How Long Could You Live Without Your Salary?

What happens when the salary stops?

Most of us don't spend any time thinking about it.

We know we'd miss the money. We'd cut back. Dip into savings. Work out what we could live without.

But what if you couldn't go back to work? What if a few weeks became a few months? Or a few months became years?

It happened to Kacper.

Meet Kacper

Kacper is personable and talkative, a hard-working single dad who has worked as a warehouseman for well over a decade. He was first introduced to Waddle in 2021. By then he already had three life policies with three different insurers. He was protected if he died, but there was a significant gap.

Rent. Food. Transport. School trips. Bills. Debts. Savings. Everything depended on Kacpers salary. His life cover protected his family if he died. But if he couldn’t work, the income keeping their lives running wasn’t protected.

At the time, his rent and essential monthly outgoings accounted for around 75% of his net income. That left relatively little room for the unexpected, and if his income stopped altogether, the financial consequences would be significant.

Like many employees today, Kacper had limited sick pay through his employer: one week of full pay, followed by Statutory Sick Pay - leaving him £990 short each month to cover his essential bills.

Kacper’s Cover

Kacper's Protection Adviser Rhys identified that gap and took the time to educate Kacper on what he already had, what was missing, and what could happen financially if he was unable to work.

His existing cover was replaced with a more robust plan designed around his immediate risk of losing his income and the priorities that mattered most to him, including Income Protection with a four-week deferment period and a life policy designed to provide a legacy for his children.

The cover made sense and, while Kacper was fit and active and never expected to need it, he understood that it was sensible to have it in place.

Kacper's Claim

In 2024, while at work, Kacper suffered a heart attack.

It happened completely out of the blue. There was no warning, no time to prepare for what was coming. Kacper suffered a serious heart attack and, quite simply, is lucky to be here today.

After the first week, the reality that no work meant no income started to set in. The full pay he was so used to stopped, and he was left with barely enough to cover his rent, let alone his bills, food and the everyday expenses of raising his daughters.

Kacper then remembered his conversations with Rhys and contacted Waddle to initiate his claim, and from that point, Naomi became his dedicated claims support.

While Kacper was navigating the health system and adjusting to a new way of living, Naomi continued to manage the claim - liaising with the insurer, chasing outstanding information and keeping him updated throughout.

This meant Kacper could focus on what mattered most: his health and his children.

A long road back

While Kacper's mind and spirit were still very much the same, his body and what he was capable of had changed. Things he once took for granted, like a walk to the seafront, had become a real challenge - each step taking effort, strength and resolve that he had never needed to think about before.

The severity of Kacper's heart attack resulted in ongoing complications. There were countless appointments, investigations and medications. Some of the medication brought further complications and side effects.

Instead of moving steadily towards recovery, independence and a return to work, Kacper found himself further away from all three.

For almost two years, his Income Protection has continued to provide a monthly benefit of £1,200, helping replace part of the income his illness had taken away.

The financial safety net

This is where the value of the right protection policy becomes clear.

The policy couldn't make Kacper better. It couldn't take away what had happened. But it could do something incredibly important: it could provide a financial safety net while he wasn't able to work.

It's easy to assume we'd find a way. We'd cut back, dip into savings, tighten the belt and carry on. And perhaps, if we're off work for a short period, we could.

But when illness or injury keeps you away from work for months, or even years, the financial impact can be very different.

Statutory Sick Pay can provide some support when you're unable to work, but for many people it represents a significant drop from their normal income. And your bills don't necessarily fall when your salary does.

The mortgage still needs paying. The food shop still needs doing. Children still need looking after. Life carries on, even when you're unable to work.

What if Kacper hadn’t had that safety net?

Without his Income Protection, Kacper could have faced a very different financial reality.

Relying solely on his employer and Statutory Sick Pay, Kacper would have had significantly less to rely on, adding another layer of pressure as he faced the financial and emotional impact of being unable to work while worrying about paying the bills, supporting his children and making ends meet.

Once Statutory Sick Pay ran out after 28 weeks, Kacper may also have needed to explore government support at a time when he was already dealing with a serious health problem.

We can’t know exactly what life would have looked like without his Income Protection. Perhaps savings, family support or government assistance could have helped bridge the gap.

What we do know is that his Income Protection provided an income several times greater than he could have received through his employer and Statutory Sick Pay alone. More importantly, it gave Kacper a regular monthly income, helping him maintain financial stability while he focused on his recovery.

If you couldn't work tomorrow, would your finances still work for you?

Real client but name and identifying details have been changed to protect the privacy of the family.