If you’re suffering from depression and need income protection, it can be hard to know where to turn. In this article we’ll look at the state of income protection for people with mental illness in Ireland. We’ll also look at how different policies work and whether or not they cover depression as a condition.
Does Income Protection cover depression in Ireland?
Does income protection cover depression: Depression is a common mental illness that affects up to one in four people. It can be treated with medication and therapy, but if you don’t seek help, it will continue to affect your life.
Income protection cover is available for people who suffer from depression or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), but only if the condition meets certain criteria. You’ll need to prove that you’ve been diagnosed with depression or PTSD by a medical practitioner before your insurer will provide cover for these conditions.
What is mental illness?
Depression is a form of mental illness. It’s not the same as sadness and it can be treated.
Depression is a serious condition that affects your mood, energy and ability to function normally in daily life. You may feel sad or hopeless for long periods at a time and have no desire to do anything or spend time with people you care about. You may also find that you’re unable to sleep well or concentrate properly.
Depression can be diagnosed when symptoms last for at least two weeks (or one episode lasting more than two days) plus at least one additional symptom from list A below:
How is mental illness treated?
Depression is a serious mental illness that can have a dramatic impact on your life. It’s important to get treatment for depression as soon as possible, but unfortunately, many people don’t realize how much their symptoms are affecting them until it’s too late.
If you’re struggling with depression and need help getting diagnosed or treated, call our helpline!
Can you claim income protection if you have depression?
Does income protection cover stress: Depression is a recognised illness under income protection. You can claim income protection if you have depression, but it’s important to know that your depression may not be curable.
If you’re suffering from depression, it’s important that you talk to your doctor about the best treatment for your condition and what would help most. Your doctor will be able to tell whether or not they think a claim should be made on your behalf based on their assessment of your symptoms, which can include:
- sadness/depression – feeling low or sad more often than usual; feeling low in spirits all day every day (even when not at work); crying frequently; losing interest in things which were previously enjoyable; sleeping too much/too little (insomnia); feeling irritable or angry with others at times; being unable to concentrate properly during daily activities such as work tasks etc.; social withdrawal leading them away from family and friends
What if I’m self employed?
If you are self employed and have an income, then depression could be covered under your policy. You will need to provide proof of your income for the last 12 months and may be able to claim if you have a policy with a guaranteed minimum income benefit.
If you don’t have any type of insurance or pension scheme in place yet, then we recommend that you speak with us about our Personal Accident Cover (PAC) which provides protection against injuries sustained while at work or on business trips abroad.
If you are suffering from depression, the answer will depend on your specific policy.
If you are suffering from depression, the answer will depend on your specific policy.
Depression is a recognised mental disorder and can be treated in many ways. It is not covered by all income protection policies, but some do provide benefits for those who have been diagnosed with depression. Your insurer may also be able to help you get treatment if it determines that your symptoms are causing problems for you or others around you – so this could include advice about how to cope with them or medication as well as counselling sessions.
Conclusion
We hope this guide has been helpful, but if you need more information then please get in touch with us. We are here to help!
