Friday Five Focus on Protection – 5 Questions in 5 Minutes – 22 May 2026

Friday Five Focus on Protection – 5 Questions in 5 Minutes Every Friday

What’s this all about?

Each week, we ask questions relating to one of these topics: Investments, Taxation, Pensions, Protection, or Regulation. This week, our Friday Five is relevant to Protection; this is useful as you prepare for the CII’s R05 exam. The challenge is for you to answer them in 5 minutes. Answers at the bottom of the page.

Questions

IMPORTANT! These questions relate to examinable tax year 2025/26, examinable by the CII until 31 August 2026. They do not relate to tax year 2026/27 which is only examinable by the CII from 1 September 2026.

1. In what circumstances might an income protection policy provider pay a commuted lump sum to the insured rather than continue paying the benefits on a regular basis?
   1. It is not expected that the client will recover from their incapacity.
   2. The client has a life expectancy of less than 6 months.
   3. If the insured recovered from a condition initially expected to be terminal.
   4. Where the insured is aged over 55 at the time of the first claim.

2. What type of income is disregarded for long term care purposes according to the Care Act 2014?
   1. Surrender proceeds of an Insurance (investment) bond.
   2. Sale proceeds of a Capital redemption bond.
   3. Individual Savings Accounts income.
   4. Sale proceeds of a Unit trust.

3. Vivienne wants to apply for a mortgage payment protection insurance policy. A typical eligibility condition is that she must
   1. be aged between 21 and 60.
   2. have been employed/self-employed continuously for the last 6 months.
   3. be currently working for at least 30 hours per week.
   4. not have any pre-existing medical conditions.

4. Carla aged 20 cares for her disabled mother who receives disability living allowance. She applied for carer’s allowance, but her claim was refused. This was because Carla
   1. is under age 21.
   2. has net earnings of £75 per week.
   3. has savings given to her by her mother.
   4. is on a full-time course at college.

5. Private medical insurance is primarily aimed at what type of condition?
   1. Acute.
   2. Infectious.
   3. Chronic.
   4. Life-threatening.

Answers

1. A; See R05 Study Text, Chp 6; Rationale: If a claimant is not expected to recover from their incapacity, an income protection policy provider may decide to pay out a commuted lump sum rather than continue paying benefits on a regular basis.
2. A; See R05 Study Text, Chp 8; Rationale: According to the Care Act 2014, insurance bonds (commonly known as investment bonds) are still disregarded when assets are taken into account for care assessment purposes.
3. B; See R05 Study Text, Chp 9; Rationale: One typical eligibility condition for a mortgage payment protection insurance (MPPI) policy is that the applicant must have been employed / self-employed continuously for the last 6 months. Other conditions include: applicants must generally be aged between 18 and 64, they must currently be working for at least 16 hours a week and, while they can have pre-existing medical conditions, these will be excluded from cover.
4. D; See R05 Study Text, Chp 3; Rationale: Carer’s allowance is only payable to full-time carers (i.e., those who provide care for at least 35 hours a week). Carla is therefore ineligible due to her being a full-time student.
5. A; See R05 Study Text, Chp 9; Rationale: Private medical insurance (PMI) is primarily aimed at acute (rather than chronic) conditions. These are conditions that can generally be described as short-term and which respond well to immediate treatment.

Grab the resources you need!

If you want a clearer sense of what exam-standard R05 questions look like, structured mock exams make the difference. Our full R05 E-Mocks are built to reflect the real paper. Access the free taster to preview the layout, style and depth of the complete resource.

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