Protection guide

You've protected the lender. Now protect your family.

A mortgage is the biggest debt most of us will ever carry, and it doesn't pause for illness, injury or worse. This guide explains the cover that matters, who needs what, and how Debbie builds protection that fits your life and your budget rather than a sales target.

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The toolkit

Four kinds of cover, in plain English

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Life cover

Pays a lump sum if you die during the term. Decreasing cover shrinks alongside a repayment mortgage and is the budget-friendly way to make sure the house is paid off; level cover stays fixed and leaves extra for the family. Couples should usually ask about two single policies rather than one joint one, it can mean two potential payouts for a similar premium.

Critical illness cover

Pays a tax-free lump sum if you're diagnosed with one of the serious conditions listed in the policy, cancer, heart attack and stroke being the big three. It exists because surviving a serious illness is far more common than dying of one during a mortgage term, and surviving is expensive.

Income protection

Replaces a slice of your monthly income, typically 50 to 60%, if illness or injury stops you working, for as long as the claim lasts or until the policy ends. Ask yourself one question: how long would your employer actually pay you? If the answer is "statutory sick pay after a month or two", this is the cover doing the heaviest lifting. For the self-employed, it's close to essential.

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Family income benefit

Instead of a lump sum, it pays a monthly income to your household until the end of the term. Often the most affordable way for young families to cover the school-years gap, and the easiest payout to live on, because it arrives like a salary.

Buildings insurance is separate, and a condition of every mortgage. Debbie can arrange that too.

Be honest with yourself

Who actually needs this?

✓Couples with a joint mortgage, could one income cover the payments alone? If not, you both need cover, even if one of you earns far less.

✓Parents, including a stay-at-home parent. Childcare, school runs and running a household would cost serious money to replace; insurers will cover a non-earning parent for exactly this reason.

✓The self-employed and CIS workers, no sick pay, no death-in-service, no safety net you didn't build yourself. Protection matters more for you, not less.

✓Single homeowners with no dependants, you may not need life cover at all. But income protection? That's a different conversation. Who pays your mortgage if you can't work for a year?

Debbie's view

"Nobody enjoys this conversation, so I keep it practical: what needs paying, who pays it if you can't, and for how long. Twenty minutes, some honest numbers, and you'll know exactly what you do and don't need. My promise is simple: only the cover that genuinely protects you and your family, at a price that comfortably fits your budget."

Getting the details right

The small print that makes the big difference

1.Answer the health questions completely. The single biggest cause of declined claims is missing information at application, not insurers wriggling. Debbie helps you get the disclosures right first time.

2.Put life cover in trust. A simple, free step that pays the money to the right people quickly, usually outside probate and inheritance tax. Routinely skipped on DIY policies; never skipped on Debbie's watch.

3.Don't auto-renew what work gave you. Death-in-service ends with the job. If it's the backbone of your family's protection, the protection lasts exactly as long as the payroll entry does.

4.Review at every life event. New baby, bigger mortgage, divorce, going self-employed, cover set up in 2019 rarely fits a 2026 life. Reviews with Debbie are free.

5.Cheapest premium ≠ best policy. Definitions of "critical illness" vary enormously between insurers. Debbie reads the definitions so you're comparing substance, not price tags.

Quick answers

Protection FAQs

What does cover roughly cost?

Less than most people guess, healthy non-smokers in their 30s often pay less for decreasing life cover than for a streaming subscription. Age, health, smoker status and cover amount drive the price; Debbie quotes across the market.

I have policies from years ago. Are they any good?

Maybe! Older policies sometimes have valuable terms worth keeping, cancelling before a review can be a costly mistake. Debbie reviews existing cover before recommending anything new.

Do insurers actually pay out?

The industry pays the overwhelming majority of protection claims, insurers publish their statistics annually, and headline payout rates run well above 90%. Honest applications are what keep you on the right side of those numbers.

I smoke / I've had health issues. Pointless applying?

No, expect a higher premium or adjusted terms rather than a refusal in most cases. Specialist insurers exist for exactly this, and Debbie knows which doors to knock on.

Is protection advice part of the mortgage service?

It's offered alongside every mortgage Debbie arranges, the two belong together, but there's no obligation, and you can come to her for protection on its own.

What happens if I stop paying the premiums?

The cover simply ends, these policies have no cash-in or surrender value. Which is exactly why Debbie builds plans around a premium you can sustain, not the biggest number you'll agree to today.

Twenty minutes. Honest numbers. No pressure.

Tell Debbie what's on your shoulders and she'll tell you what's worth protecting and what it costs. The conversation is free either way.

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