A lot of small business owners look to offer their directors or employees financial perks as a result of being a valued member of the team. Often, this includes benefits such as life insurance policies. However, setting up a group insurance scheme can be costly, especially with a small team of employees. This is where relevant life insurance comes in.
Relevant life insurance is a type of death-in-service benefit which provides a cost effective solution for businesses that want to offer life insurance as an employee benefit. Typically it is popular with smaller businesses that aren’t big enough to establish a group life insurance scheme, but want to also extend the insurance to directors and employees. But when it comes to offering relevant life insurance as an employee benefit, what are the perks of doing so?
How Does Relevant Life Insurance Work?
Much like a traditional life insurance policy, individuals looking for relevant life insurance are assessed based on how much cover is required. This will also depend on health, age and lifestyle. The amount of insurance required could also take mortgage costs, monthly and annual salary and personal bills into consideration. This will then generate a premium which, rather than being covered by the employee, will be paid for by the business. If the covered employee dies whilst working for the company, then a lump sum, tax-free is paid out to the noted beneficiaries.
Relevant life insurance policies can be taken out for employees as a benefit, as well as for business owners and directors. They can be for a set amount, also known as a level-relevant life insurance policy, or be linked to inflation so that the payout would reflect the cost of living at the time it is requested.
What Are The Benefits Of Relevant Life Insurance?
Benefits For The Business
Relevant life insurance is a tax-efficient alternative to offering a group life assurance policy. For larger groups and businesses, a group life scheme will tend to work out cheaper, but businesses with smaller teams often wouldn’t qualify. Instead, relevant life insurance allows business owners and directors to be able to cover themselves using their business expenses, rather than personal funds, plus it provides a life insurance perk for employees. There is also the benefit of relevant life insurance reducing the total corporation tax bill, as it can be treated as an expense. Plus, offering relevant life insurance cover is a great way to attract and retain staff, as it shows you value their contribution to the business and have the means to provide care for their family.
Benefits For Employees
A relevant life policy is highly beneficial for employees, too. It gives them life insurance cover, without the worry of having to pay any premiums. However, depending on the level of cover that is provided as part of the policy, they may wish to have their own additional, private insurance policy.
For high-earning employees, a relevant life insurance policy is a good alternative to joining a group life insurance scheme as group schemes count towards the annual pensions allowance. Any payouts which come from a group scheme would fall under this allowance, which means risking a large tax bill when combined with a pension pay out. Instead, high earners could have relevant life insurance cover, as this doesn’t count towards the pensions lifetime allowance.
Ultimately, having a relevant life insurance policy provides employees with the reassurance that their beneficiaries will be financially secure with a tax-free payment, which can be used alongside any other policies they may have set up.
Comparing Relevant Life Insurance Policies
Different insurance companies will offer varying levels of rates and cover, as well as additional factors such as access to support services and virtual doctors and health professionals. It is important that, if you are considering offering relevant life insurance policies as an employee perk, you compare policies and costs. A dedicated business life insurance broker will be able to use their expertise and knowledge in the area to broker you the best deal for your business.