The value of protection extends well beyond claims payments. In the following exclusive, Julie Godley, Director of Intermediary, Retail Protection at L&G, examines the vital role advisers play in helping clients access the full benefits of protection before, during and after a claim.
Protection is too often seen as something that only delivers value at the point a claim is made. In reality, protection provides essential financial resilience and well-being support to individuals and families before, during and beyond the claim itself.
For many customers, financial advice is central to both understanding and unlocking that value. Advisers play a key role in helping clients understand their risks, choosing the right cover for their needs, and staying engaged as their circumstances evolve.
L&G paid over £1.388 billion across more than 26,000 protection claims in 2025, supporting tens of thousands of families across the UK. But its value goes further than a payout alone. From underwriting and product design, to ongoing support and wellbeing services, strong customer outcomes are shaped across the entire protection journey.
Supporting customers beyond the claim
When someone faces a life-changing diagnosis, long-term illness or loss of income, they not only need financial support, but also help navigating the emotional and practical challenges that come with it.
As the protection industry has moved towards a more holistic approach, products have evolved to operate within a broader support system. For example, many policies now include wellbeing services, rehabilitation support and care concierge services. These form part of a wider support network for customers and are often available from day one of the policy.
This more comprehensive approach reflects a shift in focus towards helping customers navigate life-changing events, not just recover financially from them.
The adviser as the constant
As a central link between provider and client, advisers play a fundamental role in unlocking the broader value of protection. They help customers understand their cover, make informed decisions, and stay engaged with their policy over time.
This relationship doesn’t stop once a policy is in place. Good advisers understand that to deliver better customer outcomes, their relationship needs to be built on continuity, trust and a strong rapport. They therefore provide ongoing support by reviewing their clients’ cover and ensuring that it continues to properly meet their needs, helping clients navigate key life moments.
It’s this sustained commitment to the client relationship that ensures that customer outcomes are stronger and that protection works as intended when a client needs it most.
Customer-centred innovations
For customers to realise the full value of their protection, policies need to remain in force. Technology and data are helping providers and advisers proactively manage this risk.
Real-time alerts when Direct Debits are cancelled create opportunities to intervene early, while dedicated retention support provides an additional safety net. In 2025 alone, over 22,000 L&G policies were kept in force that may otherwise have lapsed. These timely interventions can help prevent loss of cover at critical moments.
Digital innovation is also reshaping how customers interact with the claims experience. Today, 70% of L&G’s customers prefer to submit claims digitally, offering greater flexibility at what can often be a challenging time. This helps create a more accessible and manageable process for clients.
By streamlining admin, digital claims can also free up advisers to spend more time supporting clients and addressing their individual needs. The result is a more efficient experience without losing the personal touch.
Supporting advisers to deliver better outcomes
At L&G, we’ve long recognised just how important the adviser community is to secure better customer outcomes. Championing advisers and helping them bring claims, stories and experiences to life can demonstrate the value of professional advice to existing and potential customers. That’s why we are recognising exceptional advisers, our heroes in the middle, at L&G’s 15th annual Business Quality Awards next month.
At the same time, we also know that the adviser community works in a rapidly evolving protection landscape, which often changes how they engage with their clients. Ensuring they’re well-equipped to support their clients to navigate the world around them is essential. Initiatives like L&G’s Distribution Quality Management support advisers through data, insight and practical tools, enabling better conversations, stronger retention, and improved claims outcomes.
Shifting the narrative on protection
Protection should not be viewed as a product that only shows value at the point of claim. It is a core part of financial resilience for individuals and their families to help them prepare for uncertainty, navigate difficult moments, and access support when it matters most.
There’s a clear opportunity to broaden customer understanding of protection’s value. Advisers will be central to doing so, helping clients see protection not as an optional extra, but as an essential part of long-term financial planning and protecting the life they are building.
Continued collaboration between providers and advisers will be key to delivering better outcomes, strengthening client engagement and reshaping how protection is perceived.
