Friends Life has introduced a new service to support Group Income Protection members who have suffered a cancer-related condition and are ready to return to work or need support to return to work in the future.

The package has been designed by rehabilitation specialists Working Towards Wellbeing.

Cancer-related illness is now the second most common reason for an income protection claim, according to figures from reinsurer Swiss Re.

David Williams, Director of Group Protection at Friends Life, said: “Thanks to medical advancements and early diagnosis, many more people are surviving cancer and wanting to return to a normal life – this includes returning to their place of work. Through our charitable partnership with Macmillan Cancer Care, we are acutely aware of the concerns many cancer sufferers have with regards to financial resilience.

“With that in mind, we are really pleased to be able to introduce an additional service, at no extra cost, to help make that transition as easy as possible for the employee and the employer.”

The  service offers specialised work support, allowing employers to engage early with members to help them plan for a return to work. The scheme also ensures that employers fully understand how their employee’s condition can impact them when returning to the workplace.

The scheme produces tailored plans specific to the individual, helping all parties to address any potential challenges to returning to work. In this way, the service helps ensure that any employee returning to work following a cancer diagnosis will have the right level of support for their particular needs.

Williams added: “This package enables employees returning to work after cancer to speak candidly about their condition, enabling an open discussion with their manager and HR teams. This can help support their return to work by removing any concerns either party has about discussing a sensitive situation.  The aim is to ensure that those returning to work after cancer do not feel isolated or ignored, but instead continue to feel a valued and respected member of staff. This builds on the specialist support that we already provide to mental health and musculoskeletal cases through our Group Income Protection product.”

Friends Life has been piloting the scheme for just under a year and has been able to support a number of employees returning to work after suffering a cancer-related illness. The scheme is now being provided to all Friends Life Group Income Protection customers nationwide.