Being unable to work for months is more likely than dying young, and far less commonly insured. The number that matters is not your salary — it is what your household must cover each month regardless.
What the Income Protection Estimator does
Compares essential monthly outgoings against take-home pay and any employer sick pay, to show the shortfall a policy would need to cover. Defaults to 3,400 take-home against 2,400 essentials.
It works from essentials rather than income, because that is what has to be met — and insuring your full salary is usually neither possible nor necessary.
Open the Income Protection Estimator and follow the settings and checks below.
What goes in
| Setting | What it means |
|---|---|
| Monthly take-home | Default 3,400 |
| Essential outgoings | Default 2,400 — the number that matters |
| Employer sick pay | In months — the deferred period should match |
| Returns | The monthly shortfall to cover |
| Typical policy cap | Around 50–70% of gross income |
| Deferred period | Longer wait = cheaper premium |
| Not counted | State benefits, savings, partner’s income |
| Is this advice? | No |
How to use it
- Work out genuine essentials — housing, food, utilities, debt, insurance.
- Find out exactly how long your employer pays sick pay, and at what rate.
- Match the policy’s deferred period to where that runs out. See the tip.
Practical advice
Set the deferred period to start when your employer sick pay ends, not immediately. Paying for cover during months you would still be paid is money wasted, and a longer wait reduces the premium substantially — often by more than people expect. Find the exact number of months in your contract first; assumptions here are expensive in both directions.
Common questions
Why calculate from essentials rather than salary?
Because essentials are what must be met, and policies typically cap at 50–70% of gross income anyway — insuring the full amount is usually not on offer. Working from outgoings gives a number you can actually buy.
What is a deferred period?
The wait between being unable to work and the policy paying. Longer is cheaper. The right length is usually exactly where your employer sick pay stops, so you are never paying for overlap or facing a gap.
Is this the same as critical illness cover?
No. Income protection pays a monthly amount while you cannot work, whatever the cause. Critical illness pays a lump sum on diagnosis of specific listed conditions. They solve different problems and many people hold both.
Should I buy this?
That depends on your savings, your employer benefits, your state entitlements and your household — none of which this can see. It sizes the gap; an adviser can tell you how to fill it.
Useful next tools
- Life Cover Estimator — Estimate the life cover a household would actually need.
- 50/30/20 Budget Calculator — Split take-home pay into needs, wants and savings.
- Payroll Calculator — Net pay, deductions and the employer's total cost.
- Savings Goal Planner — How much to set aside each month to hit a target.
- Deductible Trade-off — Compare premium savings against out-of-pocket risk.
- Take-Home Pay — Estimate net pay from gross salary.
Vootkit provides an educational estimate, not insurance, financial or legal advice and not a policy quote. Cover, eligibility, pricing, exclusions and regulation vary by provider and country. Read the policy documents and consult a licensed professional before making a decision.
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