Two in five older unemployed blame illness for being out of work

More than two in five older workers who are out of work cite disability or illness for their inability to find a job, research from MetLife shows. Its nationwide study of 1,000 people found that of those aged between 50 and 60 who are out of work, 43% say illness or disability stops them finding a job. That compares to 26% who say they are unemployed because they are unable to find work. The research, carried out by Harris Interactive, also found that 20% of 50 to 60 year olds surveyed said they have a condition or disability which limits their daily activities. Women are more likely than men to say they have a condition that limit their lives, with 25% saying so compared with 16% of men. But men who are out of work are more likely to cite illness as the reason for their lack of employment, at 52% compared to 40% of women. Stephanie Baillie, employee benefits director at MetLife UK, said that with such a high proportion of older people reporting conditions which impact on their daily lives, it is “clear that people need to consider protection products to help replace income if they are no longer able to work”. The research is being published as part of MetLife’s campaign to raise awareness of the need for protection for those in what in terms the ‘critical decade’ before retirement. For free advice on Income Protection please click

UK plc 'needlessly' losing billions as people with cancer fall out of work

More support for sufferers and employers could keep more people at work, report claims People suffering with cancer make a very significant contribution to the UK economy but tens of thousands are prevented from doing so because of a lack of support for them and their employers, a report claims today. The study, carried out by Oxford Economics, reveals that some 560,000 people with cancer are currently in the workforce, contributing £16bn each year to the economy. However the report, carried out in collaboration with Maggie’s Cancer Caring Centres and insurer Unum, means that many people with cancer fall out of the workplace unnecessarily, the report argues. As a result, the UK economy is losing out on £1.8bn every year, it claims. Today’s report suggests that by 2030, with rising prevalence and survival rates, the number of cancer sufferers at work is set to rise to one million, with an economic contribution of £29bn. However, it also argues that as many as 63,000 people living with cancer today want to work, but are encountering barriers that prevent them from doing so. According to Oxford Economics, by 2030 an additional 136,000 people with cancer who want to work could "with the right support" do so, and they could contribute an additional £3.5bn to the UK economy. The number of people with cancer in the workplace is expected to rise exponentially in the coming years as people work for longer and survival rates improve. Research carried out earlier this year by Aviva UK Health shows that nearly a third (29%) of employers are already seeing a rise in the average age of their workforce, while 37% expect to see it get older in the future. And although half of employers believe there are positive benefits for individuals working past the traditional retirement age, nearly two fifths (38%) predict that health issues associated with an aging workforce – such as cancer – will impact their business. Today’s report argues that complex reasons lie behind barriers which are currently preventing more people with cancer from working. It argues that relationships can “quickly and unintentionally” break down due to a lack of “regular and meaningful communication and shared understanding” between employers and employees. Free critical illness advice

Jump in number of insurers offering HIV life cover

But bancassurers less keen to do so, survey suggests

There has been a marked increase in the number of mainstream insurers offering some form of HIV life assurance, although a far smaller number of bancassurers are doing so.
A survey published today suggests that 66.6% of mainstream life offices are providing the cover, up from 50% last year.
But just 40%, or eight out of 20, of bancassurers offer HIV life cover – and “very few” of their offers of insurance are taken up, according to the survey, carried out by specialist medical financial adviser Unusual Risks.
Chris Morgan, marketing manager of Unusual Risks, said many bancassurers do not offer any indication of terms prior to a client making an application. As a result, people living with HIV are being asked to complete applications, submit to medicals and blood tests before any accurate indication of cost is offered, he said.
Morgan also said that of the eight bancassurers surveyed, Unusual Risks found that seven were in fact offering the same insurance companies’ products.

