Hands-on care from the start of the shift
HCAs wash, turn, walk and reposition patients throughout the day. You are often the person doing the most lifting on the ward. Even with good technique and equipment, back and shoulder strain is common, and one bad day can leave you off for weeks.
Night shifts, short staffing and dealing with distressed or confused patients add their own strain. Insurers know the role is physical, which affects the risk class they place it in. That class shapes the price and the definition used when you claim.
When sick pay runs short
If you are new to the NHS, your full pay and half pay periods are short. Once they end, you drop to state support. HCAs who work only bank shifts, or who rely on bank to top up a part time post, lose that money straight away.
A short deferred period protects you quickly. As your NHS service builds, you could move to a longer one and pay less. We can review your cover as your sick pay grows.
- New starters: short sick pay, so short deferred period
- Longer serving staff: a longer deferred period can cut costs
- Bank staff: protect the shifts you rely on
- Care home HCAs: check your employer's terms
Cover on a support worker's wage
You can keep costs sensible. Short term income protection pays for a fixed period on each claim, which costs less than cover to retirement. Protecting your essential bills, rather than every penny, also helps.
For life cover, a simple term policy that matches your mortgage or your children's ages gives your family a solid base. NHS Pension Scheme members also have death in service while they stay in the scheme.
Training to become a nurse or nursing associate
Many HCAs move on to a nursing degree apprenticeship or a nursing associate role. Your pay, sick pay and professional registration change when you qualify. Cover set up as an HCA can still serve you well, but the amount and deferred period may need updating.
Let us know when you qualify or change band, so we can check your cover still fits your new income and sick pay. Moving to a longer deferred period, once your NHS service has built up, can reduce what you pay each month.
How Hi Tomorrow helps healthcare assistants
We look at your contract, length of service and bank work, then suggest cover that fits your budget. We compare insurers on our panel, explain the trade-offs in plain words and help you complete the application. You pay no fee for our advice on personal protection.