Income protection waiting periods, and how to set yours
The waiting period is one of the main things that sets what income protection costs, so it is worth setting against your actual sick pay.
The waiting period is how long you must be off work before income protection starts paying, commonly 4, 13, 26 or 52 weeks. A longer waiting period lowers the premium. Match it to the point your employer sick pay stops, and cover the gap with savings.
What the waiting period does
The waiting period, sometimes called the deferred period, is how long you must be off work before income protection starts paying.
| Waiting period | Suits | Effect on premium |
|---|---|---|
| 4 weeks | No sick pay at all, or self-employed | The most expensive |
| 13 weeks | Employers paying around three months | Noticeably cheaper |
| 26 weeks | Employers paying six months full pay | Cheaper again |
| 52 weeks | Generous schemes, six months full then six half | The cheapest |
The direction is consistent. Longer waiting periods cost less because the insurer is on risk for fewer claims.
Getting this right can make a large difference to the price of income protection.
Match it to your actual sick pay
Read your employment contract
Look for occupational sick pay, and how long it runs at full and half pay.
Note the exact end date
For example, three months full pay then three months half pay.
Set the waiting period to start where the money stops
If full pay runs 13 weeks, a 13 week waiting period fits.
Cover the waiting period with savings
That is one of the jobs your emergency fund is for.
Review it if you change jobs
New employer, new sick pay, possibly a different waiting period.
Self-employed people have no sick pay
There is no Statutory Sick Pay for the self-employed. Income stops when the work does. Statutory Sick Pay for employees is £123.25 a week, or 80% of normal weekly earnings if that is lower, for up to 28 weeks (2026-27).
A shorter waiting period costs more, and it is usually the right call here. Four or eight weeks is common, matched to whatever cash buffer exists.
The alternative is a longer waiting period and a larger emergency fund. Our emergency savings page covers that trade.
Want this checked against your own situation?
Send us the figures and we will tell you what they mean. If it is not ours to advise on, we will say who should.
Ask us a questionPrefer WhatsApp? Message us there. We are open Monday to Saturday, 9am to 8pm.
We advise on and arrange life cover, critical illness cover and income protection ourselves. There is no fee to you for our advice. If you take out a policy, the insurer may pay us a commission.
The other terms that matter as much
- Own occupation, meaning it pays if you cannot do your job rather than any job
- Whether the benefit is guaranteed or reviewable, which affects future premiums
- Whether cover runs to your chosen retirement age
- Whether it pays again for a related condition without a new waiting period
- Whether the benefit rises with inflation while in payment
Own occupation is the definition to hold out for. Any occupation policies can decline a claim because you could theoretically do some other job.
Where you stand
- You are self-employed with no sick pay
- Your employer pays statutory sick pay only
- Your savings would not cover three months
- Your work is physical and injury is a real risk
- Your employer pays six months full pay
- You hold six months of costs in savings
- You want the premium as low as possible
- You have other income that continues while you are off
Check broadband before you make an offer
Broadband speeds can vary street by street, so check the exact address before you commit. Ofcom's free checker shows which broadband speeds and mobile coverage are available at any UK property.
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Questions people actually ask
What is a waiting period on income protection?
What waiting period should I choose?
What if I am self-employed?
Does a longer waiting period really cut the cost?
What does own occupation mean?
How do I check broadband speed at a property?
Where to go next
Figures checked on 1 September 2026 and correct for the 2026/27 tax year. Rates change, so check the source before you act on a number.
Send us your sick pay terms
That one detail usually cuts the premium and fixes the design. We advise on and arrange income protection ourselves.
Start a conversationPrefer WhatsApp? Message us there. We are open Monday to Saturday, 9am to 8pm.
We advise on and arrange life cover, critical illness cover and income protection ourselves. There is no fee to you for our advice. If you take out a policy, the insurer may pay us a commission.