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UK workers facing 'burn-out' as long hours take their toll

Towers Watson urges UK businesses to avoid 'work till you drop' culture

British workers are heading for a “burn-out” as excessive pressures and long hours take their toll, a leading employee benefits consultancy is warning.
A report by Towers Watson, the Global Workforce Study, reveals that a third of UK employees say they are often affected by excessive pressure in their job.
The report, which surveyed some 32,000 employees worldwide, also found that 58% of UK workers say they have been working more hours than normal over the last three years. Half of these expect this to continue for another three years.
Just 53% of employees feel their stress levels at work are manageable, while only a third believe their senior management support health and wellbeing policies.
A quarter of those surveyed said they had not used as much holiday or personal time off over the last three years, while a third say their organisation is under-resourced and 22% feel the amount of work they are asked to do is unreasonable.
Results for the UK were broadly in line with those seen across Europe, the Middle East and Africa, with similar numbers of workers feeling that there was excessive pressure, longer working hours and fewer resources available in the workplace.
Charles Fair, senior engagement and wellbeing consultant at Towers Watson, said the research raises “huge concerns” over the health and wellbeing of the UK’s workers.
He said: “Several years of economic uncertainty have led to increased anxiety around job security with workers putting in longer hours than ever, raising concerns of ‘burn-out’ amongst British workers.
“Businesses should act now to avoid a ‘work until you drop’ culture turning into the norm with workers becoming increasingly unproductive, something our economy can ill-afford at the moment.”
Towers Watson has also identified a clear link between the levels of wellbeing and engagement of a company’s workforce and its organisational performance.
Its Global Employee Research Database – which measures engagement levels in thousands of companies globally - shows that organisations with low engagement produced an average operating margin of around 10% while organisations with high sustainable engagement performed nearly three times better with operating margins of over 27%.
Fair added: “If employees are overworked and stressed then their levels of engagement, morale and wellbeing are correspondingly low and this can have a real impact on the bottom line for many organisations.
“Understanding employees’ needs and putting in place a thorough health and wellbeing strategy can pay dividends for organisations of all sizes.”
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Lung cancer in women 'set to rise 35 times faster than in men'

Warning from cancer charity

The number of women living with cancer in the UK is set to almost quadruple over the next 30 years, far outstripping the number of men with the disease, a leading cancer charity is warning.
Figures from Macmillan Cancer Support forecast that the number of women with lung cancer will rise 35 times faster than the number of men with the illness between now and 2040.
In 2010, there were some 26,000 women living with the disease, which Macmillan predicts will almost quadruple to around 95,000 in 2040.
By contrast, the number of men with lung cancer is expected to rise by just 8%, from 39,000 in 2010 to 42,000 in 2040.
Macmillan-funded research carried out by King’s College London forecasts that the overall number of people living with lung cancer in the UK will have doubled by 2040, from 65,000 in 2010 to around 137,000.
By 2040 fewer than half (47%) of women with lung cancer will be long-term survivors (alive at least five years from diagnosis) compared with three-fifths (59%) of men.
Ciarán Devane, chief executive of Macmillan Cancer Support, said the figures should serve as a reminder that lung cancer “is still very much a cancer killer”.
He said: “For most cancers in the UK we are looking at how we can cope with a population of long-term survivors with health complications. With lung cancer we are a long way from even being able to consider these issues.”
Devane added that it is “nonsensical” that research into lung cancer receives such “minimal” funding compared with other cancers.
In 2010, it received a quarter of the amount of research funding compared with breast cancer.
Macmillan says surgery is often under used as a treatment option for lung cancer, and argues that while it can be key to survival for many patients, access to it “varies dramatically” within the UK.
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Diabetes cases 'to soar by a fifth by 2020'

