More than half (57%) of parents with a child under the age of 18 have experienced at least one work, childcare or financial issue related to their child becoming ill or sustaining an injury, according to the research from MetLife UK.
The provider’s latest Everyday Risk Report, polling 2,087 adults, found that more than one fifth (21%) of parents in the UK have had to take time off work as impromptu annual leave or sick leave to look after their injured or ill child.
Nearly a quarter (24%) of UK adults said they or someone in their household has had an A&E visit within the past 12 months, while 15% have had an overnight stay in hospital among their household, but fewer than one in 10 (7%) UK adults have a hospital-related protection policy in place.
Among parents who have been forced to take time off work, 15% experienced stress or anxiety about the financial impact of doing so.
Furthermore, 11% said they sent a child back to school or childcare while they were still unwell because they could not afford to take any more time off work.
Tough decisions
Phil Jeynes, head of individual protection at MetLife UK, (pictured) said: “We get it – parents are often forced to make tough decisions about household spending.
“With the cost of raising a family on the rise, protection insurance may not feel like a financial priority for cash-strapped parents, and many think of insurance as a last resort rather than something which can help protect the everyday.
“Protection is not only about what happens in a worst-case scenario; it can help with the more common disruptions that put household budgets under pressure – a broken bone, a hospital stay, a child’s illness, or a short period away from work.
“And it also includes useful extras such as 24 hour GP access, meaning parents can jump the queue and get their child access to care at any hour.”
