Severe illnesses and life-changing injuries are hitting UAE employees much earlier than previously expected. A new report from Zurich International Life shows that most insurance claims are now being made by people in their late 30s and 40s.
The ‘People Protection Report 2026’, which analysed group life and disability claims paid in the UAE between 2023 and 2025, found that while the youngest claimant was just 22, the majority of claims were made between the ages of 39 and 50 — years when careers, families and financial responsibilities are at their peak.
“In a period of time where there’s a lot of pressure on cost and salaries, your people become a really important asset,” Matthew Whitehouse, Head of Corporate Life and Pensions at Zurich, told Khaleej Times. “Attracting the right employees and retaining them is a really strong indicator for the success and the growth of a business.”
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The data
Zurich paid out over Dh140 million in group life and disability claims over the three-year period. Of that, over Dh100 million was for group life claims and Dh37 million was paid to support employees facing illness and injury.
The data shows that the idea that protection insurance is something you only need later in life is outdated.
Life cover claims were driven largely by cardiovascular disease at 36 per cent and cancer at 27 per cent. The youngest life claim involved a 24-year-old, while the average age for a cardiovascular claim was 50 and for cancer was 47.
For disability claims, the average age was 48, with musculoskeletal conditions (21 per cent), accidents (14 per cent) and mental health (15 per cent) making up nearly half of all cases.
“People are claiming at an earlier age, so the whole concept that protection is something you need later in life is being dispelled,” Whitehouse said. “It’s happening to employees at a younger, more financially challenging part of their life.”
Companies need to take notice
According to Whitehouse, traditionally company protection plans were heavily weighted towards death benefits. But the report found that 27 per cent of all claims paid were for ‘living benefits’ that supported employees through critical illness, disability, or injury while they are still working.
He said this was a crucial shift that employers need to take note of. “Living benefits are more likely and more usable,” he said. “It creates a stronger story for the employer in terms of the return on investment on their spend.”
The report also highlighted the financial reality of disability, revealing that 79 per cent of disability claims were linked to Temporary Total Disability and Income Protection, showing that the biggest impact of an injury or illness is often the sudden loss of a salary.
“If you had a machine in your house that every month paid you your salary, the first thing you would insure would be that machine,” Whitehouse said. “The loss of income is catastrophic.”
He added that businesses should focus on prevention, early detection, and integrating benefits with broader healthcare services like private medical insurance.
Mental health
The report paints a stark picture of mental health in the workplace. One in seven disability claims paid were linked to mental health conditions. Meanwhile, a separate research estimates that Dh17 billion will be lost in annual productivity in the UAE by 2030 due to mental health-related absenteeism and reduced workforce participation.
“When you look at how mental health plays into productivity loss and absenteeism, the numbers are pretty punchy,” Whitehouse said. “There’s a big cost to not putting benefits in place if they can help tackle some of these unforeseen costs.”
The report urges employers to treat mental health as a core part of their benefits offering rather than an add-on.
Source: Khaleej Times