Individuals who are moving from a staff job to managing their own business or to self-employment rely on the income they generate from their business to survive.

When going alone, the self-employed are not afforded the same level of protection as those who are employed. For a start, there is no safety net as you do not receive sick pay or gain from employer-provided income insurance as part of an employee benefits package. Moreover, you will lose the sick pay, maternity leave, and death in service benefits that come with employment, plus you will not have access to a workplace pension scheme.

So without the safety net of company paid sick leave and other employee benefit package, it is vitally important to ensure your future earnings are protected against the risk of illness or injury. And this is where self-employed income protection insurance comes in.

Self employed income insurance can provide long-term financial protection against the risk of sickness and injury. It can provide you with an income should you be unable to run your business due to illness or injury.

A type of protection insurance, income protection insurance is designed to provide you with an income stream in instances where you are unable to work for a certain period of time due to an accident or illness. Income insurance will provide you with a tax-free monthly payout ? usually 75% of your income ? for a designated benefit period. This payout can provide a much needed backstop as it can be used for whatever purpose the policyholder decides on like paying for regular monthly outgoings, such as for mortgage payments, utility bills, and other living expenses, as well as paying replacement staff in your absence.

Moreover, income insurance provides long-term earnings cover for the self-employed, with plans usually lasting all the way up until your planned retirement age. In instances when a claim needs to be made for a serious (long-term) illness where you could never return to work, the income cover has the potential to payout each and every month until the policy term ends.

Who is qualified for income protection?

Income protection insurance is suitable for any individual who cannot afford to be without an income for an extended period. All Australian residents aged between 18 and 59 can apply for income protection insurance if they’ve been self-employed or have worked at least 20 hours per week for at least 12 months before starting their policy. They can even generally deduct their premiums from their tax.

However, in most cases, Australian life insurers are unwilling to provide income insurance for the newly self-employed with a history of less than 12 months.

However, if you worked as an employee in the same industry, then you can apply for an indemnity style income protection benefit. This means that when you need to claim, you will be required to prove your previous 12 months of income. Once you’ve reached 12 months of trading history, you can usually change your policy to an agreed value.

How does income protection work?

There are a number of different ways to structure your income insurance policy. You can choose from a vast array of different income protection policies available with multiple combinations of waiting periods, benefit periods, and features. There are some policies that are more structured while others can be tailored to meet your individual needs and circumstances.

In choosing income protection, there are four considerations: what you can afford; what existing arrangements you have; what dependents or liabilities you have; and what your attitude is to risk? The cover you need will also depend on the size of your mortgage and whether you have taken out any loans to build up the business. A good general suggestion is to compare income protection and choose the policy with the shortest waiting period, the longest benefit period, and the most comprehensive features.

Moreover, income protection insurance can be tailored by selecting the level of protection that you require. You can choose your waiting period from 30 or 90 days and even select how long you receive your income insurance benefits for: six months, a year, two years, or five years. Optional Rehabilitation benefits can also help you get back to work faster.

You can choose to pay your premium, either fortnightly or monthly to your income insurance provider, and if you're unable to work for an extended period due to sickness or injury, you could receive up to 75% of your pre-Tax income up to $10,000 a month. With this, it can help with the costs of your recovery as well as covering day to day bills.

When policies are taken out, the insurer will base the maximum amount of benefit and monthly premiums on your current earnings and occupation.

What is Insurable Income?

Insurable income can include your salary as well as fringe benefits, bonuses, and superannuation payments. For those who are self-employed, any income you receive through your own efforts (rather than passive income streams such as shares or investments) can be included in your overall income estimate including superannuation and director’s fees.

How much does it cost for self employed?

The cost of income protection insurance can vary widely as it depends on the policy and the number of features and benefits. As a rough guide, generally, one can expect to pay up to 2% of your income on premiums although costs can vary according to certain risk factors including age, general health, lifestyle, and occupation.

Insure4U has all your insurance information from Life insurance quotes to compare income protection. Let us guide you through the process of finding the right insurance for you and your loved ones.