Contract to contract, with gaps between
A theatre run, a few weeks on set, then auditions. Most actors earn in bursts and fill the space with other work: bar shifts, teaching drama, voiceover or corporate role play. Being off sick can cost you a part you were about to start, as well as the side jobs.
Income protection replaces part of your lost earnings, so insurers need confidence you would have been earning. That makes honest, well-kept records more useful than in almost any other job.
Physical roles bring their own risks. Dance-heavy musicals, long tours with eight shows a week and outdoor theatre in all weather can lead to injuries and illnesses that stop you performing for weeks. Voice strain is a familiar problem for stage actors too.
How insurers judge a performer's earnings
Expect an insurer to look at total earned income from your tax returns over the last few years. If acting and other work both appear, they are usually added together. One big screen job can lift an average, and a lean year can drag it down.
Some insurers look at the twelve months before a claim. If you were not working at all when you became ill, a claim may be harder, so ask us to explain each policy's wording on this before you buy.
- Keep contracts, payslips and agent statements
- Include regular non-acting work in your income
- Ask how the policy treats periods out of work
Stage combat, stunts and occupation class
Insurers place jobs into classes based on claim risk. Most stage and screen acting is not physically dangerous, but stage combat, wirework and doing your own stunts raise questions. Professional stunt performers are a separate, higher risk occupation and may find options limited.
Some insurers may offer actors a definition based on everyday tasks or any work, instead of own occupation. We look for the best definition available to you and explain what it means in plain terms.
Filming abroad for weeks at a time is another thing insurers may ask about. Short trips rarely change anything, but long spells working overseas can affect terms, so mention them when you apply.
Life cover and the right waiting period
Life insurance is often the easier part. It pays a lump sum if you die within the term, and the price depends mostly on age, health and smoking. If you have a mortgage or children, it is usually the first policy worth sorting.
For income protection, actors often choose a longer deferred period, since short gaps between jobs are part of normal life. A longer wait also lowers the cost.
If you are a parent, family income benefit is worth considering. It pays a monthly sum to your family until the end of the policy term, which can be easier to budget around than a single lump sum.
How Hi Tomorrow helps actors
We know how irregular performing income looks on paper. We pick insurers likely to view it fairly, explain the small print on gaps between work and help you describe any physical side of your roles accurately. If income protection is hard to place, we can look at life and critical illness cover instead.