It was the best decision of my life to take out cover
SAGEERA Sharif bought income replacement insurance after witnessing a younger friend fall on hard times when forced to give up work following a stroke. She is pleased she did because she has since had to claim on her policy as a result of being diagnosed with cancer.
Sageera, 54, a local authority educational welfare officer from Blackburn, Lancashire, bought an £80-a-month policy from LV= in October 2012 through broker LifeSearch. It provided monthly benefit of £1,200 – enough to help her meet mortgage and household bills if, like her friend, she became too ill to work.
Sageera was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2013 but she was able to return to work after surgery so she did not claim on her policy. But clinical depression then struck, along with serious arthritis, and she was signed off sick last year by her doctor. She started claiming on her plan just over a year ago.
She says: ‘The benefit covers most of my mortgage and some of my household bills although I’m lucky I have four grown-up children who also help out.
‘I would love to be able to go back to work but I’m not sure when that will be possible.’
LV= reviews her health every six months to ensure she is still eligible for benefit.
She says: ‘It was the best decision of my life to take out cover.’