How to boost uptake of critical illness cover

If they look for opportunities, there are plenty around; February was the British Heart Foundation’s Heart Month, for example; in May it’s Stroke Awareness Month; October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month; and November is for lung cancer. There are countless others.

These campaigns are a great opportunity to ask individuals what they’d do if they were struck by a serious critical illness.

So, too, are stories in the press about celebrities facing the same diseases and illnesses that may affect us all.

To get people to consider cover, advisers have to humanise the issue.

Talking about the “protection gap” isn’t working, so advisers need to change the conversation.

Let’s ask clients what they would do if they fell ill. 

What is their back up plan? How long would their savings last?

What would it mean for their household?

These are vital questions with real implications for families’ happiness and security.

Craig Brown is a director at Legal and General Intermediary