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Foreword

I’m delighted to welcome you to the third edition of our Everyday Risk Guide.

We understand that protection conversations are not always easy. Which is why, this year, we’ve evolved our guide from a source of data and insight into a practical tool designed to help you, as advisers, turn understanding into action. Alongside independent data from sources such as the NHS, the ONS and Kantar, we’ve included proprietary YouGov research commissioned especially for this guide¹.

The findings show that everyday financial risk is far from abstract: 50% of UK adults say they do not have financial protection insurance including cover through an employer, while 23% say they, or someone in their household, had an A&E visit in the past 12 months. Among those with children under 18, 57% experienced at least one work, childcare, or financial issue linked to child illness or injury.

Behind these figures are the realities your clients face every day. Protection conversations are not only about what happens in a worst-case scenario; they are also about the more common disruptions that can put household budgets under pressure — a broken bone, a hospital stay, a child’s illness, or a short period away from work.

The risks are real, but the protection gap in the UK isn’t closing fast enough. The Financial Conduct Authority’s Interim Market Study highlighted that over half the adult population still has no form of cover in place. We know that closing the protection gap requires collaboration. That’s why we’re proud to be working alongside the Income Protection Task Force (IPTF) this year, combining our expertise to increase awareness, turn insight into action, and deliver better customer outcomes.

This guide gives you the statistics, prompts, and practical framing to help close this gap. Helping your clients recognise where they may be exposed can be a challenge, especially when clients often do not see the risk themselves. By grounding your conversations in real-world evidence, protection becomes a non-negotiable.

In a world where a broken bone or a poorly child can seriously disrupt an individual’s or a family’s finances, protection and the conversations you have with your clients are invaluable. I hope this guide helps you build better protection conversations and ultimately help more of your clients support their families, lifestyles and finances.

Phil Jeynes Head of Individual Protection, MetLife UK

^{[1] All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc. Total sample size was 2087 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken between 27th - 28th July 2026. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weightedand are representative of all UK adults (aged 18+).
[2] FCA Interim Market Study (2026), MS24/1.4: Market study into the distribution of pure protection products to retail customers - interim report}