Gen Re has endorsed a community rated income protection (IP) product to compliment state benefits and is calling upon the industry to add its support to the proposal.
The firm is also urging protection providers and fellow re-insurers to look at the bigger picture in the initiative's long-term potential after warning that there could be costs in the short-term.
Speaking at its Disability Dynamics conference, Robert Kerr, senior account executive at Gen Re UK and Ireland, confirmed it is a viable possibility. He said: "Its early days, but there is a huge opportunity. Its never going to be put into the National Employment Savings Trust (NEST) because they've got enough problems delivering that now without actually putting something else in, but if there was something else I don't see why it wouldn't work."
The possibility of a top-up IP product to state welfare benefits was first expressed publicly at the protection review in July and now appears to be collecting growing support.




