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Published April 30, 2026

Short Vs Long Term Income Cover

When you buy an income protection plan, one of the most consequential choices you make is the benefit duration — how many months the plan will pay you if a covered event occurs. Choose too short a duration and you may exhaust your benefit before your income recovers. Choose too long and you pay a higher premium for cover you are unlikely to need. The right answer is not a fixed number — it is a function of your emergency fund, your job stability, your sector's rehiring patterns, and the nature of your fixed financial obligations.