Whole-of-market protection advice · FCA regulated

Sickness & injury cover · No health questions

Too ill or hurt to work?
Still getting paid.
For up to 3 months.

Statutory Sick Pay is capped at £123.25 a week — and if you're self-employed, there's none at all. Friendly Shield pays you up to £2,250 a month when sickness or injury stops you working, plus cash lump sums for broken bones and a 24/7 GP for your whole family, included.

Apply online — about 4 minutes

Guaranteed acceptance — no medical questions asked. For UK residents aged 18–60, working at least 16 hours a week.

Day 15 — income benefit paid after just a 14-day wait Since 1868 — a mutual owned by its members 24/7 GP for the whole family — included

Happy mechanic at his workshop with a tablet

Your income, shielded

Income benefit up to

£2,250/mo

Group of colleagues walking to work together

Two self-employed mechanics working in their garage

£123.25

a week — all Statutory Sick Pay gives you. The self-employed get nothing

£2,250

a month — the most Friendly Shield Gold pays, for up to 3 months per claim

14 days

the only wait for income benefit — payments cover you from day 15 of absence

health questions at application — acceptance is guaranteed, whatever your medical history

Simple by design

Choose your level in 30 seconds

Pick Bronze, Silver or Gold, then add your partner or children if it fits your life. There's no medical underwriting — your health history never changes what you can have.

1 · Which level of cover?

2 · Anyone else to cover? (entirely up to you — nothing is pre-selected)

✓

Partner Cover £5–£10/month by their age

Your spouse, civil partner or partner of 3+ years living with you, aged 18–60 — fracture cover up to £1,500 a year and accidental death benefit up to £42,500 at your chosen level, £2,500 natural death benefit after 2 years, and Friendly GP+ for the whole family. No income benefit for partners.

✓

Child Cover £3/month per child

Up to 10 children living with you, from 6 months to their 23rd birthday — £500-a-year fracture cover plus £2,500 accidental and £2,500 natural death benefits. Children get the same cover on every level.

Your monthly income benefit

£1,500/mo · up to 3 months

Fracture cover up to £2,000/yr Accidental death £85,000 Rehabilitation up to £1,000/yr

Apply with this cover →

Premiums are age-rated — Bronze from £16, Silver from £23 and Gold from £29 a month. You'll see your own indicative premium inside the application as soon as you've entered your date of birth, and your FCA-regulated adviser confirms the exact figure with you — nothing starts and nothing is collected until you've approved it. Premiums are then fixed for the first 3 years.

Who chooses Friendly Shield

Built for working people without a safety net

Construction worker organising his tools

Felix Trades & manual work

Felix wanted short-term protection to help him cover the bills if an injury stopped him working. One broken wrist on site could mean weeks without pay — Friendly Shield pays his income benefit from day 15, plus a fracture lump sum on top.

— Based on National Friendly's member examples

Jane Employed, no sick pay scheme

Jane wanted cover that could support her if she became sick. Her employer only pays Statutory Sick Pay — £123.25 a week. Friendly Shield tops that up with a monthly income benefit for up to 3 months while she recovers.

— Based on National Friendly's member examples

Nate Self-employed

Nate is self-employed and wanted straightforward protection with premiums fixed for the first 3 years. No sick pay, no employer to fall back on — just a simple policy that pays when he can't drive, with a 24/7 GP thrown in for the family.

— Based on National Friendly's member examples

Felix, Jane and Nate are illustrative member examples taken from National Friendly's Friendly Shield Policy Summary. All claims are assessed against the Policy Conditions.

Friendly Shield in action

One accident. £8,500 paid. Here's how.

Simon is a self-employed painter and decorator with a Gold policy. He's in a car crash — three broken ribs, a broken arm and a broken knee — and can't work for just over two months. Because you can claim more than one benefit at a time, here's what his policy did:

Tradesman giving a thumbs up holding a clipboard

£3,000

Fracture cover — the Gold annual maximum, paid as a lump sum for his broken ribs, arm and knee.

£4,500

Income benefit — £2,250 a month for the two months his injuries kept him off the tools.

£1,000

Rehabilitation benefit — private physiotherapy to get his knee working again, faster than an NHS waiting list.

Included

Friendly GP+ & Dentist+ — 24/7 GP access when his pain medication caused problems, and an emergency dentist sourced for a tooth damaged in the crash.

Total paid to Simon

£8,500

Cash paid directly to him, tax-free, to spend however his recovery needed — plus GP and dental support throughout.

Illustrative example from National Friendly's Friendly Shield materials, based on a Gold-level policy. Claims are always assessed against the Policy Conditions in force at the time.

