Friends Life has launched a critical illness support service as part of its group critical illness proposition.
It will be available to any member who has submitted a claim under the Friends Life GCI scheme who has been diagnosed with one of the insured medical conditions or undergoes one of the operations covered by the scheme.
The support service gives people access to specialised advice and vocational support when they are diagnosed with a critical illness.
Friends Life said it also helps to guide a person through the important issues such as considerations around their job, family, friends, social life, sports and exercise activities, hobbies and how they are going to manage everything while they are ill and receiving treatment.
The service is provided by rehabilitation firm Working Towards Wellbeing.
Users of the service are also given unlimited access to a ‘private client area’ of the working towards wellbeing website, which has further information on critical illness and a chat room where people can find help and offer advice to others with similar conditions.
David Williams, director of group protection at Friends Life, said: “We understand that being diagnosed with a critical illness is not just about the financial implications. The critical illness support service offers members, and their children, who are diagnosed with a critical illness access to advice and support at a difficult time.
“When someone becomes ill it’s important to provide them with not only a financial safety net, but also with support to get their lives back on track. This service can do that and I’m delighted we’re now able to offer it as part of our market leading critical illness proposition.”
