Group Risk for UK employers.
Death in Service and Group Income Protection. Look after your team, retain great people, simplify your admin.
What is Group Risk?
Group Risk is the umbrella term for two employer-sponsored protection products. Death in Service (DIS) pays a lump sum to an employee's family if they die in service. Group Income Protection (GIP) replaces a portion of an employee's salary if they cannot work due to illness or injury. The two products work in parallel and integrate naturally with group PMI — same renewal cycle, same named adviser, fewer touchpoints for HR. SME employers are increasingly offering both as part of a structured employee benefits package to compete for talent.
Who it's for
SMEs offering benefits packages
Employers who want a meaningful protection benefit alongside salary, pension and PMI.
Growing businesses
Companies formalising their benefits proposition as they scale.
Talent-competitive sectors
Businesses competing for staff where benefits materially affect hiring and retention.
Employers renewing existing schemes
Companies looking to test the market on a renewing Death in Service or Group Income Protection scheme, often after years on auto-renewal with no review.
What it covers
Death in Service (DIS)
Lump sum benefit (typically 2x–4x annual salary) payable to nominated beneficiaries on the death of an employee while in service.
Group Income Protection (GIP)
Monthly income replacement (typically 50–75% of salary) after a defined deferred period (often 13 or 26 weeks), until return to work or retirement.
Catastrophic Illness cover
Lump sum on diagnosis of specified critical illnesses. Available as an optional add-on.
Employee Assistance Programmes
Counselling, mental health support, legal and financial advice — often bundled at no extra cost.
What drives the cost
Six factors do most of the work on group risk premiums.
Employee headcount
Larger schemes attract better per-life rates and simpler underwriting.
Demographic profile
Average age, gender split and salary distribution all feed into pricing.
Industry
Some sectors carry higher claims experience and therefore higher rates.
Benefit level
Higher multiples and longer payment periods increase the premium.
Deferred period
Longer deferred periods (26 weeks vs 13 weeks) reduce the premium materially.
Multi-product bundling
Bundling Death in Service, Group Income Protection and Group PMI through a single broker often attracts insurer discounts and reduces administration cost on both sides.
How to compare quotes properly
Plain English: look at the free cover limit (how much benefit each employee gets without individual underwriting), the claims philosophy of the insurer, how employer-friendly the administration is, and whether it integrates cleanly with your group PMI.
A scheme that looks cheaper on paper but underwrites half your workforce individually isn't cheaper in practice. We model the real-world admin and claims experience before recommending an insurer.
Direct relationships across this market.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Death in Service and Group Income Protection?
Death in Service pays a one-off lump sum to an employee's family if they die in service. Group Income Protection pays a regular monthly income to the employee if they are off work long-term due to illness or injury. Many SMEs offer both as a complete protection package alongside group PMI.
Do small SMEs qualify for Group Risk schemes?
Yes. Most insurers in the UK group risk market accept schemes from around three to five employees upwards. Smaller schemes typically attract simplified underwriting and competitive rates per life.
How is Group Income Protection priced?
Group Income Protection is priced on the demographic profile of the workforce (average age, gender split, salaries), the benefit level (typically 50-75% of salary), the deferred period (the wait before benefits start, usually 13 or 26 weeks), and the industry the company operates in.
Can Group Risk be set up alongside Group PMI?
Yes, and we recommend it. Running group PMI and Group Risk through a single broker simplifies administration, aligns renewal dates, and means one named adviser knows the whole employee benefits picture.
Ready to start the conversation?
Talk to a named adviser. No phone trees. No pressure. Just plain-English advice on the cover that fits your life or your business.