Scottish Widows proudly publish that over 4,500 people have claimed on their Critical Illness Policy since 2000, but the insurer wants more to take out the cover.

In monetary terms that’s £150 million was paid out between January 2000 and October 2007 to Critical Illness policyholders.

Scottish Widows fell that Critical Illness Cover should be more popular than it actually is. Richard Jones from Scottish Widows correctly pointed out that more and more families now rely on two incomes. If one partner suffers a critical illness that partner cannot usually work which means a loss of one salary. However, the partner might not be able to work either because they are needed for care and support as well as looking after the rest of the family etc.

“Yet lack of consumer confidence is contributing to people failing to take out the valuable protection that they and their dependants need.”

Scottish Widows also said that six in ten successful claims went to cancer sufferers, with a further 21 per cent going to those with heart conditions. Elsewhere, strokes (seven per cent of claims) and multiple sclerosis (four per cent) were also represented in the data.

The average age of female critical illness clamants to Scottish Widows was found to be 44, while the average male is three years older