Your options — whole of market

Three ways to protect your income if illness or injury strikes

We're whole-of-market advisers, so before we talk about Friendly Shield, here's the honest picture. There are three main routes to protecting your income — and the right one depends on your health, your job and your budget. We'll always help you choose.

Full income protection

Pays a monthly income if illness or injury stops you working — potentially all the way to retirement. Offered by Aviva, Legal & General, Royal London, Vitality, National Friendly and others. Medically underwritten — your health, occupation and smoking status set the price, and some people are declined, rated or have exclusions added.

Best for replacing a salary long-term

Critical illness cover

A one-off lump sum if you're diagnosed with a specified serious illness such as cancer, heart attack or stroke — usually bought alongside life cover. Also medically underwritten, with exclusions possible for pre-existing conditions.

Best for serious diagnoses

Short-term sickness & injury cover

A monthly income for up to 3 months per claim, plus fracture lump sums and death benefits — with no health questions and guaranteed acceptance. That's Friendly Shield, and it's what this page is about. It sits alongside the other two, or is the realistic starting point when underwritten cover is unaffordable or unavailable.

Best for short absences & everyday injuries

Being straight with you: Friendly Shield is short-term cover — National Friendly say in their own Policy Summary that it is not a substitute for long-term income protection. We see it as a sensible first step: only 1 in 11 people in the UK has an income protection policy.* Start with Friendly Shield now, and our protection review looks at the long-term options with you — no charge, no obligation.

*Drewberry Individual Protection Survey 2025 (9% of respondents), published September 2025.

Who's behind it

National Friendly — a mutual insurer since 1868

Friendly Shield is designed, underwritten and administered by National Friendly, the trading name of National Deposit Friendly Society Limited — a Bristol-based friendly society founded in 1868 to help ordinary families co-fund medical help, decades before the NHS existed.

As a mutual, it has no shareholders. National Friendly is owned by its members, so profits are reinvested into member benefits and service rather than paid out as dividends. When you take out a Friendly Shield policy, you automatically become a member — with voting rights and the right to attend the Annual General Meeting.

The Society is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority (Financial Services Register no. 110008 — you can check this at register.fca.org.uk), and your policy is protected by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme. National Friendly is a member of the Association of British Insurers, the Association of Financial Mutuals and the Protection Distributors Group, and is a 2025 Claims Charter Signatory — an independent recognition of high standards in claims handling.

1868

Founded — over 150 years supporting UK families

Mutual

Owned by members, not shareholders — you get a vote

110008

FCA/PRA Financial Services Register number

FSCS

Your policy is protected by the compensation scheme

How members rate the Friendly GP+ service

94%

rated their overall experience excellent, very good or good

89%

would recommend Friendly GP to a friend or colleague

88%

gave the GP helpline 4 or 5 stars

Member reviews, January–March 2026, published by National Friendly.

What's covered

Bronze, Silver or Gold. Cash paid to you.

Spend it however you need — bills, mortgage, food, physio, time to heal. You can claim more than one benefit at once: a broken leg can trigger both a fracture lump sum and the monthly income benefit.

Insured benefit	Bronze	Silver	Gold
Your core cover — every policyholder
Income benefit — per month, for up to 3 months per claim (after a 14-day wait)	£750	£1,500	£2,250
Fracture cover — maximum per policy year	£1,000	£2,000	£3,000
· Minor fracture (hand, feet, 2+ ribs, collar bone, wrist)	£350	£700	£1,000
· Moderate fracture (knee, ankle, lower leg, arm, cheekbone, closed skull, shoulder blade, sternum)	£700	£1,400	£2,000
· Major fracture (open skull, jaw, spine/vertebra, pelvis/hips, upper leg)	£1,000	£2,000	£3,000
Accidental death benefit	£45,000	£85,000	£85,000
Natural death benefit (after a 2-year qualifying period)	£2,500 — all levels
Rehabilitation benefit — physio, scans, consultations	Up to £1,000 per policy year — all levels
Optional Partner Cover — aged 18–60, living with you
Fracture cover — maximum per policy year (no income benefit for partners)	£500	£1,000	£1,500
Accidental death benefit	£22,500	£42,500	£42,500
Natural death benefit (after 2 years)	£2,500
Optional Child Cover — up to 10 children, same for every level
Fracture cover — max £500 per policy year (Minor £175 · Moderate £350 · Major £500)	£500/yr
Accidental death £2,500 · Natural death £2,500	All levels

Fractures must be diagnosed by a consultant; stress, hairline and micro-fractures and chips aren't covered. Covered family members must live at your address. Full definitions, waiting periods and exclusions are in the Policy Summary and Policy Conditions.

