Unum group protection review
Unum is one of the UK’s leading group protection specialists, providing employee benefits for employers. This is our independent review of its group protection range.
Who is Unum?
Unum is a group protection specialist providing employer-paid group life, group income protection and group critical illness, with dedicated mental health and cancer support pathways and the Help@hand wellbeing app. It focuses on workplace benefits rather than individual cover.
The specialism shows in the scale: Unum insures 2.8 million people, up 44% over five years, and paid a record £516 million in group protection claims in 2024, nearly £10 million every week.
What group protection products does Unum offer?
Unum’s range is pure group protection: employer-paid cover for a whole team, with rehabilitation and wellbeing support built around it. It doesn’t offer individual or director-owned policies, so for personal or company-paid director cover, other insurers on our panel take over.
Group Life
Employer-paid life cover for employees as a workplace benefit, subject to scheme terms.
Group Life guides →Group Income Protection
Employer-paid income protection for employees, with rehabilitation support, subject to scheme terms.
Ask an adviser →Group Critical Illness
Employer-paid lump sum cover for employees diagnosed with a covered condition.
Ask an adviser →How reliable is Unum at paying claims?
Unum paid a record £516 million in group protection claims in 2024, nearly £10 million every week. Group insurers don’t publish claims-paid percentages the way individual life insurers do, so the measure that matters most here is what happens to people on claim.
Cancer was the most common reason for claims across Unum’s products in 2024, while mental health conditions accounted for 42% of rehabilitation referrals. The Help@hand service saw more than 290,000 interactions over the year, and Unum’s employer portal now handles 82% of employer claims online with tracking built in.
A strong claims record is reassuring context, not a guarantee. Every claim is assessed against the scheme terms, which is why accurate scheme information and early referrals matter so much on the group side.
How do independent ratings score Unum?
Group protection specialists are rated differently from consumer insurers: fewer public review platforms cover them, so we show the sources that do and state what each covers.
B2B provider, limited consumer reviews, since employees experience Unum through their employer rather than buying direct.
Read Unum’s Trustpilot reviews →3 Star Defaqto rating. Defaqto rates product features rather than service quality.
View Defaqto’s ratings →Unum key facts
Scheme details
What wellbeing support comes with Unum policies?
Unum’s support is built for workforces, with an employee app at the centre and specialist pathways behind it. Help@hand saw more than 290,000 interactions in 2024.
Wellbeing extras are non-contractual benefits Unum can change or withdraw, and eligibility conditions may apply. They shouldn’t be the main reason for taking out a policy.
Who might Unum suit?
There’s no single best insurer, only the best fit for your business. Here’s how Unum tends to stack up.
Unum may appeal if you
- Want a dedicated group specialist, where workplace protection is the whole business rather than a side line
- Care about outcomes on claim, with 97% of supported group income protection cases back to work or an agreed outcome
- Want employee wellbeing built in, with Help@hand and dedicated mental health and cancer pathways
Worth comparing others if you
- Need individual or director-owned cover such as relevant life or key person insurance, which sits with other insurers on our panel
- Want group and director cover from a single insurer, which some panel providers offer
- Are buying mainly on price, since scheme premiums depend on your workforce and are reviewed at rate reviews
An adviser can check your demands and needs across the whole panel before you decide anything.
Let our advisers compare Unum for you
IGotCover is a trading name of Caspian Assured, an FCA-authorised broker. We arrange business protection from a selected panel of leading UK insurers, including Unum. Tell us about your business and our advisers will compare quotes across the panel for you. No jargon, no pressure, just the right cover.
Unum group protection FAQs
Unum is one of the UK’s leading group protection specialists, insuring 2.8 million people and paying a record £516 million in claims in 2024. Its 3.9/5 Trustpilot score reflects limited consumer reviews, as employees experience Unum through their employer. Whether it’s right for your business depends on your circumstances, so it’s worth having an adviser compare options across several providers before deciding.
No. Unum focuses on workplace benefits rather than individual cover, so it doesn’t offer relevant life, key person or personal protection policies. Those sit with other insurers on our panel, and our advisers can arrange group cover with Unum alongside director cover elsewhere.
Help@hand is Unum’s employee app, with remote GP access, mental health support, physiotherapy and more. It saw over 290,000 interactions in 2024. Like all wellbeing extras it is non-contractual, so it can change, and it shouldn’t be the main reason for choosing a scheme.
Group insurers don’t publish claims-paid percentages the way individual life insurers do. What Unum does publish is scale and outcomes: a record £516 million paid in group protection claims in 2024, and a 97% rehabilitation success rate for people supported under group income protection, the second consecutive year at that level.
Yes. Unum is one of the providers on our panel. IGotCover is a trading name of Caspian Assured, an FCA-authorised broker: we arrange the cover and the insurer provides it. We compare products from a selected panel of providers rather than the whole market, and our advisers can help you weigh Unum against the alternatives.
Unum was founded in the UK in 1965 and is part of the global Unum Group, whose roots trace back more than 175 years. Its UK legal name is Unum Limited.
Important information
- This page is information only and not personal advice. Whether a product or provider is right for you depends on your circumstances. Speak to one of our advisers to find out what suits your business.
- IGotCover is a trading name of Caspian Assured, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA reference [FRN]). We arrange cover; the insurer provides it. We compare products from a selected panel of providers, not the whole market.
- Cover is subject to the provider’s terms, underwriting, medical history and acceptance, and to a successful claim. Policies carry exclusions and conditions. Relevant Life Insurance is written in trust and has no cash-in value.
- Tax treatment depends on individual circumstances and may change, and any tax efficiency is not guaranteed.
- Provider figures, claims rates and independent ratings are taken from provider and third-party sources and were correct at the time of writing. Ratings measure different things: a Trustpilot score may cover a provider’s whole group rather than one product, and Defaqto rates product features rather than service, so check the basis of each.
- Wellbeing extras are non-contractual benefits the provider can change or withdraw, may have eligibility or residency conditions, and some elements (such as a health check) may carry a charge. They should not be the main reason for taking out a policy.
