When it comes to our children, there’s nothing we wouldn’t do to protect them. No one wants to imagine their child falling ill – but it does happen to some and is a situation that is important to be prepared for. Critical Illness Cover (CIC) is an integral part of any protection policy if you have children – and it will help with some of the impacts you may not have even considered.
Children’s CIC plays an important role in the protection space. You’d do anything to protect your children from harm – but what happens if they do fall critically ill? Aside from the obvious emotional distress such an ordeal can cause – a child falling ill can have a huge impact on your finances, especially if you’re forced to take time away from work to look after them.
In the past, children’s cover was typically included automatically on critical illness plans regardless of whether or not you had children. It is now much more common for insurers to offer a more flexible range of options tailored to your needs – so it’s important to ask about it when getting covered.
The benefits of children’s cover can often be overlooked as it isn’t an income earner within the household falling ill. However, the financial benefits from the cover offer a peace of mind and financial stability that could prove hugely valuable. Pay outs can be used to cover losses of income if you had to take time away from work to care for your child, as well as paying for expensive treatments or essential modifications to your home where necessary.
Children’s CIC will protect your child whether they are naturally born to you, a stepchild or adopted.
What age does CIC cover children for?
The oldest your child can be covered for under a child’s CIC policy ranges from 18 to 23 depending on the provider, although the majority will at least cover until 21. Most providers offer cover that start from birth, although some won’t offer a policy until your child is 30 days old.
Of course, even just imagining your child falling critically ill is an incredibly difficult thing to do – which only highlights just how important it is to get them covered. The emotional stress of dealing with a critically ill child is more than enough for anyone to deal with – and CIC offers peace of mind that your financial situation will be secure if such a tragedy were to happen to you.
If you already have cover in place but it doesn’t cover your children, get in touch with us to talk through your options. You can add your children to your policy at any time, so make sure to speak to us and ensure your whole family is protected.
If you’d like to discuss the options available to you, contact us today.