Number of people with the condition to rise by 700,000

The number of people with diabetes in Britain is expected to rise by 700,000 by the end of the decade, according to data analysis out this week.
The analysis, published by Diabetes UK and based on data from the Yorkshire & Humber Public Health Observatory, predicts there will be 4.4 million people in England, Scotland and Wales with the condition by 2020, an increase of almost a fifth compared to now.
Diabetes UK says the vast majority of the extra 700,000 cases would be Type 2 diabetes, which can often be prevented by making lifestyle changes such as losing weight.
It says that such a significant increase in the number of people with the condition would put great financial pressure on the NHS, which it notes is already spending 10% of its overall budget on treating diabetes.
Barbara Young, chief executive of Diabetes UK, said the healthcare system is “already at breaking point” in terms of its ability to care for people with diabetes.
She said: “The result is that many people are developing health complications that could have been avoided, and are dying early as a result.
"Because of this, I have grave fears about the potential impact of an extra 700,000 people with diabetes.”
Young called on the Government to fund a campaign aimed at raising awareness of the risk factors for Type 2 diabetes to help identify and provide support to those at high risk.

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28 is ‘optimum age’ to start financial planning

Survey reveals when consumers begin to plan long term

The average age at which consumers begin to plan financially for the long term is 28, according to research published today by life office Bright Grey.

The provider’s Financial Safety Net report – which polled almost 1,500 British adults aged 35 and over – shows that 28 was the average age at which respondents began to think about long-term financial provisions such as taking out a pension or saving in order to purchase property.

However, 5% of those surveyed said they did not believe they needed to plan financially for the long term at all.

Roger Edwards, managing director at Bright Grey, said that 28 is around the age that many people take key lifestyle choices such as buying a first property, getting married or having a child.

He said: "With these changes can come responsibility, and this means waking up to the very real need to have finances in order.”

The research follows July’s Protection Review conference, where one of the issues under discussion was how protection advisers could place more emphasis on family as a reason for consumers to proactively buy protection products rather than being 'sold' them.

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Individuals more cautious about debt but still go without protection

Research suggests people still mistakenly think cover is too expensive

People are increasingly aware about their financial situation, but are still too willing to rack up significant levels of debt without having adequate protection to cover them should they fall ill, it was claimed today.

Research carried out among over 2,000 people show that most individuals only consider themselves in serious financial difficulty once they are in £14,416 of debt.

And while that figure is down from a year ago, suggesting individuals are more conscious of their financial situation, it is still a significant burden to take on without proper protection cover, according to Bright Grey, the insurer behind the study.

The provider’s “financial safety net” report for 2011 states that the level of “serious financial difficulty” for individuals is £1,421 less than it was last year, when it stood at £15,837.

Research carried out recently for Legal & General shows that the number of households who say they are "struggling" to pay bills or sinking into debt has fallen by just under a quarter of a million (244,000) at the start of the year compared to the last quarter of 2011.

But Roger Edwards, proposition director at Bright Grey, said that individuals are in fact becoming increasingly conscious about the impact of rising unemployment. Two in five (40%) of individuals surveyed for Bright Grey cite losing their jobs and being unable to find another one as the biggest thing likely to affect their standard of living this year. A rise in the rate of inflation (32%) was seen as having a far more dramatic impact on living standards than a rise in interest rates (15%).

And while “getting a serious illness” was ranked as the second main factor to affect living standards in 2012, not enough people have contingency plans in place to cover, Edwards said.

He said: “People are becoming increasingly aware of the impact of high debt yet are still failing take out adequate protection. Britons need to make financial provisions for their future and not live under the hope that state benefits or bail outs from family and friends will allow them to maintain their standard of living. Protection products are cheaper than ever and it is crucial that people recognise the significance of putting an appropriate financial safety net in place.”

The main reason cited by survey respondents for not having a protection product was the cost. Almost half (46%) of people suggested that protection products were too expensive compared to 39% last year. One in five people (19%) said the products were unnecessary as they could rely on savings, while over one in ten (11%) said they would prefer to spend the money on other things.

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Lung cancer rates continue to rise in women as male incidence falls fast

Cancer Research UK figures signal warning for females


Rates of lung cancer in women are continuing to rise, according to figures released by Cancer Research UK.

The charity said today that more than 18,000 UK women were diagnosed with the disease in 2009. Rates of the disease have risen to 39.3 for every 100,000 UK women from 22.2 for every 100,000 in 1975 when there were fewer than 8,000 cases.

