Friends Provident is providing a new online welfare reform seminar for advisers, providing Income Protection (IP) selling techniques.

This follows a survey conducted by Friends Provident, in conjunction with Assureweb, which found more advisers want help in selling IP (80.6%) than in any other area. The survey also revealed only 17% of advisers have used the Welfare Reform Act to help sell IP and only 20% were aware that the Government’s new ‘fit note’ could present them with a better opportunity to recommend IP.

The new online seminar provides more information on the State benefit system and Friends Provident’s IP product, as well as ideas on how to sell IP and access to marketing support material.

Ed Stuart-Brown, head of protection at Friends Provident, said: “One of the most commonly cited barriers to selling IP is the clients’ perception that the State will always provide for them. Unfortunately this ceased to be the case when the Government introduced the Employment and Support Allowance in 2008. It is now much harder to claim sickness benefits and over two thirds of claimants are unsuccessful.