The policy built for the family you're still building.
Critical illness cover that quantifies your exposure — and closes the gap before a diagnosis redefines everything.
parents will face a critical illness diagnosis before age 50 — at the peak of mortgage and childcare commitments.
Probability by age
Source: ABI UK Claims Report 2025 · Cancer Research UK
The average UK family's savings cover 19 days of lost income. Statutory Sick Pay delivers £116.75 per week — less than £500 a month.
Monthly income replacement
Source: ONS · FCA Financial Lives 2024 · ABI 2025
The numbers that define the risk for families like yours.
All data sourced from ABI, ONS, and FCA published reports. Updated February 2026.
Average CI claim paid
ABI UK 2025
Cancer accounts for 63.8% of claims
Total CI claims paid (2024)
ABI UK 2025
Year-on-year increase
Claim acceptance rate
Major UK insurers
Many insurers exceed 92%
Average claimant age
ABI 2025
Peak earning & mortgage years
Claims from under-40s
ABI 2025
Up from 14% a decade ago
Economically inactive (illness)
ONS 2024
Working-age adults in UK
Critical Illness Claims — By Condition
UK market 2024 · per 100,000 policies
Population statistics, narrowed to your household.
A dual-income household. A £300,000 mortgage. Two children. One diagnosis changes every number on this page.
Reference Household Profile
Combined income
£70,000
Mortgage balance
£300,000
Children
2 (ages 1–4)
Savings buffer
£9,357
Exposure Gap
£290,643
mortgage + income + childcare
Mortgage Default Timeline
Post-diagnosis income trajectory
Diagnosis confirmed
Full salary still in payment
Sick leave begins
Employer sick pay (if available)
Employer sick pay ends
Falls to SSP: £117/week
Savings depleted
Avg. savings: 19 days runway
Mortgage arrears begin
Lender formal notice issued
Default risk threshold
3 missed payments = default risk
Annual Childcare Cost Projections
UK average 2026 · non-negotiable commitments
Nursery (full-time, 1 child)
£1,400/month
£16,800
/year
After-school care (1 child)
£480/month
£5,760
/year
Wraparound (2 children)
£2,100/month
£25,200
/year
Emergency cover (illness)
£600/month
£7,200
/year
Partner Income Dependency Ratio
of household essential spending relies on the primary earner's salary
Not families like yours. Your family, specifically.
Enter your figures. The grid reconfigures instantly to show your personal exposure gap — the exact number a critical illness policy needs to close.
Household Inputs
All figures are kept private — no data is stored
Outstanding balance on your property
Total gross annual income
Accessible savings buffer
Children under 18 in household
Results update instantly as you type. Enter your mortgage balance to begin.
Your exposure grid will appear here
Enter your mortgage balance and income to generate your personal risk analysis.
Inaction has a precise cost.
The average Shield policy costs £27.90 a month. The average critical illness claim pays out £67,600. The maths is not complicated — the decision is.
£1.3bn
Paid in claims (2024)
90%+
Claim acceptance
80+
Conditions covered
Claims Distribution by Condition