Although lung cancer is still more common in men with more than 23,000 cases in 2009, rates in men have been falling “fast”, the charity said. Male lung cancer incidence is now 58.8 per 100,000 UK men compared with 110 in 1975.

Cancer Research UK said that cases of lung cancer mirror smoking rates around two to three decades earlier as more than 80% of cases are caused by tobacco.

The new figures also reveal that the total number of UK lung cancer deaths stands at almost 35,000. 19,410 men and 15,449 women died from the disease in 2010.

Sara Hiom, Cancer Research UK’s information director, said lung cancer continues to claim “far too many” lives.

She said: “More than four in five cases of the disease are caused directly by smoking. But this means nearly one in five cases is not. It's really important that anyone with a cough that lasts for three weeks or a worsening or a change in a long-standing cough get this checked out.”

Until the late 1990s, lung cancer was the most common cancer in the UK. In 1997 it was overtaken by breast cancer, but still accounts for 14 per cent of all new cancer cases in men, and 11% in women.
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Friends Life and L&G reveal critical illness claims figures

Providers release competitive set of results


Critical illness (CI) providers are consistently paying out on 90% of claims or more, results published today by Friends Life and Legal & General show.

Legal & General paid 93.2% of claims in 2011 while Friends Life paid 90% of claims.

Legal & General paid out a record total of £441m in death and CI claims last year, up 18% on the £373m it paid out in 2010.

The provider paid out 2,784 claims in 2011, with the average payment per claim standing at £63,573 and the average age of the claimant being 43 years. It says that cancer remains the number one reason for a CI claim.

Of the 6.8% of CI claims that were declined by Legal & General, 2.6% were declined for non-disclosure and the remaining 4.8% for failing to meet the policy definition.

Meanwhile Friends Life paid out a total of £89.5m in claims last year. The provider declined 4% of claims due to non-disclosure and a further 6% for failing to meet the policy definition.

Out of 1,733 total claims, Friends Life paid out on 1,565. The average age of a male claimant was 45 and for females, the average age was 43.

Steve Casey, head of marketing and intermediary proposition development at Friends Life, said: “The wide range of conditions that our customers continue to claim for demonstrates that not all critical illness covers are the same.

“It is important that people ensure that they have the right cover in place and that advisers work hard to match their clients to relevant and appropriate policies for their needs.”

Legal & General and Friends Life’s results are broadly in line with those published by other providers earlier this month.

Aviva paid out 94.1% of CI claims in 2011, while AEGON paid out 93% of claims and Scottish Provident paid out in 91% of cases.

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Women 'drastically' under-insured

Big gulf compared to men in spite of increasing financial responsibilities

Women "drastically" under-insure themselves when it comes to taking out protection cover, according to statistics released today.

And the problem is set to get worse as new EU rules on gender-based pricing for insurance come into force later this year.

Figures compiled by Scottish Provident, the insurer, suggest that men typically protect themselves with around 50% more life cover than women. Although the gap is “relatively small” to begin with – 23% among those in their 30s – it gets progressively wider and becomes a “significant gulf” for those in their 60s, when men have almost twice as much cover in place, Scot Prov said.

A new EU gender directive which comes into force in December means that the cost of protection for women is set to rise substantially, with some commentators projecting a rise of around 20%. As a result, Jennifer Gilchrist, senior product development manager, at Scottish Provident, said 2012 should be the year in which women act to protect their families’ financial security.

Research shows that women are increasingly becoming the primary household earners in the UK and elsewhere in the Western world.

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20 million Brits without financial safety net

Tens of millions would be unable to maintain lifestyle should they fall ill

Over 20 million people in the UK would be unable to maintain their current lifestyle after September 2012 if they had to live off any "emergency" funds, it was claimed today.

A study for Bright Grey, the protection provider, shows that 41% of adults - five times more than in 2010 - say they would only be able to rely on savings, borrow from friends and family or rely on credit, for up to six months in a financial emergency.

