National Friendly review

National Friendly covers income protection, health and life, and income protection is the line its adviser pages focus on, paying a monthly benefit when work stops. Health and life policies sit alongside it under the same insurer, National Deposit Friendly Society Limited, and the audience named is seniors.

Income protection premiums start at £18.92 a month. Across the site the median starting premium is €8.37, and for income protection specifically the category median is €7, so this sits above the typical entry point shown here.

It is an insurer operating in the United Kingdom, with the Financial Conduct Authority and Prudential Regulation Authority named as regulator under licence 110008. A claim is handled by the insurer named on the policy rather than by an intermediary.

Monthly payments are available, and the model listed is monthly, so the premium comes out of each month rather than being paid as a single annual figure. For anyone budgeting month to month, that makes the cost easier to plan around.

The stated audience is seniors, and an income protection policy can start within 18 to 59 when the policy starts. Health and life cover comes from the same insurer, so a household wanting several personal policies can look at one provider. It suits people close to retirement as well as working adults.

Support runs on phone, so a phone call is the route to the team. No other channel is listed, which means a question that suits a written answer still has to be raised by calling rather than sent in.

The monthly benefit sits inside a band the provider sets and is capped at a share of earnings, so the payout is limited rather than open ended. Cover is underwritten by National Deposit Friendly Society Limited, and a policy can only start within 18 to 59 when the policy starts.

It is based in the United Kingdom and the adviser material covers a single market rather than a spread of countries, so the terms, tax treatment and claims process are the UK ones throughout. Claims are dealt with by the insurer itself, not through a comparison service.