Family Income Benefit Insurance

 By Michael Markey 

Family income benefit or as it is sometimes known FIB is another kind of term insurance and is often used to provide life insurance coverage, but more specifically income based life protection. You need to understand the difference between family income benefit and other types of life insurance cover, so that you fully understand the type of life insurance you require.

Let's consider first the difference between the two types of life cover. Level term insurance will generally pay a lump sum during the policy term, while family income benefit will pay an income for each year that is left on the policy. It is important to remember this, as this can determine how much will be paid out in the event of a claim.

The best way to illustrate difference is to through an example. For instance Mr White takes out a £250000 level term insurance policy on a 20 year term to protect his family, because he has dependent children of a young age. Mr Black decides to take out a family income benefit insurance policy for £15000 per year over same term of 20 years, to provide cover for his own young family.
 
However, though £ 15,000 per year will add up to £300000 over the term of 20 years, this does not mean this amount will be paid out. If the cover pays out the first year this is fine £15000 will be paid for every year left on the policy i.e. 20 years. But what if Mr Black dies 18 years into the policy term, then only £30000 would be payable over the remaining period of the policy i.e. 2 x £15000. However if Mr.White died in the first, second or last year of his level term policy, his family would still receive £ 250000 as it does not matter so to speak when he dies, the level lump sum will pay same amount within the policy term,£250000

So you can easily work out from the example above that family income benefit insurance is a form of decreasing term assurance under another name. Who would buy family income benefit and why? Well people who want to save on life policy premiums might consider buying this type of cover. The price is usually lower than level term assurance, because the benefit is reducing each year as we have seen in our example above. Hopefully you will now see the difference between the two insurances and from our example, be able to decide what type of policy you need or want. It all comes down to cost and what you need life cover for in the first place. If you are on a budget then family income benefit is an option to consider, but compare it against other types of cover first, before deciding.

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