ICMIF member PG Mutual (UK) and Blue Light Card have today announced they are partnering to protect the livelihoods of thousands of healthcare workers and their families.

The partnership will offer Blue Light Card’s holder’s a 20% discount off their first two years’ premiums for comprehensive Income Protection Plus insurance provided by PG Mutual. In addition, the product offers a range of deferment periods that members can chose from so that their cover can pick-up where their sickness pay would stop.

Blue Light Card supports more than 2 million National Health Service (NHS) members. The scheme gives members access to thousands of discounted products and services, covering a broad spectrum of retailers, utilities, household, and personal services.

The not-for-profit insurer, PG Mutual, has more than 90 years’ experience of promoting the importance of income protection for professional healthcare workers. Formed in 1928, the mutual society has members, not shareholders, and any profits they make are shared with members via their Profit Share scheme.

Owing to the nature of the work involved, healthcare professionals are more likely to experience sickness absence. Even before the Covid 19 pandemic, staff sickness absence rates were significantly higher within the NHS than in the private sector. For example, as far back as 2016, the staff absence rate for the UK for the NHS was well above 4%, whereas the corresponding figure for the private sector was less than 3% (ONS 2016).

Tom Coan of PG Mutual said, “We’re very proud to announce our Partnership with Blue Light Card. PG Mutual is a specialist provider of Income Protection for healthcare professionals. This partnership will enable us to highlight the importance of Income Protection with the added benefit of profit-share to Blue Light Card’s 2.5 million-plus members and will surely help us on our mission to protect many more thousands of healthcare professionals and their families with financial peace of mind.”

Blue Light Card CEO, Tom Dalby said, “We’re delighted to welcome PG Mutual on board as a new partner. In these uncertain times, more people than ever are looking to protect their income. For us, we hope that this offer allows our members to prepare for the future and take steps to protect their livelihoods. Our members are the people that go furthest every day for us and a generous discount of 20% off for two years allows us, and PG Mutual, to say thank you – by helping the Blue Light community protect their future.”