At Shepherds Friendly, our members always come first. In 2024, we paid 96% of all income protection claims, making sure members received the financial help they needed while they were unable to work. This is a slight increase on our five year average of 95%.
Musculoskeletal conditions were the most common reason members made a claim last year, making up more than half of all new claims decided in 2024 at 55.8%. The next most frequent causes were chest, lung, nose and throat conditions, and heart-related issues, each accounting for 6.9% of claims. Mental health conditions followed at 5%, while gastrointestinal problems made up 4.8%, and cancer-related claims accounted for 4%.
Musculoskeletal conditions also accounted for the largest share of the total money we paid out, making up 54.6% of all claim payments. Mental health was next at 11.5%, followed by cancer at 9.9%.
Although chest, lung and heart issues were more common among claims, they made up a smaller portion of the total payments — with chest/lung/nose/throat conditions accounting for 1.9%, heart conditions for 3.7%, and gastrointestinal problems for 1.2%.
Our CEO, Ann-Marie O’Dea, said:
“We’re proud to have supported so many members and their families last year. Income protection is there for exactly these moments – to take away some of the financial stress when you can’t work due to illness or injury.
As a mutual, our members are at the heart of everything we do, and that’s been true for nearly 200 years. We’re committed to evolving with your needs and continuing to be there when you need us most.”
