What you get at each £10 step. Green = covered, amber = partial, red = exposed, grey = not included.
| Protection | £70bare minimum | £80essential | £90solid | £100sweet spot | £110comfort | £120strong | £130strong+ | £140premium |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Income Protection (your #1 risk) | ||||||||
| Income Protection type How long it pays if you can't work | 2-year cap | Full-term | Full-term | Full-term | Full-term | Full-term | Full-term | Full-term |
| Deferment period How long before it starts paying | 8 weeks | 6 months | 6 months | 6 months | 6 months | 13 weeks | 13 weeks | 4 weeks |
| Monthly IP payout What you'd receive per month | £2,000 | £2,000 | £2,000 | £2,000 | £2,000 | £2,000 | £2,000 | £2,000 |
| Savings needed to bridge deferment Cash buffer to survive the wait | ~£5.7k | ~£17k | ~£17k | ~£17k | ~£17k | ~£8.6k | ~£8.6k | ~£2.9k |
| 4-year illness (e.g. cancer) Total payout over a 4-year claim | £44k then nothing | £84,000 | £84,000 | £84,000 | £84,000 | £90,000 | £90,000 | £94,000 |
| IP cost in this budget | £38.59 | £74.09 | £74.09 | £74.09 | £74.09 | ~£105 | ~£105 | £136.78 |
| Sam's Protection (if you die) | ||||||||
| Family Income Benefit Monthly income to Sam's guardian | — | — | £1,000/mo | £2,000/mo | £2,000/mo | £2,000/mo | £2,000/mo | — |
| FIB potential total payout Max Sam's guardian could receive | £0 | £0 | £156,000 | £312,000 | £312,000 | £312,000 | £312,000 | £0 |
| FIB cost in this budget | — | — | ~£14 | ~£25 | ~£25 | ~£15 | ~£25 | — |
| vs Mark's £42k lump sum How FIB compares to the broker quote | Worse (£42k lump) | No death cover added | 3.7x more payout | 7.4x more payout | 7.4x more payout | 7.4x more payout | 7.4x more payout | No death cover added |
| Children's Critical Illness Lump sum if Sam gets seriously ill | Free add-on | Free add-on | Free add-on | Free add-on | Free add-on | Free add-on | Free add-on | Free add-on |
| Existing Cover (from Sparx, all budgets) | ||||||||
| Death in Service 6x salary via Aviva | £318k | £318k | £318k | £318k | £318k | £318k | £318k | £318k |
| Mortgage cleared on death | Yes (+£68k) | Yes (+£68k) | Yes (+£68k) | Yes (+£68k) | Yes (+£68k) | Yes (+£68k) | Yes (+£68k) | Yes (+£68k) |
| Portable (keeps if you leave Sparx) | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No |
| Extras (what fills remaining budget) | ||||||||
| Lump sum CI for you Mark's £42k life/CI policy | £42k (Mark's) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Junior ISA for Sam Monthly savings building to 18 | — | — | — | — | ~£10/mo | — | — | — |
| Will + guardianship Legal protection for Sam (one-off ~£250) | Not included | Yes (one-off) | Yes (one-off) | Yes (one-off) | Yes (one-off) | Yes (one-off) | Yes (one-off) | Yes (one-off) |
| Bottom Line | ||||||||
| Total monthly cost | ~£73 | ~£74 | ~£88 | ~£99 | ~£109 | ~£120 | ~£130 | ~£137 |
| Daily cost | £2.40 | £2.44 | £2.90 | £3.26 | £3.59 | £3.95 | £4.28 | £4.50 |
| What changes vs previous step | Baseline (Mark's bundle) |
+£1.42: 2yr → full-term IP | +£14: add FIB £1k/mo for Sam | +£11: double FIB to £2k/mo | +£10: add Junior ISA | +£11: cut deferment to 13wk | +£10: restore FIB £2k | +£7: cut deferment to 4wk |
| Bang for buck rating | Poor | Great | Great | Best | Good | Good | Good | OK |
Most of your protection value comes from just three decisions. Everything else is refinement.
+£1.42/mo
2-year → full-term income protection. This single change means you're covered until recovery or age 68, not cut off after 24 months. A 4-year cancer claim goes from £44k payout to £84k. The biggest upgrade in the entire grid for the smallest price increase.
+£25/mo
Add Family Income Benefit (£2,000/mo for Sam). If you die, Sam's guardian gets £2k/month until Sam is 21. Potential total: £312,000. Compare to Mark's £42k lump sum — this is 7.4x the payout, delivered as a steady income that can't be blown in one go.
+£21/mo
Cut deferment from 6 months to 13 weeks. Reduces the savings buffer you need from ~£17k to ~£8.6k. Worth it if your savings are under £15k. If you have £15k+ this upgrade is comfort, not necessity.
| Full-term Income Protection (6-mo defer) | £74.09 |
| Family Income Benefit £2,000/mo for Sam | ~£25 |
| Children's Critical Illness (free add-on) | £0 |
| Total | ~£99/mo |
You're covered if you can't work (income keeps flowing) and Sam is covered if you die (guardian gets £2k/month for 13 years). The two catastrophic risks are handled. Death in Service clears the mortgage. Children's CI is free on top. Everything above £100 is nice-to-have.
Based on Perplexity API research into Royal London policy wording, ABI definitions, and insurer comparisons. Sources cited.
| Product | Mild stroke recover in weeks |
Moderate stroke off work 6-18 months |
Severe stroke permanent disability |
TIA (mini-stroke) recover in hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Income Protection Royal London, own occupation |
Pays | Pays | Pays to 68 | Only if off work > deferment |
| Critical Illness ABI definition, all major insurers |
No payout | Only if symptoms >24hrs + permanent deficit | Pays lump sum | Never covered |
| FIB (death only) | No | No | No (unless death) | No |
| FIB with CI L&G, Aviva offer this |
No payout | If permanent deficit | Pays monthly income | Never covered |
The ABI model definition requires: permanent neurological deficit from a cerebrovascular incident, with symptoms lasting more than 24 hours.
| Income Protection | Covers every type of stroke that stops you working. Mild, moderate, severe. Pays monthly until you recover or reach 68. This is the primary stroke cover. |
| Critical Illness | Only pays on severe strokes with permanent damage (>24hrs symptoms). About 40-60% of strokes qualify. Useful as a lump sum for adaptations, equipment, private rehab — but not your main stroke cover. |
| For your call with Mark | Ask: "Can I get FIB with critical illness built in, so I get the monthly income for Sam on death AND a CI payout on severe stroke? What does that cost vs separate FIB + standalone CI?" |
Estimated premiums based on typical UK rates for a 41-year-old male non-smoker. Ask Mark to confirm exact pricing. The £120 and £130 tiers trade off between shorter deferment and FIB amount. Stroke research via Perplexity sonar-pro API using ABI, Royal London, and industry sources (April 2026).