Changing Jobs and Group Life Gaps

Between leaving one employer scheme and joining another, families can sit uncovered without noticing.

Diary the gap

Confirm when old death-in-service ends and when the new scheme starts. Probation periods sometimes delay entry.

Personal cover as bridge

A modest personal term policy that runs continuously removes the cliff edge. Increase later if the new scheme is generous.

Career news is exciting. Cover gaps are quiet.

Nominations again

New employer means new expression of wish forms. Do them in week one.

Build a personal bridge deliberately

A modest personal term policy that runs continuously means resignation letters no longer create a cover cliff. When the new scheme starts, you can keep, reduce, or top up personal cover based on the new multiple.

Diary probation end dates — some schemes only admit members after confirmation. Until then, assume you are on personal cover alone.

Practical next steps

Treat this topic as a decision with paperwork attached. Write down the household facts that matter — who depends on income, which debts must clear, and which workplace benefits already exist — before you compare products. A clear brief stops glossy quotes from steering the plan.

When you speak to an insurer or adviser, ask for definitions and exclusions in writing, and keep PDFs of every illustration you rely on. Markets and underwriting change; your notes are the audit trail.

• Confirm what cover you already hold (personal and workplace).
• Size need against obligations, not round marketing numbers.
• Align wills, trusts, and nominations with the policy.
• Never cancel old cover until replacement is on risk.

Mistakes families make here

The common failure mode is optimising for the cheapest monthly figure while ignoring structure: joint versus single policies, accelerated versus additional benefits, and whether a trust exists at all. Another is letting group benefits create false confidence until a resignation removes them overnight.

Build a short annual review habit. An hour with schedules and nomination forms prevents most emergency weekends after a diagnosis or redundancy.