Accident Only Insurance For Construction Workers
Cover your monthly outgoings should you suffer an injury.
Black Lion - Part of Halo Consulting
Example Quotes
Bricklayer
Benefit: £2,400 per month
Monthly Premium: £19.38
• 30 day deferred period
• 2 year benefit period
Scaffolder
Benefit: £2,800 per month
Monthly Premium: £28.25
• 30 day deferred period
• 2 year benefit period
Carpenter
Benefit: £3,000 per month
Monthly Premium: £39.24
• 30 day deferred period
• 2 year benefit period
Above examples based on quotes with level indexation, no optional accidental death benefit and no optional hazardous pursuit coverage.
Sustaining an Injury as a Construction Worker
For many of the UK’s self-employed individuals, sustaining a physical injury that prevents them from going to work can have a disastrous effect on their personal finances. This is especially true for those in the construction industry.
Even with the very highest levels of health and safety precautions in place, construction sites are hazardous, high-risk work environments, and accidents do happen. On average, between 2019 and 2022, the UK construction industry saw 59,000 non-fatal injuries per year.
Increased Recovery Time
It’s easy to understand how the added dangers of construction sites make slips, trips, and falls all the more likely to cause serious injury. However, it is often the increased recovery time a construction worker faces before they can safely return to work that can cause the most pain.
While a broken wrist may only stop an office or home-based contractor from generating an income for a few weeks, the physical requirements of a construction worker mean that a period of at least 3 months before being able to safely return to work is a far more likely scenario.
The same can be said for almost any physical injury, and especially back injuries, which are commonplace in construction. The lifting of heavy building materials or working for prolonged periods in awkward positions can take its toll on even the fittest individuals, and something like a herniated disc may require a full year off.
Loss of Income
With the cost of living in the UK on the rise, many families would struggle to manage if one of the household’s breadwinners were unable to work for 3 months, let alone a whole year.
It is therefore crucial that construction workers carefully consider the benefits of securing some type of Income Protection policy to offset the risk of financial hardship should they find themselves unable to work.
Accident Only Insurance Policies
An Accident Only insurance policy can be one way to do this and provides construction workers with an inexpensive yet robust financial safety net in the event that they suffer an injury which prevents them from working.
Claims are extremely straightforward, covering the inability to carry out one’s own occupation due to an injury sustained in an accident (whether at work or not) where a loss of earnings is suffered as a result.
While less comprehensive than Accident and Sickness Insurance, an Accident Only policy is likely to have lower monthly premiums.
No Medical History
Because Accident Only insurance does not cover the individual in the event of suffering an illness that prevents them from working, the insurer does not require any medical history to provide a quote. This means that, unlike other forms of income protection, even if you have a pre-existing condition, you will still be able to obtain Accident Only insurance and at no increase in cost compared to someone of the same age and occupation with no pre-existing conditions.
The risk of not having Accident insurance
Without suitable income insurance in place, self-employed workers in the UK who find themselves unable to work due to an accident may not want to rely on any potential state benefits.
Self-employed workers are not entitled to statutory sick pay and instead are required to claim Employment & Support Allowance (ESA), which, in 2023, could be just £84.40 per week.
Surviving on just £84.40 per week is likely to be challenging for a single worker without any dependents. For those with children, it could lead to a very difficult financial situation.
Returning to work too early
Following an injury, uninsured construction workers often feel financial pressure to return to work before they are fully recovered. This can be particularly risky, as it may result in long-lasting injuries that could negatively impact their health for years. Additionally, bringing an existing injury into a hazardous workplace can be considered irresponsible and may even render important third-party insurance policies null and void.
What can affect the cost of Accident Only Insurance?
Occupation
Occupations which are more hazardous are likely to have higher premiums. For example, a scaffolder is likely to have a higher premium than a domestic plumber.
Monthly Benefit
The higher the monthly benefit, the higher the policy premium. The monthly benefit can be up to 70% of gross earnings with a ceiling of £6,000 per month.
Deferred Period
This is the length of time an insured individual has to wait before the policy will begin to payout. The minimum is 30 days. Increasing this to 60, 90 or 180 days will lower the monthly premiums.
Age
As is the case with most types of Income Protection, older individuals are more likely to pay a higher premium for the same policy than someone 10 or 20 years younger.
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About Us
Part of Halo Consulting, Black Lion Insurance are a dedicated team of insurance consultants with years of experience in guiding our clients to a solution that meets their specific needs. We specialise in helping both employed and self employed individuals, as well as business owners on a variety of solutions, which range from life insurance, income protection insurance, keyman insurance and shareholder protection insurance.