Legal & General paid just over £335m in group protection claims in 2021, up almost 4% on 2020.
The provider’s 2021 group claims data reveals group critical illness cover claims almost doubled from £7.2m in 2020, to £13.2m in 2021, up by £6m.
Group life assurance claims increased by £9.5m to £252.2m. Although group income protection (GIP) total claim payments for the year fell slightly by £2.4m to £70.5m, they were still £4.1m up on pre-Covid-19 claims levels of £66.4m in 2019.
Mental health continued to represent the top cause for GIP claims with calls into L&G’s employee assistance programme (EAP) up by 14%, in comparison to 2020, with the top reasons for counselling calls being anxiety, low mood, depression, and bereavement.
Using wider industry data, the insurer estimated that 20% of all employees in the UK that were able to return to work before the payment of any GIP benefit, was as a result of its vocational rehabilitation and early intervention services.
It said this percentage was based on 2021 Grid data which showed 4,395 people were able to return to work during the deferred period last year due an active early intervention funded by their insurer.
In 2021, L&G set up 2,569 sessions for claimants suffering from physical and mental health conditions with its physiotherapy and psychological healthcare partners, up on 2,449 in 2020.
The data also shows more than nine in 10 employees with GIP mental health claims and more than eight in 10 musculoskeletal claimants were able to return to work within the deferred period, and the same ratios applied within the first year or absence.
Vanessa Sallows, claims and governance director for Legal & General Group Protection, (pictured) said it was a strong year despite ongoing treatment delays in the NHS and private health sector which impacted group critical illness and GIP claimants.
“The knock-on private sector impact was keenly felt for musculoskeletal conditions and cancer in particular, due to the nature of treatment provision. That said, cancer still represents, by far and away, the top condition claimed for as part of our critical illness cover,” she said.
Sallows added that mental health treatment through GIP claims was also put under incredible strain throughout last year but increased digital solutions helped to address this.
“With our Be Well, Get Better, Be Supported framework now in place, we hope to equip intermediaries and employers to make even greater use of all the valuable support services that come with GIP; services that are arguably fast becoming as important as the insurance itself,” she added.