Included from day one

Three extras that work even when you never claim

🩺

Friendly GP+ — 24/7 virtual GP

Unlimited GP consultations for you and your family, by phone or video, day or night — with private prescriptions, referral letters and fit notes when needed. Family members aged 16+ also get counselling, legal, money and wellbeing support.

🦷

Friendly Dentist+

In-app access to qualified UK dentists for the policyholder — a dental chat helpline, emergency triage, help sourcing an emergency in-person appointment, and discounts on cosmetic treatments. A genuine lifeline when NHS dentists are fully booked.

🦵

Rehabilitation benefit

Up to £1,000 every policy year towards private physiotherapy, osteopathy, chiropractic care, acupuncture, follow-up scans and specialist consultations — agreed with National Friendly to get you back to work sooner.

Ready to shield your income? It takes about 4 minutes.

No health questions · guaranteed acceptance · nothing collected until you approve your quote

Apply now →

▶ Friendly Shield in 90 seconds — from National Friendly

Friendly Shield is a National Friendly product. It is provided and underwritten by National Deposit Friendly Society Limited, trading as National Friendly, and arranged through us as your FCA-regulated intermediary. Please read the official documents before applying:

Policy Summary (Key Facts) Policy Conditions Check the insurer on the FCA Register

Being upfront

What's not covered

Every insurance policy has exclusions. We'd rather you knew them before you buy than after you claim.

In the first 7 days of the policy, only accidental death claims are payable — fractures occurring within those first 7 days aren't covered either. For income benefit, nothing is paid for the first 14 days of any absence; payment then covers you from day 15, paid twice-monthly in arrears, for up to 3 months per claim and a maximum of 3 claims in any 3-year period. The natural (any-cause) death benefit applies after a 2-year qualifying period. Pre-existing conditions — anything you've had consultations, tests, treatment, medication or symptoms for in the 18 months before the policy started — aren't covered under income benefit unless you've then been completely symptom-free for 18 continuous months. Partner cover ends at their 65th birthday, child cover at their 23rd, and the policy itself ends at your 65th birthday. Cover cannot be increased once the policy has started.

No income benefit is payable for: mental health conditions including stress, anxiety and depression (severe mental illness under the supervision of a psychiatric specialist may be considered); back or spinal complaints unless radiological evidence of a specific new wound or abnormality is provided (X-ray, CT or MRI); anything connected with pregnancy; claims arising from an epidemic or pandemic, including shielding or self-isolating; chronic, long-term conditions such as those which continue indefinitely or keep coming back; and any claim made while you are unemployed. You must be under medical care, unable to perform your own occupation, and not working in any other occupation.

Friendly Shield can't cover professional sportspeople, Armed Forces or Police employees, or occupations involving firearms or explosives — and National Friendly covers a wide but not unlimited list of jobs, which your adviser checks for you. A defined list of amateur sports and hobbies is covered as standard (football, cricket, tennis, running, gym training, road cycling, on-piste skiing, specified martial arts and more, in the UK) — anything outside that list, or done professionally, semi-professionally or sponsored, is excluded. No benefit is paid where the sickness, injury or death occurs outside the UK, results from criminal activity, drug or alcohol misuse, deliberate self-injury, ignoring medical advice, or not taking prescribed medication.

Eighteen fracture types are covered, in three categories: Minor (hand excluding fingers/thumbs, feet excluding toes, 2+ ribs, collar bone, wrist), Moderate (knee, ankle, lower leg, arm, cheekbone, closed skull, shoulder blade, sternum) and Major (open skull, jaw, spine/vertebra, pelvis/hips, upper leg). The fracture must be diagnosed by a consultant. Stress, fatigue, hairline and micro-fractures, and avulsions or chips, aren't covered, nor are fractures from before the policy or in its first 7 days. Multiple fractures from one event count as one claim, and the total paid in any policy year is capped at your level's annual maximum. Always read the Policy Summary and Policy Conditions linked above before applying.

Questions people ask us

Really. There's no medical underwriting at all — nothing to disclose, no GP reports, and acceptance is guaranteed whatever your medical history. Instead, pre-existing conditions simply aren't covered under income benefit until you've been symptom-free for 18 continuous months, and waiting periods apply (see "What's not covered" above).

Friendly Shield premiums are age-rated — Bronze starts from £16, Silver from £23 and Gold from £29 a month. Enter your date of birth in the application and you'll see your own indicative figure straight away. Our FCA-regulated adviser then prepares your personalised quote and confirms the exact premium with you before anything starts — no payment is collected until you approve it. Premiums are then fixed for the first 3 years, and reviewed every 3 years across all policyholders, never based on your individual claims.

