skilled trades such as plumbers, mechanics and warehouse workers.
This will allow more people to be eligible for shorter one- and two-month deferred periods.
Vitality has also extended the maximum retirement age across 22 professions to the age of 70. This now includes teachers, nurses and care workers, who the provider said are increasingly working beyond the age of 65, which reflects the trend of people retiring later in life.
It will also replace the Special Definition for 349 manual roles and skilled trade occupations and move them to an Own Occupation definition of incapacity.
The previous definition meant Vitality would pay the full monthly benefit for people who were unable to perform the “material and substantial” duties of their role for the first 12 months and then will be reassessed. The provider would continue payments only if they were unable to perform at least three daily activities without help. Otherwise, the provider will pay a reduced benefit.
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The change to the Own Occupation definition means policyholders with these occupations can be assessed on that basis for the entirety of their claim.
Vitality said the changes built on amendments the provider made last year, which included the introduction of access to private healthcare pathways for claimants through their Recovery Benefit and the Vitality Income Boost and increasing claims by up to 20% for the first six months of every claim when members engage with the Vitality programme. The provider also introduced enhanced Guaranteed Insurability Options, allowing members to increase their term and shorten their deferred periods after a change in occupation.
These amendments apply from 7 October.
Justin Taurog, managing director of 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.”
