Recent research has found that 20 million adults in the UK are without life cover or income protection insurance. The reason is not because it is unaffordable, but is simply due to apathy.

More than a third (37%) of people who responded to the Norwich Union survey said they did not have life cover because they haven’t got round to it or they have not thought about it.

The results of this survey are not at all suprising. Insurers and advisers are well aware that people do not wake up in the morning with the desire to purchase income protection or life cover. It is only when they take out a mortgage or become aware of someone who has suffered an illness that they might think about life or critical illness insurance.

Even then the uptake is poor, according to research by AXA, the average family is under-insured by £176,776 and three quarters of UK adults are under-insured by an average of £96,927.

The Health Insurance & Protection magazine suggests that one place protection could be encouraged is within the workplace:  ‘Using employers to actively target people’s protection needs seems like the next logical step’.