The Keep Britain Working report lays out a stark reality: the UK is losing working-age people to ill health at scale, and it is impacting households, employers, and the wider economy. In this final episode of Season 2, we unpack what the report says, what needs to change, and why staying connected to work is often better than falling out of it entirely.

Stevie and Matt are joined by three expert guests: Dr Julie Denning (Working to Wellbeing, Chair of the Vocational Rehabilitation Association), Monica Garcia (MT Consulting, Trustee of the Vocational Rehabilitation Association), and Roy McLoughlin (Protection Distributors Group). Together they explore how early intervention, vocational rehabilitation, and the modern income protection proposition can help more people stay in meaningful work and reduce long-term absence.

Key learnings from this episode:

• Why the report is action-focused and what it is trying to unlock next (frameworks, evidence, and delivery)
• Early intervention in practice, including how it shows up across both group and individual income protection
• The value of proportional benefits and alternative roles: “can’t do your job” does not mean “can’t work”

To read the Keep Britain Working report, use this link, or search “Keep Britain Working report”.

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Produced and edited by SEA Studios

Consumer Duty regulations are reshaping protection advice by shifting the industry from box-ticking compliance to a genuine focus on client outcomes. This shift enables advisers to deliver more meaningful, goal-oriented conversations about financial security.

Keith Richards from the Consumer Duty Alliance joins us to discuss how things are shaping up 2 years on, before we get an adviser's view from Jiten Varsani from FortyOne Money

Key learnings from this episode:

• Consumer Duty represents a transformation from prescriptive, rules-based regulation to outcomes-focused approaches
• Keith Richards explains how the Consumer Duty Alliance provides free self-assessment tools and resources for advisors
• Vulnerability considerations have expanded beyond permanent conditions to include temporary circumstances requiring additional support
• Claims handling is improving with streamlined processes, digital signatures, and dedicated support contacts
• Cross-referrals between protection specialists and wealth advisors are increasing to provide holistic financial planning
• Documentation now focuses on evidencing client outcomes rather than just product recommendations
• Consumer Duty encourages advisers to break complex advice into manageable, client-friendly segments
• The Protection Alliance is being developed to support protection specialists specifically

To claim your unstructured CPD and learn more about Consumer Duty, visit consumerduty.org for free tools and guidance. Register now for Income Protection Action Week 2025, running 22nd September, at iptf.co.uk.

📣 Send the podcast your questions, thoughts or advice to feature on a future episode via:

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In the latest episode of Let’s Talk Income Protection, Matt and Stevie dive into the rise of menu plans. More advisers are recommending combinations of products like life, critical illness, and income protection together.

To help us dive into this topic this month, we’ve got two fantastic guests joining us today, firstly Zoe Mears from iPipeline to dig into what the latest data is telling us about trends in this space and then we speak to Gemma Sawyer from Switch Financial Services to get a real-world view from the adviser side.

Income protection usage is growing significantly, with multi-benefit plans showing a strong upward trend as advisers deliver more comprehensive protection recommendations to clients.

Listen now to learn more about:

• How income protection sales up 15% year-on-year, with even stronger growth in multi-benefit structures
• Why multi-benefit plans now account for 33.7% of all applications through iPipeline
• Why income protection now features in half of the top 10 multi-benefit combinations, up from 30% last year
• How short-term income protection with 4 and 13-week deferred periods dominates multi-benefit plans

📣 Send the podcast your questions, thoughts or advice to feature on a future episode via:

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Or email Info@IPTF.co.uk

📣 For More Education, Collaboration and Insight:

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Produced and edited by SEA Studios

In the latest episode of Let’s Talk Income Protection, Matt and Stevie dive into a topic that sparks a lot of opinions — social media. Whether you love it or avoid it, one thing’s clear: it’s not going anywhere. For advisers wanting to grow their brand and reach more clients, it’s time to get on board.

To guide us through the landscape, we’re joined by two experts who live and breathe this stuff: Rosalia Lazzara and Ash Borland.

Social media has become the new currency of visibility for financial advisers. Done well, it helps you build trust, stay top of mind, and attract your ideal clients — all without it becoming a full-time job.

Listen now to learn more about:

• How social media should be part of a bigger business strategy, complementing referrals and networking
• Why people buy from those they know, like, and trust – social media accelerates this process
• Analysing your CRM to identify your most successful client types before posting content
• Focusing on one platform where your ideal clients spend time before expanding
• Why personal branding doesn't mean sharing private details – it means being personable and authentic
• How video content creates "parasocial relationships" where potential clients feel they know you before meeting
• Why niche marketing differs from niche product–market to a specific audience but serves anyone who needs your solutions
• Why consistency matters more than trying to be different or creative
• Why you shouldn't over-edit videos – simple, authentic content builds more trust than over-produced content
• Why you should batch create and schedule content to maintain consistency without daily pressure

📣 Send the podcast your questions, thoughts or advice to feature on a future episode via:

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Produced and edited by SEA Studios

In this episode, Matt and Stevie take a deep dive into vocational rehabilitation, a crucial but often overlooked part of the claims journey. This episode forms part of the IPTF’s ‘7 Claims Stories’ series and explores how tailored rehab support can transform a person’s recovery after illness or injury. They’re joined by Phil Deacon, who leads the project, alongside vocational rehab consultant Monica Garcia and protection adviser Charlotte Rogers, who each bring a unique perspective on helping people get back to work with confidence and care.

