Income Protection and Pregnancy

indebtandconfused

Firstly please be kind.  This issue has caused me a lot of heartache over the years and I’ve been to anxious to ask as I’m sure I’ll get lots of opinions on whether I should or shouldn’t.

i have been signed off sick from work for many years (various issues) and have received income protection via my employer.  It has varied from having lots of contact with them and medicals etc.. to nothing for years and then back to contact again.  Obviously this makes me nervous as never know where I stand.

i have always wanted to be a mum.  If I was in full health and working I would need to have maternity leave and then return to work full time like normal.  Obviously this isn’t the case.  If I was to go ahead what happens with the income protection.  Do I get a maternity period then back on it or will they see it as a reason to stop it all together.
they won’t see the bigger picture in that I have not had children and it is almost to late.  It won’t be straightforward and if I was lucky enough to be a mum I would have help with parents etc…
sorry for long post but I literally can’t put it off any longer I’m 43 and the thought of not being a mum breaks my heart, equally the thought of losing the security of the money scares the life out of me.

any advice I’d be so great full.

BarelySentientAI

I'm no expert on medical policies, but my limited understanding is that if you're off sick then it continues to pay until you are no longer suffering with one of the illnesses covered by the policy.

I'm assuming that your issues wouldn't suddenly be cured if you got pregnant, so I would then think that the income protection continued to pay just as it is today - no maternity period or anything like that.

I could be completely wrong about that though, so perhaps wait and see what others' views are.

FlorayG

my first thought would be - are you expecting to be off work and on this benefit until you retire and if not and you are able to go back to work how will you manage childcare? If you expect to be off, how will your health issues affect your child?

DullGreyGuy

You would ultimately need to check the terms of your particular group income protection plan, certainly some will continue to payout during what would be maternity leave as long as the pregnancy itself isn't the reason for being off work. 

Obviously dont know your job, your illness or anything else but depending on those I could see some scenarios where maybe deciding your well enough for pregnancy/raising a baby could call into question if you aren't well enough to do your job