Employers who offer their employees group risk benefits saw 68% of their absentees return to work during 2025, according to data compiled by group risk industry body Grid.
The trade body also noted that a total of £2.69bn was paid out to group risk claimants in 2025 – up by £100m from the previous year.
Over the year, 5,590 employees who were absent through ill-health were helped to return to work by the end of 2025.
Of these 920 employees returned to work before a claim was made as a result of support provided by the insurer and 1,670 employees who made a claim on their group income protection (GIP) benefit during 2025 had returned to work by the end of the year.
Group risk insurers provided health and wellbeing interventions to nearly 8,300 employees in 2025, and made a total of 5,915 health and wellbeing interventions within six months of an employee’s first absence during 2025.
Of these half (48%) were for mental illness, 11% were for musculoskeletal issues and 9% were for cancer.
Grid’s analysis also showed 848 employees who became new GIP claimants during 2024 had returned to work by the end of 2025.
This was in addition to the 1,739 employees that began claiming GIP benefits in 2024 that had returned to work by the end of that year.
£2.69bn paid in financial claims
Broken down by product category the £2.69bn paid out in claims was through increases in life and critical illness claims with a dip in income protection.
Group life assurance policies paid out £1.83bn, an increase of £88.9m compared to 2024 and group critical illness (GCI) policies paid out £190.8m, an increase of £11.6m compared to 2024.
GIP policies paid £670.7m including new claims and those already in payment, a fall of £3.8m compared to 2024.
During 2025 there were 7,920 new GIP claims, totalling £229.9m and averaging £29,026 each.
The average new claim amount was £143,436 for group life and £77,098 for group critical illness.
*Total number of claims in payment (new and existing) as at 31 December 2025 and value of amounts paid out across 2025, including any claims paid for part of 2025. Group income protection claims are often paid for several or many years so the ultimate value of these benefits will be much higher. **During 2025 there were 7,920 new group income protection claims, totalling £229.9m pa and averaging £29,026 pa
Cancer was the main cause of claim across all three products during 2025.
‘Good work is good for people’
Katharine Moxham, spokesperson for Grid, said: “It is great to see just how much employers and employees benefit from the tangible and practical support from group risk benefits.
“Good work is good for people, and of course, employers need a present workforce to function, and our data shows just how much group risk supports this.
“A strong economy needs a strong and present workforce – hence the focus from the government with initiatives such as the Keep Britain Working Review. Our new data shows again just how important group risk benefits are in supporting a strong economy, and employers who offer these benefits to their workforces are the winners.
“Group risk benefits are some of the most popular benefits in the UK, with more and more employers offering them every year, and with data such as this, it’s easy to see why. The financial pay outs from group risk benefits can be life-changing for employees and their families, at a time when they need it most.”