Britons' suffer 'perception gap' over protection - study

clock

Almost half (43%) of Britons do not buy life insurance because they do not see the need for it, research suggests.

Likewise 40% believe the same of income protection (IP), according to research by Swiss Re from over 1,000 consumers. The findings point to an increasing "perception gap" between people's idea of their financial security and their actual circumstances, say authors of The Insurance Report, The Cost of Doing Nothing. "A growing number of people believe they are financially self-reliant, and yet clearly they are not," says Ian Etheridge, Swiss Re's head of account management UK and Ireland. "We call this the 'perception gap' and yet we as an industry are not doing enough to correct th...

To continue reading this article...

Join Professional Adviser for free

  • Unlimited access to real-time news, industry insights and market intelligence
  • Stay ahead of the curve with spotlights on emerging trends and technologies
  • Receive breaking news stories straight to your inbox in the daily newsletters
  • Make smart business decisions with the latest developments in regulation, investing retirement and protection
  • Members-only access to the editor’s weekly Friday commentary
  • Be the first to hear about our events and awards programmes

Join

 

Already a Professional Adviser member?

Login

More on Protection

Aviva in high value protection proposition launch

Aviva in high value protection proposition launch

Rising demand for IHT planning

Cameron Roberts
clock 25 August 2026 • 2 min read
Advisers are changing their views on joint life cover

Advisers are changing their views on joint life cover

What represents true value for the client?

Alan Lakey
clock 11 August 2026 • 3 min read
Let's talk 'triple shock': Why the protection gap starts with three dangerous assumptions

Let's talk 'triple shock': Why the protection gap starts with three dangerous assumptions

Three assumptions keeping the protection gap alive

Graham Singleton
clock 28 July 2026 • 5 min read