Income protection when you cannot work
Layer paid leave, public benefits, employer cover, savings, then private insurance.
Your gap depends heavily on employment status and cause: sickness allowance, workers’ compensation, disability pension, unemployment benefits, and employer leave do different jobs.
Benefits may vary by: insurer · employment status · municipality · household
Get professional or administrator help: Get coordinated estimates from HR, the insurer, pension office, and Hello Work; seek specialist help when benefits overlap.
Review due: 2026-10-30
Key points
- Separate short illness, long disability, work injury, job loss, and caregiving.
- Self-employed people usually have a larger short-term sickness-income gap.
- Emergency savings cover waiting periods and exclusions.
- Private income protection must be tested against benefit definitions and offsets.
Build a timeline, not one number
Map income and essential spending for month 1, months 2–6, and long-term disability. Put paid leave, sickness allowance or workers’ compensation, employer plans, disability pension, partner income, and savings on the timeline. A private policy is relevant only where an unaffordable gap remains.
Who this is for
- Residents mapping protection before shopping for private insurance
What this is not
- A quote, policy ranking, or individualized recommendation
- Eligibility, contributions, waiting periods, exclusions, and benefit amounts can vary. Confirm your case with the administering insurer or authority before acting.