Half (49%) of those surveyed for Bright Grey's Financial Safety Net report believe they could rely on these types of support to survive financially for over a year.

However, in spite of this, three in five (60%) people have no cover whatsoever compared to 58% a year ago – whether that’s life insurance, critical illness or income protection.

The study also showed that nearly half (43%) of respondents say they have £1,000 or less in savings that they could access immediately. Nearly a quarter (23%) have no money saved at all.

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Four out of five new parents 'skimping' on life cover

But expectant mums and dads spend fortune on prams and clothes

Four out of five new parents are risking their children's financial futures by “skimping” on life cover, according to research published today.

A survey of 1,500 recent parents carried out for Aviva suggests that while two out of five (40%) start a savings account for a new arrival, fewer than one in five (18%) take out life insurance.

The study reveals that parents are going without life cover even though they have considered what would happen should they die, with a quarter of respondents to the survey stating they had chosen a guardian for their child if they were to pass away.

Aviva said that expectant parents spend an average of £1,370 on things such as pushchairs, baby clothes, cots, bedding, car seats and nappies. However, two-thirds (60%) of families have no form of protection in place and the average family only has £928 in savings.

Research published recently by Ageas Protect suggested that less than one in ten (9%) people have a critical illness policy in place – equivalent to 4.5 million adults – while 12% have taken out a pet insurance policy, equating to 5.9 million adults.

Louise Colley, head of protection marketing and sales for Aviva, said that it is understandable that expectant parents spend so much on their unborn baby but within the “checklist” of essential items, she would urge them to consider putting a small amount aside each month to protect their family's financial future.

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Payment protection 'crucial' as unemployment rises to highest level for 17 years

Unemployment has risen again and rates stand at the highest in 17 years.
Official figures for the last quarter of 2011 show that there were 2.67 million people unemployed, up 48,000 on the quarter.
Insurers said the figures show how important it is that consumers provide a financial safety net against being out of work.
John Pollock, group board director for Legal & General’s Risk businesses, said that an estimated two thirds (67%) of the population do not have any insurance such as mortgage or payment protection insurance to help them to continue to pay bills should they lose their job.
He added: "Insurance can play a crucial role in helping people keep their homes and maintain their standard of living if the worst should happen."
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Brits willing to take out 'at least some' CI cover

Some cover is better than none, Ageas says
Cash-strapped consumers are being urged to consider taking out small levels of critical illness (CI) insurance if they feel unable or reluctant to pay for top level cover.
As household budgets become ever-more stretched, Ageas Protect said it is understandable that some individuals feel unable to take out protection cover that could prove vital if they should fall seriously ill.
However, the insurer said it has conducted research which shows that one in ten parents would be prepared to pay £20 a month for a CI policy which covered themselves and their children, according to research published this week.
A survey of over 2,000 adults for the life office also shows that 15% of adults would be prepared to spend £5 a month, while 17% would spend up to £10 each month.
Andy Milburn, head of marketing at Ageas Protect, said that given the fact that a non-smoking thirty nine year old male, for example, could get £25,000 worth of accelerated CI cover for £14.59, some form of protection is within the reach of many people who are otherwise going without.
The research found that while parents are more likely to have life insurance, CI or income protection cover in place, six out of ten (60%) parents with children under 18 years – around 9.5 million parents – have no protection cover or financial provision in place to support their own or their child’s medical bills, as well as any time off work to look after a sick child.
Milburn said that it is "clear" that parents are willing to pay to protect themselves and their children, at least for a "reasonable" monthly amount.
He said: "Starting off with a small amount of CI cover, which can always be increased at a later date, could be the perfect solution to help educate not only parents, but consumers up and down the country, that CI cover can be taken out for the same monthly outlay as a pet insurance policy, and will provide a vital support at a time of need.”
Last year almost nine in ten (89%) of respondents to an Association of British Insurers survey said they would be prepared to pay no more than £5 a week for income protection cover, while 29% said they would not be prepared to pay anything at all.
COST OF LOWER LEVELS OF CI COVER
£25,000 Accelerated Critical Illness
M ns 30nb to age 65: £9.98
M ns 39nb to age 65: £14.59
M ns 43nb to age 65 £17.70
F ns 30nb to age 65: £9.53
F ns 39nb to age 65: £13.71
F ns 43nb to age 65: £15.66
£25,000 Accelerated Critical Illness with Total Disability
M ns 30nb to age 65: £11.84
M ns 39nb to age 65: £16.69
M ns 43nb to age 65 £20.38
F ns 30nb to age 65: £12. 68
F ns 39nb to age 65: £18.84
F ns 43nb to age 65: £21.51
M: male
F: female
ns: non-smoker
Source: Ageas Protect
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More evidence that Brits take out pet cover ahead of protection insurance

