Metlife paid out £47m in claims across its individual and group protection business from July to September, one of the highest single quarters it has seen as Covid and long Covid hit.
The insurer said in the first nine months of 2021 it had paid 12,000 claims compared to just over 14,000 paid during the whole of 2020.
Individual protection claims hit their second highest quarter so far with 4,025 claims paid totalling £3.4m.
It reported 378 group life claims paid totalling £38.75m – this was the joint second highest ever volume, only behind the previous three months, which was driven by a significant increase in Covid-19 related deaths.
Group income protection claims reached 1,390 totalling £4.9m, with the insurer recording an increase in new claims caused by long covid and mental ill-health. It added there was also a rise in the early intervention support provided on these claims.
Stuart Lewis, head of claims at MetLife, said: “These claims statistics demonstrate the real value individual protection policies can provide and show that our customers and their families will be supported when they need it most – particularly when the unexpected happens.
“We take pride in supporting our customers and helping them get back on their feet at a difficult time,” he added.