Vocational rehabilitation plays a transformative role in people's lives by supporting individuals with health conditions and disabilities to stay in work, return to work and sustain employment. This missing link in the recovery journey helps bridge the gap between medical treatment and a person's ability to perform their specific job functions.

Listen now to learn more about:

• How vocational rehabilitation consultants assess both physical and cognitive demands of roles to create bespoke return-to-work plans
• Common mental health conditions, musculoskeletal problems and cancer are the top three reasons for income protection claims
• How only 45% of the working population has access to occupational health support
• Why proportional benefit allows claimants to gradually increase working hours while maintaining some financial support
• How self-employed individuals are particularly vulnerable without workplace support structures
• Why the biopsychosocial model helps identify who needs additional support to return to work
• How early intervention significantly increases the chances of a successful return to work
• Why a 12-18 period off work means chances of returning "fall off a cliff"
• How advisers should encourage clients to notify insurers early, even with longer deferred periods
• How claims assessors need better training to identify when vocational rehabilitation could help
• How the industry could learn from countries like the Netherlands, the USA and Australia, where employers play a more active role
• How approximately 300,000 people leave the workplace yearly due to health conditions
• Why over 8.2 million people currently live with work-limiting health conditions in the UK

Links from the episode:

For more information, visit the IPTF website at iptf.co.uk, check the Chartered Institute of Insurers' Guide to Income Protection, or explore the Vocational Rehabilitation Association website.

📣 Send the podcast your questions, thoughts or advice to feature on a future episode via:

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In this episode, Matt and Stevie get down to business...business protection that is! A very technical episode featuring three interviews based on different levels of expertise in the space with guests Tara Cohen, from The Mortgage Centre Direct and one of the IPTF's new 7 Advisers, Nathaniel Lee from Business Protected and from L&G, Dave Butler.

Business protection represents a massive gap in the UK market, with just 1% of protection sales despite a £1.35 trillion opportunity, because nearly every client you speak to is likely connected to a small or medium-sized enterprise that needs protection.

Listen now to learn more about:

• How business protection covers key person protection, shareholder/partnership protection, and business loan protection
• How employee benefits like executive income protection and relevant life policies offer tax-efficient solutions for businesses
• How new advisers should build confidence by understanding business protection language and leaning on BDMs for support
• How executive IP offers higher benefit levels (80%) than personal IP (60%) to account for tax when paid through payroll
• How business owners need education about protection options, as many are unaware that these solutions exist
• How specialist business protection advisors focus on educating clients first, rather than immediately selling products
• Why understanding tax implications is crucial when recommending business protection products
• Why any advisers unsure about business protection should: "Write it or refer it" - don't let clients miss vital protection

Links from the episode:

Visit the IPTF website to access new advisor tools, including underwriting guides, calculators and a glossary of IP terms.

📣 Send the podcast your questions, thoughts or advice to feature on a future episode via:

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In this month's episode, Matt and Stevie explore the unique role of mutual societies and friendly societies in the income protection market, examining their history, customer benefits, and future growth potential under the new Labour government by speaking to Andrew Morris, CEO of Cirencester Friendly and Nicola Huxley of Sphere Financial Services

Listen now to learn more about:

• How Mutuals and friendlies are owned by members (policyholders) rather than shareholders
• How these societies often excel at providing cover for clients with niche occupations or pre-existing conditions
• The Labour government's commitment to doubling the size of the mutual finance sector as part of its manifesto
• How Nicola Huxley's insights into focusing on multi-policy rather than multi-benefit sourcing to help identify mutual options
• How mutuals reinvest profits to benefit members
• Mutuals often provide more personalised underwriting and claims experiences
• The legislative challenges the sector faces, but the significant growth opportunities
• How experienced advisers can leverage mutual partnerships for enhanced client retention and business growth

Links from the episode:

• IPTF's 7 Claims Stories - Story 1 with Cirencester Friendly
• Nicola Huxley on Instagram
• Nicola Huxley's "Survive & Thrive" Podcast
• Cirencester Friendly

📣 Send the podcast your questions, thoughts or advice to feature on a future episode via:

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In this month's episode, Matt and Stevie speak to Rose St Louis from Scottish Widows and Joanna Streames from Velvet Mortgage about the notable gender gap in income protection, the latest research done by Scottish Widows on this subject and the challenges women face in securing their financial futures.

Listen now to learn more about:

• The importance of understanding the gender gap in income protection
• Insights from Rose St Louis on the findings and implications of recent research
• Joanna Streams shares the advisor's perspective on protecting women's incomes
• Real-life examples that illustrate the impact on families
• Building trust and communication with female clients
• Actionable takeaways for advisors at different experience levels
• Strategies for closing the income protection gap for women
• The need for ongoing education about income protection benefits
• Discussing the future of income protection tailored to women

View the IPTF Profile of an IP customer in association with Iress report here - https://iptf.co.uk/profile-of-an-ip-customer/

View the Scottish Widows Research "The Income Protection Gender Gap" - https://adviser.scottishwidows.co.uk/assets/literature/docs/38794.pdf

Do you have an idea on how to reduce this gap? Let us know! Drop us a message on the links below or tag us on LinkedIn (@IPTF) with your thoughts. Don’t forget to subscribe for more expert insights!

📣 Send the podcast your questions, thoughts or advice to feature on a future episode via:

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Or email Info@IPTF.co.uk

📣 For More Education, Collaboration and Insight:

IPTF Website
IPTF on LinkedIn
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Produced and edited by SEA Studios