Scottish Provident has discovered, in a recent survey, that 71% of respondents have insured the contents of their home against loss, while only 15% insured themselves against critical illness.

The survey of 2,000 people was carried out by Ipsos Mori and concurs with Scottish Provident's own findings. According to a spokeswoman, reinsurer Swiss Re has discovered that the UK critical risks left uninsured total £2.3 trillion (€2.58 trillion). In contrast, the value of contents insurance rises every Christmas.