Emma Clarke

Emma had been teaching Year 3 for eight years. She loved her job — but by the time she turned 31, the accumulation of pandemic pressures, staff shortages, and relentless admin had taken a toll she hadn't seen coming.

Emma describes the moment of crisis quietly. "I couldn't get out of bed one morning. Not 'didn't want to' — genuinely couldn't. I lay there for three hours. That was the day I called my GP."

The diagnosis was severe anxiety disorder with burnout. Her GP signed her off work indefinitely. The school was understanding, but Emma's sick pay from the local authority would only last so long.

"I genuinely didn't know if my income protection policy would cover something like this. I assumed it was for broken bones, cancer — something physical. I was almost embarrassed to claim."

Her adviser walked her through the claims process. All that was required was her doctor's note and a short phone assessment with the insurer's nurse. Within three weeks, her policy was paying £1,650 per month.

"It removed one enormous layer of stress at exactly the moment I couldn't handle any more stress. I could afford my flat, my food, my therapy sessions. I could actually focus on getting better rather than worrying about getting back to work before I was ready."

Emma returned to teaching seven months later, part-time initially, then full-time. She now speaks openly about mental health with her colleagues — and makes a point of mentioning income protection whenever the topic comes up.

"I was embarrassed to claim for something mental health-related. My adviser told me not to be — and she was right."

Emma, 31 — back teaching full-time