Latest survey to reveal nation's animal lovers fail to protect their own family's lifestyle
More proof that individuals continue to choose to purchase pet insurance than protection products is revealed in research published this week.
A survey carried out for Ageas Protect shows that less than one in ten (9%) people have a critical illness (CI) policy in place – equivalent to 4.5 million adults – while 12% have taken out a pet insurance policy, equating to 5.9 million adults. The Opinium survey of over 2,000 adults suggests that one fifth of parents stated they would have to rely on savings if they were to fall seriously ill.
Earlier this month Friends Life published research which suggests that while 14% of people would automatically take out pet insurance, just 10% would take out CI cover. Research carried out for Scottish Widows last year, meanwhile, showed that across the UK just 7% of people have income protection insurance, compared to 15% who have taken out pet insurance.
A study carried out last year by unbiased.co.uk, the professional advice website, suggests that more than one in four (27%) UK adults hope to leave enough money for their family or pets to live comfortably after they are gone. However, an estimated 29.5 million UK adults do not have a will in place.

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Consumers find protection among hardest products to understand

Only pensions rank lower for clarity among mainstream financial services products
Protection is among the hardest of all mainstream financial services products for consumers to understand, according to research published this week.
In a survey of 2,500 people for the Association of British Insurers (ABI), payment protection insurance (PPI) and critical illness (CI) cover ranked the lowest in terms of understanding.
Just over half (52% of respondents to the survey rated their understanding of PPI at 5 or below (out of ten), while even less (36%) rated their understanding at five or below.
Among the widely-held financial services products included in the survey, only pensions (31%) ranked lower.
Respondents were most comfortable comparing the features of motor/van insurance and savings/current accounts, with 52% ranking each at 7 out of ten or above. Respondents again ranked PPI, as well as mortgage payment protection insurance, and CI cover bottom in terms of product comparisons, with pensions and annuities also receiving lower ratings.

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Cash-strapped parents warned not to cut vital protection cover as household budgets feel the pinch

Parents look to make whatever savings they can as cost of raising child rises 3.3%
Cash-strapped parents are being warned that cutting back on the amount they spend on vital protection cover may help household budgets in the short-term but could have “catastrophic” implications overall.
Research published this week shows that the rising cost of childcare, education and food means that the overall cost of raising a child has increased 3.3% in a year. As a result, over three-quarters of parents are making cutbacks to the family budget, while two in five parents have reduced the amount they regularly save.
The rising costs are thought to be behind the fact that only a third (32%) of parents have life cover in place.
The annual Cost a Child Report from protection and retirement specialist LV= shows the cost of raising a child from birth to their 21 birthday now totals a record £218,024. This equates to £10,382 a year, £865 a month or £28.44 a day.
The survey of more than 2,000 parents suggests that while costs of childcare and education have gone up, some expenditure has decreased since last year as three-quarters of parents (76%) look at ways to cut back, with spending on hobbies and toys down 5%.
Mark Jones, head of protection at LV=, said that while many parents are seeking out “savvy” ways to ensure they can still afford their children’s higher education prospects, with tuition fees increasing this year he expects to see more parents making “significant” cut backs across the family budget to accommodate this.
But he said that with mounting financial pressures, many families are reducing the amount of savings and protection they have in place. Two in five (43%) parents trying to decrease their spending have cut back on saving and reduced the amount they are putting away. A further 22% have cancelled or reviewed their insurance policies to try and save money.
Jones said that when considering ways to ease the family budget it is important that parents keep in mind the long-term picture.
“Cancelling life cover or income protection, for instance, as a short-term measure to save money can have catastrophic implications if either parent were unable to work or weren’t around in the future,” he said.

