Bright Grey and Scottish Provident have responded to the government’s move to cure “sicknote Britain” by arguing that people need to start taking responsibility for their own welfare through insurance.
Ian Smart, head of product development and technical support at Bright Grey and Scottish Provident, said: “The Government has missed an opportunity in its response to the Sickness Absence Review of 2011. “Whilst the initiatives proposed are welcomed the government could have gone further by incentivising employers and individuals to look after themselves by taking appropriate insurance.
“This would take the strain off both the employer and the state in the form of lower benefits bills when someone is ill.”
Smart said: “People often complain about the nanny state interfering but then expect it to look after them when things go wrong.
“However the UK population needs to wake up to the fact that neither the state nor their employer can afford to look after them at anything other than a basic level if they are ill long-term.”
And he added: “A push in the right direction, so that employers and individuals see the benefit of taking out critical illness insurance, is the only way that attitudes will change.”