Income benefit has just a 14-day waiting period — payment then covers you from day 15 of your absence, paid twice-monthly in arrears, for up to 3 months per claim. Fracture cover has no waiting period at all (though fractures in the policy's first 7 days aren't covered), and you can claim more than one benefit at a time — a broken leg can trigger both a fracture lump sum and income benefit.

Yes. Partner Cover protects a spouse, civil partner or partner you've lived with for 3+ years, aged 18–60 and living at your address — with fracture cover and death benefits at your level (no income benefit for partners). Child Cover protects up to 10 children living with you, from 6 months to their 23rd birthday, with the same benefits at every level. The extra cost is confirmed in your personalised quote.

A defined list of amateur sports and hobbies is covered as standard — including football, cricket, tennis, badminton, hockey, running, gym and weight training, road cycling, indoor climbing, on-piste skiing and snowboarding, specified martial arts and most water sports, when done in the UK. Sports outside the list, and anything professional, semi-professional or sponsored, aren't covered — ask us before applying if you're not sure where yours falls.

No — and we'll always be straight about that. Full income protection replaces a monthly salary potentially until retirement, but is medically underwritten. Friendly Shield is short-term: up to 3 months per claim, with no health questions and guaranteed acceptance. National Friendly themselves say it's not a substitute for long-term income protection. For many people the right answer is full income protection, Friendly Shield, or both — that's exactly what our whole-of-market review (no charge) is for. Message us on WhatsApp or email info@feadviser.co.uk before applying if you're unsure. It costs nothing.

Friendly Shield doesn't cover unemployment, and income benefit can't be claimed while you're unemployed. If you stop working more than 16 hours a week for 3 months, your benefits become restricted to fracture cover and the death benefits, and you should tell National Friendly and reassess whether the policy still meets your needs — we'll help you do that at no charge.

No fixed term. Cancel within 30 days of receiving your welcome pack for a full refund of premiums paid (less any claims), or at any time after that. One thing to know: if you cancel a Friendly Shield policy, you can't apply for another one for 2 years — so it's worth getting the level right first time, which is what your adviser is for.

At your 65th birthday (or the policy anniversary in your 66th year if you joined at 60). It ends earlier if you cancel, permanently leave the UK, stop working, miss 3 months of premiums, or die. Partner cover ends at their 65th birthday and child cover at each child's 23rd.

Important information. Friendly Shield is provided and underwritten by National Deposit Friendly Society Limited, trading as National Friendly, registered in England and Wales no. 369F, registered office 11-12 Queen Square, Bristol BS1 4NT. National Deposit Friendly Society Limited is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority (Financial Services Register number 110008; check at register.fca.org.uk). Financial Expert Independent Ltd (FCA 565800) is a whole-of-market insurance intermediary and an appointed representative of Financial Expert Partnership Ltd, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA 591556). We may receive commission from product providers; this does not affect the premium you pay.

The information on this page is a summary only and does not constitute personal financial advice. Full details of the cover, definitions, exclusions, qualifying periods and waiting periods are set out in the Policy Summary and Policy Conditions, which you should read before applying. Friendly Shield is designed as short-term protection and is not a substitute for long-term income protection. Friendly GP+ and Friendly Dentist+ are non-contractual discretionary services provided by National Friendly Financial Solutions, part of the National Friendly Group; they are not part of the insurance contract and may be amended, withdrawn or have their cost changed with a minimum of 90 days' notice. Based on current legislation, benefits are paid free of income tax and National Insurance; death benefits may form part of your estate for inheritance tax purposes, and tax treatment depends on individual circumstances and may change. Insurance payouts may affect entitlement to means-tested state benefits, and the income benefit may be taken into account by any other income protection policy you hold. If you are not satisfied with our service you may refer your complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service. Your policy is protected by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS).

Financial Expert Independent Ltd (FCA 565800) is an appointed representative of Financial Expert Partnership Ltd, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA 591556). Financial Expert Independent Ltd is registered in England and Wales, company no. 07779372. Registered office: 1st Floor, 3 Chester Bridge, Crewe, Cheshire, CW2 7EF.

01270 747 989 · 07840 166 325 · info@feadviser.co.uk · Privacy Policy

Apply online — 4 minutes →

Too ill or hurt to work?
Still getting paid.
For up to 3 months.

Choose your level in 30 seconds

Built for working people without a safety net

One accident. £8,500 paid. Here's how.