A quick guide to family income benefit | LifeSearch (2024)

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Katie works with insurers and distributors to make protection propositions more accessible, pricing more transparent and marketing messages more simple.See author bio

Guide last reviewed 10 Oct 2023

Death isn’t something we like to think about but, sadly, it happens, and when it does it can cause money worries at an already stressful and emotional time. Family income benefitis a product designed to reduce that financial stress and can be used to replace the income from a lost loved one. Find out more in this three-minute guide.

Contents

  • What is family income benefit?
  • How does family income benefit work?
  • Who needs family income benefit?
  • How much does family income benefit cost?
  • I want to know more

What is family income benefit?

You’re probably already familiar with the type of life insurancethat pays a one-off lump sum on death. Family income benefit is different, it pays a regular tax-free income if you die, which may be more helpful for your family as the payments can be used to cover regular and ongoing bills and mortgage payments.

How does family income benefit work?

When you buy a family income benefitpolicy, you will need to decide how long you’d like to be protected for (the term) and how much protection you need (the monthly cover amount). If you die within the term, your policy will start paying the monthly cover amount to your family and will continue to do so until the end of the term.

You take out family income benefit of £1,000 for a period of 20 years. If you die in year 10, your policy will start paying £1,000 a month to your family for the remaining 10 years left on the policy.

Who needs family income benefit?

If you’ve got a family you want to protect then have a think about family income benefit. Here are a few key questions to ask yourself:

  • What would happen if my family lost my income, could they cope financially?
  • Do we have savings or other assets that could support the family if I wasn’t around?
  • Do we have a mortgage or other large debt that I’d like paid off if I died?

The last question is key, because if it’s debt that you’re worried about and you’d rather get everything paid off, then there are other insurance products that might be more suitable for you. Standard life insurance would be an example, as the lump sum payment can be used to pay off your mortgage. If, however, you’d prefer your income to be replaced, then family income benefit could be the perfect solution for you and your family.

There are lots of different insurance products, each designed to meet different needs. Why not request a call back from one of our helpful advisers, who’ll take the time to understand your circ*mstances and create a bespoke protection solution designed for you.

How much does family income benefit cost?

The cost of your family income benefitwill depend on a number of things, including:

  • Your age
  • Your health
  • Whether you smoke
  • Your monthly cover amount
  • Your cover term

As a simple rule, the more likely you are to die and make a claim on your policy, the more expensive your cover will be. So the younger you are when you apply for your policy, and the healthier your lifestyle, the lower your insurance premiums will be.

It’s also worth bearing in mind that your premiums will be lower if you choose a smaller monthly cover amount, and a shorter cover term. This again links to your chances of claiming and the amount the insurer would have to pay out.

People often find family income benefit to be an affordable alternative to standard life insurance, which pays a lump sum, because the amount that the insurer would pay on death reduces over time. This is because they only pay the regular income until the end of the cover term, unlike with standard life insurance, where the insurer would pay the full lump sum cover amount, regardless of when the death happened.

At LifeSearch, we search the market to find the best cover - at the best value - to protect you and your loved ones.

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Katie is an independent insurance consultant who is passionate about protection and wants to share that passion with others through engaging marketing content. She hopes that one day people will get as excited about protecting themselves and their loved ones, as she does!

See all articles by Katie Crook-Davies

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FAQs

What is the family income benefit plan? ›

Family income benefit is a type of term life insurance for parents and families, designed to give regular monthly payments to your family if you die or become terminally ill. The policy will pay out a regular, tax-free income up until a specified date to replace your lost income.

What is an example of a family income policy? ›

For example, if you buy a family income policy for 30 years and die five years in, it will pay out for the next 25 years. If you die 20 years into the policy, it will only pay for the next ten years—a significantly lower amount. Family income policies are subject to the same rules as other life insurance coverage.

What is the difference between family income and family maintenance insurance? ›

So if you have a family maintenance policy, coverage will last your entire life, unlike a family income policy rider, which won't pay out anything if you die after the term ends. A family maintenance policy allows for the death benefit to be paid out in installments if you die younger than a certain age.

What is a family benefit policy? ›

A family income policy, sometimes called a family income benefit (FIB), is a type of term life insurance policy. The policy is active for a certain number of years (the term) and the insurer pays a death benefit to your beneficiaries if you die during the term. FIB benefits are paid monthly.

What is family monthly income? ›

Monthly income. Refers to the combined income received by all family members, whether they contribute it or not, or part of it, towards covering expenditure.

What is the progressive income benefit? ›

A qualifying disability triggers the Progressive Income Benefit, increasing coverage from 60% to 70% of predisability income. And this additional benefit is not reduced by income from other sources. Additional coverage may be purchased to raise the benefit up to 100% of predisability income.

What are 5 examples of sources of family income? ›

The five sources of family income are wages and salaries, self-employment income, government transfer payments, investment income and other income. Explanation: Family income refers to any income generated by working.

What is your total family income? ›

We calculate a family's total income by adding all sources of income, including any untaxed income (e.g., tax-deferred pension contributions, social security benefits, child support received, tax exempt interest).

What are examples of types of family income? ›

Family income is divided into three types- money income, real income and psychic income. Sources of family income- salary, wages, pension, house rent, interest, dividend, profit family welfare payment.

Is total family income the same as gross income? ›

Household Income. Household income is the adjusted gross income from your tax return plus any excludible foreign earned income and tax-exempt interest you receive during the taxable year.

What are the two types of household insurance? ›

What are the different types of homeowners insurance?
  • Dwelling coverage is the basis for all homeowners insurance policies. ...
  • Contents coverage protects items including furniture and clothing in your home.

What will decrease the longer the policy is active in a family income policy? ›

Disadvantages. Decreases in value: The cash value of a family income policy decreases the longer the insured lives. If you live long into the term of your family income rider, your beneficiaries may receive a smaller benefit.

What is the family maximum benefit? ›

The maximum family benefit is the maximum monthly amount that can be paid on a worker's earnings record. There is a special formula for computing the maximum benefits payable to the family of a disabled worker. The following, however, is devoted to the more common family maximum for retirement and survivor benefits.

What is extended family benefits? ›

It differs from a nuclear family, which is composed solely of parents and their children. Advantages of the extended family structure include the ability to share financial responsibilities, to help raise children, and to gain more information about the past.

What is an example of a family maintenance policy? ›

Family maintenance policies use level term insurance to maintain income for a level period of time from the time of death. For example, if the insured with a 20-year family maintenance policy dies within the income benefit period, monthly income payments will be made to the beneficiary for 20 years.

What is family income status? ›

Family or household income is the income shared by people living in the same household. In economics the household is the unit in which economic resources are shared and to some extent joint consumption takes place.

What is a family income policy a combination of? ›

Family Income Policies (Whole Life + Decreasing Term) - Combination of Whole Life and Decreasing Term covering a select period of years. Family income plans involve adding decreasing term insurance to a basic whole life contract.

What is a family income policy with a 20 year rider? ›

If they choose a family income rider that lasts 20 years, then pass away 10 years later, for example, the rider will be in effect for the remaining decade. That's not to say that the beneficiary will receive less. At the end of the rider's term, the insurer will pay out the remaining death benefit in a lump sum.

Who benefits in Ioli when the insured dies? ›

Who benefits in Investor-Originated Life Insurance (IOLI) when the insured dies? The correct answer is "policyowner". The policyowner (investor) benefits upon the death of the insured.

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