Workforce health, digital change and real support: what 2025 taught us
Jason Ellis, Director of Group Protection Distribution at Aviva, shares his reflections on the insights and lessons from 2025, including workforce health, digital change and the evolving role of Group Protection.
2025 was an interesting year for workplace health, and for the role Group Protection plays in supporting the UK workforce. With sickness absence at historically high levels1 and long‑term health conditions affecting employers of all sizes, the need for practical, joined‑up support has never been clearer.
The 2026 Aviva Group Protection Report brings together our latest claims data, insights from the wider workforce landscape, and the real‑world impact of early intervention, rehabilitation and wellbeing support. It sets out what advisers need to know and how Group Protection continues to evolve from a financial safety net into a proactive workforce health solution.
Helping Britain stay healthy, working and resilient
The national conversation around workforce participation gathered pace throughout 2025, reinforced by the Government’s Keep Britain Working review. It underlined that tackling long‑term sickness and economic inactivity cannot sit with government or employers alone — insurers, advisers and workplace benefits providers all have a role to play. According to the Office for National Statistics, around 21% of the labour market is economically inactive for reasons including long‑term sickness, a figure that remains close to record highs2.
The review highlighted a clear need for a shift towards prevention, early intervention and better workplace support - themes that strongly align with the direction of travel in Group Protection.
We also welcomed calls from organisations such as the Health Foundation for improved access to vocational rehabilitation and greater consistency in employer‑led health support. The message is clear: helping people stay in work is better for individuals, employers and the wider economy.
Why early intervention matters
Vocational rehabilitation, a core feature of Group Income Protection (GIP), remains one of the most effective ways to help employees stay in work or return sooner following illness or injury.
Aviva’s own data3 underlines the impact of early, tailored support:
- In 2025, 2,656 employees across 350 employers received rehabilitation support through Aviva Group Income Protection.
- 85% of employees who received rehabilitation support successfully returned to or remained in work.
- Mental health support represented the largest proportion of rehabilitation referrals, accounting for 46% of all cases, reflecting the growing significance of mental health‑related absence in the workplace.
These outcomes matter - not only in controlling costs, but in giving people the confidence and support to stay connected to work, maintain their independence and recover without drifting into long‑term absence. In many cases, the difference between a short period of absence and long‑term disengagement is the confidence and capability of line managers, and whether employees receive the right support early enough.
A year of impact: supporting employees when they need it most
Behind every claim is a person, a family and a business navigating challenge. In 2025, Aviva paid over £450 million in Group Protection claims, supporting more than 8,800 claims across Group Life, Group Income Protection and Group Critical Illness - equivalent to around £1.2 million paid every day3.
What the claims tell us about workforce health
Our claims data continues to reflect the key health issues facing working‑age people:
- Cancer remains the leading cause of Group Critical Illness claims, accounting for 67% of claims paid, highlighting the ongoing value of early diagnosis, treatment support and financial protection.
- Mental health conditions account for 18% of new Group Income Protection claims, reinforcing the importance of access to psychological support and workplace adjustments.
- Musculoskeletal conditions represent 15% of GIP claims, often linked to sedentary roles and prolonged screen‑based working.
Together, these trends underline why Group Protection is increasingly viewed as a cornerstone of an employer’s wellbeing strategy, not just protection for worst‑case scenarios.
Advisers can use these to show clients the value of these services.
Wellbeing services: support beyond the claim
Alongside financial protection, employers and employees continue to make strong use of the wellbeing services attached to Aviva Group Protection. For many employers, these services are less about ‘perks’ and more about managing the practical realities of absence, productivity and retention.
In 2025 alone4:
- Employees booked over 49,000 digital GP appointments, with 99% available within three hours.
- More than 15,000 mental health consultations were delivered, with anxiety, depression and stress the most common reasons for access.
- Nearly 42,000 health checks were ordered, with many uncovering previously undiagnosed risk factors such as raised cholesterol levels.
These services play a vital role in identifying issues earlier, supporting faster intervention and, in many cases, preventing absence from escalating into long‑term sickness.
Digital transformation: making Group Protection easier to do business with
Built directly from adviser feedback, Aviva Fusion launched as our new Group Protection platform. Its purpose is simple: to remove friction from quoting, renewals and policy management so advisers can spend more time supporting employers and their people.
Fusion supports schemes from three to 250 lives, simplifying processes and reducing administration - particularly for advisers working with SMEs. By improving speed, visibility and ease of use, we’re helping advisers spend less time on paperwork and more time supporting employers and their clients.
Looking ahead: supporting a healthier workforce in 2026 and beyond
As we move through 2026, our focus remains clear: helping employers build healthier, more resilient workplaces.
That means continuing to invest in claims expertise, rehabilitation and wellbeing support, alongside digital tools that make Group Protection simpler to access and easier to manage. It also means using insight and data to help advisers have more confident, more meaningful conversations about workforce health.
Group Protection is evolving to meet the realities of modern working life — shifting from a safety net that responds when things go wrong, to a proactive part of how employers support people to stay healthy, productive and in work. Whether supporting a large employer with complex absence challenges or an SME looking for practical, scalable cover, our commitment is the same - to be there when it matters, and to help keep Britain’s workforce healthy, supported and able to thrive.
Wellbeing services, early intervention and rehabilitation services are non‑contractual benefits available with eligible protection policies that Aviva can change or withdraw at any time. Services may be provided by third parties. Terms, conditions and residency restrictions apply.
Sources:
1. Keep Britain Working Review: Final report - GOV.UK published 5 November 2025. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0
2. Office for National Statistics - Employment in the UK: April 2026. Published April 2026. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0
3. Aviva Group Protection Claims 2025
4. Aviva IP and Group Protection Wellbeing Services Statistics 2025
AUTHOR
Jason Ellis
Director of Group Protection Distribution
Aviva