One of the UK’s leading employee benefits providers, Unum, has found as a result of its recently published second annual statement that 31 per cent of paid long-term sickness claims were related to cancer.
The statement, which details crucial information on all Unum paid-for income protection claims to individuals who fell seriously ill during the August 1, 2015 to July 31, 2016 period, also highlights statistics that 25 per cent of paid-for cancer-related claims were for breast cancer; in addition to 23 per cent for gastrointestinal cancer.
Aside from those diagnosed with cancer, 19 per cent of paid long-term sickness claims were linked to mental health conditions, 9 per cent musculoskeletal problems, and 8 per cent to cardiovascular issues.
Head of public affairs at Unum, John Letizia, is urging the government to help employers protect their staff: “This data reminds us that anyone can become too ill to work and benefit from the financial security and support services of income protection. But at a time when more and more older people and women are in work, it shows the unique value of income protection for the evolving UK workforce.
“Women are almost one and a half times more likely to claim than men and half of our claims come from those aged 50 and over. We urge the government to look at what can be done to encourage employers to protect more of their staff.”
You can read Unum’s second annual claims statement here
