Years ago, if you were taken ill you recovered and went back to work, or you passed away and your family received your life assurance (if you had any). Nowadays, modern medicine has increased the survival rate for most illnesses, although they may require a long recovery period, so that many people can find themselves with serious conditions for which a cash lump sum payment is a significant aid to providing support and paying costs during recovery.

To be told by your doctor that you have had a heart attack and that the stress of your work is partly to blame, so stop working or you may die is not an easy decision to make if you have a mortgage or a family to support.