Aviva has released its Group Income Protection rehabilitation data for 2016.
The figures released highlight:
- A 46% increase in the number of employees supported in 2016 compared to 2015
- Of those employees who called us for our rehabilitation support or to make a claim, 9 in 10 (88%) made a successful return to work or were able to remain in work after intervention from Aviva
- Mental health cases now represent 57% of all of Aviva’s rehabilitation cases and employees with these conditions are being referred for help earlier. 85% of all employees requiring support for mental health conditions made a successful return to work within the deferred period*.
Steve Bridger, Managing Director of Group Protection at Aviva, said:
“I’m really pleased to see the success we’ve had helping people with mental health issues. For too long there’s been a stigma around mental health problems with people too scared to speak out or ask for help. Our own research has found that a quarter of people have taken time off work with stress but blamed it on a physical illness**.
“Early intervention through Group Income Protection (GIP) can mean the difference between staying in work and dealing with a problem with the support of trained professionals, or taking an extended period of time off work and trying to deal with it alone. The figures we have released show the real value of what we do.”
The positive impact of GIP
The 2016 data highlights the extent to which the services provided under Aviva’s group income protection offering are successfully helping people return to their normal lives. Other significant figures from Aviva’s data show:
- Three quarters (75%) of all employees supported made their return to work within the deferred period – i.e. within the critical six month window beyond which typically only 20% of employees make a successful return to work within 5 years
- 100% of all employees referred for rehabilitation were provided with case management support
- Cancer represents 20% of new rehabilitation referrals
- Musculoskeletal disorders represent 19% of all of Aviva’s rehab cases with 76% of all employees requiring support making a return to work within the deferred period – an increase of 16% on 2015
“Group Protection services aren’t just there to offer financial support,” said Steve Bridger. “Clearly, when someone gets ill and can’t work, then having a financial safety net is very important. But most people just want to get on with their lives, and that often means getting back to work.
“Our rehabilitation figures show that we are helping people make a timely return to work, with all the necessary support they need. This is good news for claimants as they can move on with their lives, and it’s good news for their employer who won’t want to lose a staff member for a long period of time if it can be avoided.
“Once an employee leaves the workplace for a prolonged period without these support services, there is a real risk of them not returning to work in any capacity. This is where they then become one of the many people caught in the disability employment gap.”
*Within the critical six month period beyond which we know that only 20% of employees make a successful RTW within 5 years.
** http://www.aviva.com/media/news/item/uk-secret-stress-8-million-uk-workers-suffer-in-silence-17695/
-ENDS-
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Notes to editors:
• Aviva provides life insurance, general insurance, health insurance and asset management to 33 million customers.
• In the UK we are the leading insurer serving one in every four households and have strong businesses in selected markets in Europe, Asia and Canada. Our shares are listed on the London Stock Exchange and we are a member of the FTSE100 index.
• Aviva’s asset management business, Aviva Investors, provides asset management services to both Aviva and external clients, and currently manages over £340 billion in assets. Total group assets under management at Aviva group are £450 billion.
• Aviva helps people save for the future and manage the risks of everyday life; we paid out £34.4 billion in benefits and claims in 2016.
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