Redundancy insurance, also known as redundancy cover or unemployment insurance, is a method by which the policyholder gets guaranteed regular financial support if he or she loses his source of income due to sudden and involuntary redundancy. Redundancy insurance ensures that until the policyholder manages to find an alternative source of employment, his financial needs are met.

These covers are generally provided for a period of 12 months, that is, the policyholder will receive benefits for 12 months from the time he is unemployed. There are some firms that offer redundancy insurance for longer periods, with some going up to 24 months. But obviously the premium on long-term policies is higher.

Are You Eligible For Redundancy Insurance?

One is eligible for redundancy Insurance covers if he:

* Has lost his job due to low performance or economic downturn
* Is unable to work due to injury at work or some illness
* Has paid all premiums and continues to do so during the period of claim
* Has been facing unemployment for at least six months prior to placing the claim
* Is actively seeking work and is able to give proof of this

Redundancy insurance covers are mainly of 3 types - salary protection insurance, mortgage protection insurance, and rental payment insurance. To elucidate, here are some basic points about each of the three.

Salary Protection Insurance: The payments one receives on this kind of policy are tax free. It covers normal living expenses, and under this plan, individuals get a higher payout compared to mortgage insurance plans. The premiums are higher than the other two kinds of redundancy covers, but individuals usually get up to 50% of their normal monthly income.

Mortgage Protection Insurance: The main purpose of this kind of insurance is to protect the monthly mortgage repayments to lenders.

Rental Payment Insurance: One can receive rental payments through the payments coming from this kind of policy. It is essentially a short-term policy.

Points To Remember Before Buying Redundancy Cover

Most redundancy policies have a waiting period before one can claim. This ranges from a month to a year. One must remember that 'the longer the wait, the cheaper the policy.'

Claims can only be made if the policyholder has been made compulsorily redundant and was unaware of this when he bought the policy.

One cannot claim if one opts for voluntary retirement, resigns, or is thrown out of work due to misconduct.

After the duration of the cover, one has to look for alternate means of income, such as social security, if one hasn't managed to find work during the policy period.

Getting A Redundancy Insurance

Buying a redundancy policy is simple. The Internet provides many choices. All one should do is fill out a questionnaire. Details, such as age and monthly cost of mortgage, are enough to calculate the premium. Mortgage companies also provide redundancy plans. But these might work out to be more when compared to options on the internet.