It’s not pleasant to talk about death, but we know that sadly it comes to us all. But did you know that if you have children, the amount of bereavement benefits you’ll receive from the Government has been drastically reduced?

Government changes from 6 April 2017, mean the long-term financial safety net that widowed parents have received from the Government since 1946 will be replaced by the new, short-term ‘Bereavement Support Payments’. Now bereaved parents will only receive payments for 18 months. Previously the payment lasted until children were 16 years old. The payment is based on the deceased spouse’s national insurance contribution and the maximum amount is £112.55 a week.

It’s a huge reduction and it has been reported that the Government backs its decision because they say it would help parents ‘readjust’ to life as a single parent!

More than 100 children are bereaved of a parent every day in the UK.

If other people rely on your income – maybe you have children or you share a mortgage with someone – then insurance can help ease the difficult financial situation that your loved ones may face in the event of your death.

Insurance isn’t one of those things that any of us find exciting to shop for and you hope to never use it, but for those that decide to get life insurance it’s far from a waste of money - it can protect you, your income, your home and your family and provide peace of mind.

There are lots of different types of insurance to choose from and they all do different jobs so if you are considering protecting your family, we can help you to decide which cover is most suitable for you.

The three main types of insurance that we specialise in are:

Life insurance

This pays out a lump sum or regular payment when you die. It may be worth it if you have a partner or children who depend on your income to cover mortgage payments or living expenses. I have a life insurance policy that will pay off my mortgage if I die, so my husband and daughter can continue to live in our home without worrying about having to pay the mortgage.

Critical illness cover

Critical illness cover pays you a tax-free cash lump sum if you are diagnosed as having one of the illnesses specified in the policy such as a heart attack, stroke or cancer and much more.

This payment can help with care costs, medical bills, or even travelling abroad for treatment and is often combined with life insurance for extra peace of mind.

Income protection

Every year 1m workers in the UK unexpectedly find themselves unable to work because of injury or illness, according to the ABI.

Income protection insurance replaces part of your income if you can’t work because you become ill or disabled. It pays out until you can start working again - or until you retire, die or the end of the policy term - whichever is sooner.

It means in most cases that you can cover your bills and living expenses without resorting to building up credit card and overdraft debt if you are unwell.

Of course, we all hope that we remain healthy and there won’t be any need to use this type of insurance, but insurance is all about planning for the worst – and if the worst does happen, it could make a very difficult situation a little easier to cope with!

Helping families to protect the financial future of the ones they love is a key part of our business, we are proud to be able to help so many people and give them the peace of mind they seek. If you would like to speak to one of our advisors about your insurance needs, give us a call on 0800 612 8005 – we’d be happy to help you too!