Sickness Income Protection Plan

Step 1: Complete the Claim Form

To start your claim for Sickness Benefit, please fill out the Claim Form and follow the instructions provided.

Step 2: Submit Supporting Documentation

Along with your completed Claim Form, you must include one of the following original documents:

• Medical Doctor's Statement (Form Med 3).
• Hospital Certificate (Form Med 10).
• Department for Work and Pensions (DFWP) Certificate (Form BF30).

Please note: Any fees charged for obtaining a medical certificate are your responsibility.

Want your medical certificate returned or sent elsewhere? 

• Please include a stamped, self-addressed envelope with your documents.

Step 3: Provide Consent

We may need to contact your GP for further information. Your consent is required for this as part of the claim process.

Important Information

• There must be sufficient funds in your plan to cover any benefit payments.
• You must continue paying your premiums while receiving benefits.
• Claims are processed on or about the 15th of each month and payments made 2-3 working days afterwards.

If you have any questions about your claim, please contact us.

You can apply to increase or decrease your monthly premiums at any time (within the time limits specified in your terms and conditions), in £2 increments, from a minimum of £4 up to a maximum of £70.

Before applying, please note:

• We will need to consider your medical history and any previous sickness claims as part of the assessment.
• If accepted, benefits on the increased amount will only become payable after six months from the date of the first increased payment.
• It’s also important to understand how our classification system (see Classifications table below) will affect your new premium.
  • Only the increased portion of your contribution will be reclassified based on your age at the time of the change.
  • Your existing contributions will remain under their current classification.
• Once accepted, your Direct Debit will then be updated automatically, and you’ll receive written confirmation of the new rate of contribution.

To apply, simply request an ‘Increase of Rate’ form. Approval is at the discretion of Unity Mutual, and you’ll need to provide medical and lifestyle information before the increase can be confirmed.

Classifications table

Members Fund withdrawals

Your Members Fund can grow quickly over time. If you don’t use it for Sickness Benefit, you have the option to withdraw a lump sum.

• To make a withdrawal, you must leave at least two years’ worth of contributions in your fund. This ensures sufficient funds are available should you need to claim sickness or accident benefits.
• The less you leave in your fund, the less will be available for future sickness claims.

Deposit Account withdrawals

• Withdrawals may take up to 7 days to process.

You can contact us anytime to check your current plan value or to arrange a withdrawal from either your Members Fund or your Deposit Account (if applicable).

Please keep the following important points in mind before cancelling your policy:

• This plan is no longer available to new customers. If you leave, you will not be able to re-apply.
• Cancelling before retirement may result in a penalty, currently equivalent to one year’s premiums.
• You might be able to reduce your monthly premiums instead of cancelling.

If you decide to cancel, we will calculate your plan’s value minus any penalty.  The remaining balance along with any funds in your Deposit Account will be repaid to you.

Your Sickness Income Plan will mature when you turn 70. At that time:

• Your monthly premiums will stop, and your entitlement to Sickness Benefit will end.
• Your Members Fund will be transferred to your Deposit Account, where it will continue to earn interest.
• Alternatively, you can choose to withdraw all the money from both your Members Fund and Deposit Account.

We’ll send you a letter a few months before to guide you through the next steps.

We will collect your premium each month and on the 31st December of each year, a proportion of what you have paid during the year (currently 80%) is transferred to a fund in your name called your 'Member’s Fund', which earns tax-exempt interest.

The remaining portion goes into the 'Unity Mutual's Fund'.  It is this fund that is used to pay administration costs and offer the plans sickness benefits.

How is the apportionment rate decide?

All the money in both the 'Members' and the 'Unity Mutual's' Funds, together with the monthly premiums paid in during the year, are invested which produces investment income.  

At the end of each year the financial performance of the Fund over the previous 12 months is reviewed and will determine the following year's apportionment rate.

There is a fixed monthly management charge of 50p. This charge is added to your premium and does not change if you increase or reduce your premium — it’s always 50p per month.

What happens if I stop paying into the plan?

If you stop making your premiums, you may have to pay a forfeit, depending on how many payments you have missed.

Please refer to your plan’s terms and conditions for details.

Whatever you pay each month is the amount of benefit you will be entitled to receive per day, payable on a monthly basis.

Sickness Benefit is paid to you from the first day of a medically certified illness (the usual Doctor's Certificate is all we need) and you will receive the same amount PER DAY in Sickness Benefit as you pay in contributions EACH MONTH (i.e. £30 per DAY or £210 per WEEK)

We will pay sickness benefit from the first day of your illness stated on the medical certificate, this includes any weekends and holidays.

Claims are processed on or about the 15th of each month and payments made 2-3 working days afterwards.

Your sickness benefits payment will be made up of a combination of funds from your 'Member’s Fund' and the 'Unity Mutual Fund'.

The amount taken from your 'Member’s Fund' will depends on your age when you took out the policy, or your age when you last increased your monthly premiums.

• Under 35 -1/4 of your 'Member's Fund'
• 35 and under 45 - 1/3 of your 'Member's Fund'
• 45 and under 55 - 1/2 of your 'Member's Fund'
• 55 and under 70 - 2/3 of your 'Member's Fund'.

We will keep paying your sickness benefit as long as you are "signed off from work" or until your Fund is exhausted—whichever comes first.

If your Fund runs out, the sickness benefit will stop. However, your entitlement to benefits will restart the following January, when your Fund is replenished with a percentage of your previous year’s contributions.

As a member of the Sickness Income Plan, you have the option to contribute to a 'Deposit Account'.

This account is separate from your 'Member's Fund' and offers several benefits:

• Earn tax-exempt interest*: Grow your savings with interest that’s free from tax, under current legislation.
• Easy withdrawals: Access your funds with just 7 working days' notice, providing flexibility when you need it.
• Contribution limits: You can deposit up to four times your annual contributions to the Sickness Income Plan.
• Additional sickness benefits: If your main 'Members Fund' is exhausted, the funds in your 'Deposit Account' can be used to pay additional sickness benefits.

*Subject to current legislation.