Over 4,500 people have claimed on their critical illness policy with Scottish Widows since 2000, but the insurer wants more to take out the cover.
New critical illness claims data has been published by life insurance provider Scottish Widows.
According to the firm, around £150 million was paid out between January 2000 and October 2007 to critical illness policyholders. Critical illness is a type of life insurance which provides financial assistance to those who are suffering from a serious medical condition.
Despite a total of 4,540 claims being paid out over the period, the insurer said that customer take-up of the protection should be more widespread. Richard Jones at Scottish Widows added: "The need for financial protection for both the family and business has never been greater, especially with more families relying on two incomes and the increase in the number of people who are self employed.
"Yet lack of consumer confidence is contributing to people failing to take out the valuable protection that they and their dependants need."
Scottish Widows also said that six in ten successful claims went to cancer sufferers, with a further 21 per cent going to those with heart conditions. Elsewhere, strokes (seven per cent of claims) and multiple sclerosis (four per cent) were also represented in the data.
The average age of female critical illness clamants to Scottish Widows was found to be 44, while the average male is three years older.