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Protection timebomb ticking as consumers spend all of their salary or more

Cash-strapped individuals urged to cut back on 'here and now' spending
Cash-strapped consumers could be in much worse financial shape if they keep spending on the here and now and fail to provide an adequate money safety net should the worst happen and they fall seriously ill, it has been claimed.
Protection provider Bright Grey said that research which shows that a third of British adults have nothing left from their monthly salary or are in debt underlines individuals’ financial vulnerability in the face of sickness or illness.
The provider’s Financial Safety report suggests that one in three (33%) of adults spend more than their salary or just about manage to break even each month. Over 11 million British adults (23%) just about match their outgoings to their net monthly salary, with nothing leftover at the end of the month. Some 4.9 million (10%) spend more than their salary on a regular basis.
Last year research carried out by Swiss Re suggested that consumers are more aware of their lack of financial protection but remain more focused on reducing their levels of debt than ensuring they have adequate levels of protection in place.
Swiss Re’s study argued that the economic downturn has resulted in a shift in consumer awareness towards the need for greater self-reliance and financial protection. However, consumers are delivering an "austere self-assessment of their financial exposures", Swiss Re said, resulting in a "never-ending circle of uncertainty".
While Swiss Re’s research suggests that affordability is a "fundamental" barrier to consumers taking out life insurance, Bright Grey’s research suggests that consumers spend an average of just £30 per month on protection cover out of an average monthly spend of £1,315. Bright Grey said in comparison, consumers spend £56 on telephone bills and £232 on supermarket and other forms of shopping.
Roger Edwards, proposition director at Bright Grey, said it is a “false economy” to believe that just spending on the here and now is going to keep Britons “in good stead”.
“By cutting back slightly on some of their outgoings, most adults should be able to find a small amount of money to help provide the ‘financial safety net’ they may need in an emergency situation,” Edwards said.
Individuals’ potential financial vulnerability was also revealed last year when a survey for CLIC Sargent, the children's charity, said that the unexpected costs of travel, childcare, food and accommodation while their child has treatment for cancer means that 66% of parents have to turn to borrowing to make ends meet.
CLIC Sargent’s research showed that three in five (58%) parents of children with cancer said they had to reduce the number of hours they worked, while a small but significant number (6%) said they had turned to high interest, short-term payday loans to cope with the additional costs.

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Employee absence soars following introduction of fit note - FirstCare

GPs 'stuck in old habits', absence management specialist claims
Employee time off work may have doubled since the introduction of the fit note, the replacement system for the traditional sick note introduced in 2010, according to the UK's largest absence management specialist.
A study carried out by FirstCare suggests that workers who went to their GP for a fit note were absent from work for 48 days on average, compared to 20 days for those who did not apply for one.
FirstCare said it has carried out an analysis of 22,086 employee records which found that the majority of GPs continue to sign off employees sick for lengthy periods of time. The fit note had been introduced in order to enable doctors to say what an employee is well enough to perform, as opposed to simply saying whether they can be at work or not at all.
James Arquette, a director at FirstCare, said the system "causes employees to be off work for longer without reducing the likelihood of repeated absence".
FirstCare’s analysis chimes with findings from a survey carried out last year by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development and Simplyhealth which suggested that just 11% of business said the fit note had cut absence. The CIPD/Simplyhealth survey of 592 organisations also found that just under a third (31%) agreed that the fit note helps line managers to manage absence more effectively.

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