• In August 2022 Jennie Gow was advised to take out income protection
• Just a few months later in December, she suffered a stroke
• From July 2023, she was able to slowly get back to work

Life insurance and retirement specialists, LV= has today, 3 September 2024, shared the story of how income protection gave Formula 1 Presenter, Jennie Gow, not only peace of mind while recovering from a stroke, but also allowed her to go back to work at her own pace.

In August 2022, while being young, fit and healthy, Jennie was advised to take out income protection. It was recommended to her, should there be a time where she was unexpectedly unable to work, and would enable her to continue to help provide for her husband and young daughter.

Following what she thought was a common cold leaving her with a bad cough, Jennie collapsed in her home on 29 December, just a few months after taking out her policy. It was later confirmed that she had suffered a stroke triggered by her coughing.

Jennie said: “We didn't know what was about to happen, but when we were in hospital, just knowing we had protection, and as soon as we phoned LV= it kicked in, was a life changer for us because I couldn't speak, let alone work, and we didn't know if I'd ever get back.”

Income protection is so much more than just a payout. While not everyone is likely to see the almost immediate benefits of having the right protection in place like Jennie did, the peace of mind it offered was priceless and enabled Jennie to focus on her recovery.

Jennie continued: "When my adviser contacted LV=, I don't think there were any questions around whether they were going to pay or not, as it was just automatic that this happened. LV= said you need to react to this and we will have your back, and as a company, it was quite impressive to be honest.”

The income protection policy that Jennie had in place also included Rehab Support Services, to help members and customers with their recovery. LV= also funded  further specialist speech and language therapy sessions to support Jennie to return to work. Jennie was assigned a dedicated claims handler to support her through the process.

“Not only did LV= support me in the financial side of things, but I explained to my claims assessor that I was desperate to get back to work and the claims adviser suggested LV= could support me with some more therapy. LV= has been great in helping me achieve this."

In 2023, LV= paid individual protection claims totalling £135m, including nearly £17.2m in Income Protection (IP)* claims to more than 1,100 individuals and families.

Mike Farrell, LV= Protection Sales Director said: "LV= prides itself on supporting members and customers through the difficult moments in their lives, and we’re pleased we were able to help Jennie get back to work at her own pace, easing the pressure of either being unable to work full time or supporting her family financially.

‘We know that when people are going through a life-changing event, the relief of knowing their finances are taken care of can make a big difference.

‘Stories like Jennie’s show the importance of having the right protection in place. We hope that sharing more of these stories on our new Protection Stories hub will give advisers the resources to have impactful conversations with their clients around their need for protection."

Although they’re often associated with older people, Jennie understands more than most that strokes can happen to anyone at any age.

Since her stroke, she has worked with Different Strokes, a charity that helps younger stroke survivors and their families in the UK to reclaim their lives through active peer support.

LV= has also donated £5,000 to the charity while working with it to support this campaign, helping to fund stroke peer support for three months.

Austin Willet, CEO, Different strokes said: "There's a common misconception that strokes only happen to the elderly, but the truth is that one in four strokes in the UK affect people of working age. Raising awareness of this reality is crucial, especially since a stroke is a life-changing event that often comes without warning.

‘By understanding that strokes can happen to anyone, we can better prepare and protect ourselves. Jennie's story highlights the importance of having the right support in place. We are incredibly thankful to LV for their generous donation, which will allow us to continue providing vital peer support to stroke survivors and their families when they need it the most."