MetLife UK has found claims for Long Covid have surged 250% during third quarter this year.
Data from the provider shows Long Covid accounted for 10% of new group income protection claims over the past three months, representing a 250% increase on the previous quarter.
The latest figures from the Office of National Statistics show that around 1.2 million people in private households throughout the UK are self-reporting symptoms of Long Covid persisting for over four weeks as of the end October.
MetLife UK recorded pay outs of nearly £50 million during Q3 across its individual protection, group life and group income protection lines.
The provider stated individual protection claims totalled 4,025 during the period, with pay outs totalling £3.4m. Its employee benefits group life business paid out £38.75m across 378 claims during the period, while £4.9m was paid out on 1,390 group income protection claims.
Stuart Lewis, head of claims at MetLife UK, said that it is "no surprise" that cases of Long Covid and related claims are increasing as there are still a large number of unknown factors about the condition.
"In order to support our customers too we have recently launched our Long Covid clinical pathway to help employees manage their symptoms and work towards returning to work as soon as they feel able to. Long Covid symptoms can leave employees unable to concentrate or work altogether. Employers should reflect on the current employee benefits packages to see what support their provider can offer for Long Covid
"Already 1.2 million Brits are reported to be suffering from Long Covid symptoms, and with the huge demand seeing waiting times of more than 15 weeks. For small businesses who can't afford to lose key members of staff, ensuring that the return-to-work process is made as smooth as possible following time off with Long Covid is paramount."
