Quick answer · Updated August 2026
Accident-only income protection is cheap — often £5–15/month — because it excludes the thing most likely to stop you working: illness. Sickness (cancer, mental health, musculoskeletal disease) drives roughly 85%+ of long-term work absence; accidents a small fraction. It suits only those declined for full IP or genuinely unable to afford it. Full cover first, always, if you can.
What You're Actually Buying (August 2026)
| Accident-only IP | Full income protection | |
|---|---|---|
| Injuries from accidents | Covered | Covered |
| Cancer, heart disease, stroke | NOT covered | Covered |
| Mental health absence | NOT covered | Covered (quality policies) |
| Back pain & musculoskeletal illness | Only if accident-caused | Covered |
| Share of long-term absence covered | Small minority | Effectively all |
| Typical price (35yo, £1,500/mo) | £5–15/mo | £25–45/mo |
When It Makes Sense — and the Trap
Legitimate uses: you've been declined for full IP on health grounds (accident-only needs no health underwriting), a short-term gap in high-physical-risk work, or a genuine last-resort budget. The trap: buying it as "income protection" and discovering at diagnosis that illness was never covered — the cheapness is the exclusion. Before settling, price full cover with a longer waiting period or a 2-year benefit cap (see benefit durations) — both cut premiums while keeping illness covered, and specialists accept more health histories than people assume: provider ranking.
Frequently Asked Questions
Because it excludes illness — the cause of the overwhelming majority of long-term work absence. You're insuring the rare cause and leaving the common one uncovered; the price reflects exactly that.
Mainly people declined for full income protection on health grounds — accident-only usually requires no medical underwriting — or as a knowingly-limited stopgap. It should be a fallback, never a first choice.
Full cover trimmed to fit: a longer waiting period (13–26 weeks) or a 2-year benefit cap each cut premiums 30–50% while keeping illness — the real risk — insured.