CIExpert today publishes ‘Critical Thinking 2026’, the most comprehensive research study into the UK’s Critical Illness and Income Protection markets. The report, headline sponsored by Royal London and Guardian, and supported by Aviva, Legal & General, Vitality Life and Zurich, draws on the views of advisers and 10,000 consumers.
Building on the inaugural ‘Critical Thinking 2024’ report, the headline finding is stark: around seven in ten consumers have not seen or heard anything about Income Protection (IP) in the last year, while the same amount states the same about Critical Illness Cover. That position has barely shifted since the 2024 report, when 70% reported no exposure to CIC advertising.
The scale of confusion is greater than the industry imagined
Where consumers do have views on these products, their understanding is frequently shaped by false assumptions rather than knowledge. Over a quarter (26%) rule out CIC simply because they do not have a mortgage – a figure that points to an industry narrative still rooted in home ownership despite the product’s far broader relevance. Only 8% of all consumers say they would use a payout to repay a mortgage; the vast majority would use it for income replacement, everyday expenses or health-related costs.
Income Protection faces similar barriers. A quarter of consumers (25%) believe IP is only for people who are self-employed or have no sick pay, while on the flipside, 19% think having employer sick pay means they do not need cover at all, rising to 27% of Gen Zs. This is echoed in the adviser research that found that nearly half of advisers (49%) say clients believe employer sick pay means they do not need IP.
The perceived reliance on sick pack is striking, given that only a fifth (22%) know how long their employer sick pay would last – yet when the limitations of sick pay and the role of IP are clearly explained, 43% say the product feels more relevant, rising to 61% of Gen Z and 64% of Millennials.
Younger generations are more engaged than the industry may assume
A recurring theme in ‘Critical Thinking 2026’ is that Gen Z and Millennials are receptive to protection when it is framed clearly and relevantly.
Among Millennials, 38% say they would prefer an enhanced Critical Illness plan when given a clear explanation of the differences. Over half of Gen Z and Millennials (54/55%) are open to paying more for advanced added value services, including access to advanced tumour profiling and personalised cancer treatment, clinical trial support, and specialist treatment only available oversees.
On income protection, cost is frequently cited as a barrier, but when it’s positioned like a pension – as a small percentage of income – attitudes change, with 39% saying 1–3% of earnings feels reasonable for income protection. When IP is framed around retirement savings, relevance rises to 59% of Gen Z and 61% of Millennials. And when IP is presented as protecting income until retirement, 51% of Millennials say they would be more likely to consider it.
NHS pressures and changing work patterns are reshaping consumer attitudes
Waiting times for NHS treatment now rank as the leading healthcare concern among UK consumers, cited by 36% overall and rising to 45% of Boomers. One in three consumers (32%) say they would be more likely to buy CIC if a policy paid out once placed on an NHS waiting list, rising to 42% of Millennials – a significant shift that points to a new framing opportunity for insurers and advisers.
On Income Protection, 42% of Gen Z expect a mixed or non-linear career, and 30% say portability of cover between jobs would be important. This challenges the traditional employment assumptions built into many IP models, with advisers identifying self-employed income uncertainty (cited by 45%), mixed income types (40%) and variable earnings (39%) as the most common practical barriers to placing suitable cover.
Alan Lakey, director, CIExpert, said: “The protection industry has a habit of talking to itself and assuming the world is listening. It isn’t. When we launched Critical Thinking in 2024, we called for a revolution in how the industry thinks about protection. Critical Thinking 2026 shows some green shoots of change for the better; almost one in three advisers have changed how they recommend CIC as a direct result of the ‘Single is Best’ campaign – and that matters enormously.
“But beyond our own bubble, seven in ten consumers have not seen or heard a thing about Critical Illness Cover or Income Protection in the last year. That gap between what we think we’re communicating and what people are actually hearing should be uncomfortable reading for everyone in this market.
“This report is a reality check as much as a celebration. Consumers aren’t rejecting these products – they simply don’t know they exist, or they’ve built up assumptions that nobody has yet challenged. That’s not a consumer problem; it’s an industry problem. What gives me genuine optimism is this: when advisers explain these products clearly – when they connect them to real health anxieties, real income fears, real life – attitudes shift. The evidence is right here. We know what works. The only question now is whether we have the collective will to do it at scale.”
A call for industry collaboration
The 2026 report concludes with a call for collaboration across the industry to address the education gap that continues to hold back the protection market. Despite widespread confusion, the research consistently shows that when products are explained clearly and framed around real-life concerns – health anxiety, NHS pressures, income vulnerability and long-term financial security – consumer engagement shifts materially.
Fi Wynn, head of protection proposition at Royal London, commented: “The findings of this report make for stark reading, too many people miss out on a financial safety net simply because they don’t understand what’s available or how it can help them. We need to help cut through the confusion and ensure more consumers get the support they need, when they need it most. Genuine progress depends on collaboration, clear communication, and tackling outdated assumptions. As an industry we have a collective purpose to ensure that protection insurance becomes relevant and accessible to all.”
Hilary Banks, Chief Commercial Officer, Guardian Financial Services, said: “We’re confident that Critical Thinking 2026 will spark a renewed commitment to raising awareness and helping consumers better understand what protection really means for them. After seeing the impact of the first report in 2024, it’s brilliant to be sponsoring the research again and continuing to support the insight it brings. The findings make it clear there’s still work to do, but the message is ultimately positive – that explaining what we do as an industry more clearly has the potential to unlock growth and help more families get the protection they need. A big part of that is evolving how we explain, design and recommend protection so it keeps pace with the changing lives it’s designed to support.
“We also want to thank CIExpert for making this research happen, for the insight it brings us, for pushing us to think differently and, most importantly, for the improvements we’re confident we’ll see in customer understanding and engagement as a result.”
Industry professionals can download the report at https://ciexpert.uk/critical-thinking-report-2026-register/.
