If you were asked to take an 89% cut in salary, how would you and your family feel?

The figures to the right are based on a 35 year old married man without child or adult dependency increases, 2001/02 rates.

It won’t happen to me

We are twenty times more likely to be incapacitated for more than 6 months than to die before the age of 65. Currently nearly 2 million people have been off work for more than 6 months and many of them never work again.

Source: Department of Social Security

My employer will support me

Do you really know how long your employer will continue to pay you? Unless the employment contract provides for more, employers only have to support incapacitated employees for 28 weeks paying as little as £62.20 a week. While many will offer more than this, it becomes less and less likely as time goes on.

The state will help me

Many people could have a nasty shock when they consult the figures above to see what they would now have to bring their family up on.

The likelihood of being unable to work due to an illness or injury is greater than you think.

The chart to the right shows how many people aged 20-64 had been claiming Incapacity Benefit for more than 6 months at 31st March 1998.