Friendly Shield

Unique protection for you – simple, affordable and quick

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What is Friendly Shield?

Friendly Shield provides short-term essential protection against unexpected accidents, and has a popular option to cover sickness, too.  

It is designed to provide a number of valuable protection benefits including an income benefit, fracture cover, and both natural and accidental death benefit, plus a rehabilitation benefit to help you get back to work sooner following an accident. It also provides access to a doctor or dentist through its free Friendly GP+ and Friendly Dentist+ services. 

Benefits kick in after only 14 days – making the policy accessible far sooner to help meet your needs.

Friendly Shield is simpler than other protection products on the market. It’s quick to apply for and quick to benefit from.  

Get a quote

Real examples of how Friendly Shield supports everyday people

Jordan, a Friendly Shield policyholder, was unfortunately involved in a car accident on the motorway, leaving him unable to work at his construction job due to his injuries.

Friendly Shield was there when he needed it most, supporting him financially, with his recovery and helping him get back to work.

Accidents happens but Friendly Shield makes sure you’re not alone.

Jordon also holds an Income Protection policy with us to ensure he's covered for the longer term complementing his shorter-term Friendly Shield policy

Watch Jordan’s video to listen to his full story.

  • Policy taken out: September 2024

  • Member age: 39

  • Occupation: Maintenance Repairer 

  • Premium: £24.00 per month

  • Claim Period: July 2025 to September 2025

  • Reason for claim: Road traffic accident - back, neck & knee

  • Total claim payout: £6,750

When taxi driver Mr. K injured his back in a fall, he couldn’t drive for three months. With no income, his Friendly Shield Gold policy stepped in. He received £6,750 in benefits, giving him breathing space to recover without worrying about bills.

His cover also included physio and chiropractic treatment if he wanted it, showing how protection can be tailored to give extra reassurance.

What our members say

When Mr. H, a funeral director, developed sleep apnoea, breathing problems and stress, he had to take time off while doctors investigated. With no income coming in, his Friendly Shield Gold policy paid £6,700 in benefits, giving him the breathing space to recover without financial pressure.

His claim was reviewed within 24 hours and paid promptly after his 14-day waiting period. Rehab wasn’t appropriate yet, but he had the reassurance that it would be available once his diagnosis became clearer — allowing him to focus fully on his health.

After falling 15ft from a ladder and fracturing his shoulder, Mr. S couldn’t work for months. His Friendly Shield Gold policy supported him straight away — paying a £2,000 fracture benefit within a day of submitting evidence, followed by income payments two weeks later to replace his lost wages.

His entire claim was assessed and processed within just two days, giving him fast, reliable support so he could focus on recovery, not paperwork.

When Mr. J fractured his collar bone in a bike accident, he worried about how time off work would affect his income. Friendly Shield Gold stepped in immediately with a £1,000 fracture payout before his regular income benefit even began.

He was off work for six weeks and received £2,160 in total. With quick payouts and a simple claims process, he could concentrate on healing — not on money concerns.

A 35-year-old warehouse operative fractured his elbow after a fall and needed seven weeks off work. Instead of losing income, his Friendly Shield Gold with sickness cover paid a £2,000 fracture benefit right away, followed by £2,915 in income benefits once his 14-day waiting period ended.

The £4,915 helped cover extra costs like travel, hospital visits and parking while he recovered.

A 27-year-old lifeguard fractured her ankle after a fall and suddenly couldn’t do her active job. Her Friendly Shield Gold accident-only policy paid a £1,000 fracture benefit within three days of receiving evidence.

When her recovery took longer than expected, her income benefit kicked in too — paying the full £6,750 over three months. With her bills covered, she could focus on getting back on her feet, not worrying about money.

Apply today and enjoy up to £100 on us

When you open a Friendly Shield policy, you’ll receive an Amazon.co.uk gift card worth up to £100 as a thank you.

Your reward

Policy level

What e-gift card you'll receive

Gold

£100

Silver

£50

Bronze

£25

*Conditions apply

How your gift works

  • Once your policy is active and your fourth premium has been paid, you’ll automatically receive your e-gift card by email. It can take up to 2 weeks to be issued following this, so please bear with us.

  • The value of your e-gift card depends on the Friendly Shield level you choose.

  • You must provide a valid email address during your application to receive your reward.

Read full terms and conditions

Friendly Dentist+ Service

Friendly Dentist+ is a great benefit at a time when NHS dentist appointments can be hard to find.

You’ll have access to a dental chat service via an online app. This provides access to qualified dentists at a time that suits you and can reduce the need to visit a dentist in person.

Key features include:

Trusted advice and guidance from UK dentists. Upload photos and videos and receive a personalised diagnosis and prescription if required (at an additional cost).

Learn brushing techniques and best practices to keep your smile healthy.

Easy-to-read articles to help you maintain your oral health.

Additional benefits include:

Check dental issues and get help with next steps.

Including teeth whitening, straightening, and at-home oral care kits.

Choose to pay for a live video examination to detect dental issues early.

Get fast virtual support when urgent issues arise.

If an in-person appointment is necessary, we can help source an emergency appointment from a network of UK clinics.

Find out more about our Friendly Dentist+ service

Award Winning Cover

Cover Excellence Awards 2025

Outstanding Protection Product Innovation (Winner)

Cover Excellence Awards 2025

Outstanding Individual Income Protection (Winner)

Protection Review 2024:

Best New Product / Enhancement (Highly Commended)

Protection Review 2025:

Best New Product Category (Highly Commended)

Key features of Friendly Shield

  • Our Friendly Shield plan: available for UK residents aged 18 – 60. You can choose from 3 levels of cover from just 33p a day!

  • Income benefit: short term accident only income protection up to £2,250 per month for up to 3 months (and sickness if selected).

  • Fracture cover: a lump sum benefit for fractures of bones up to £3,000

  • Accidental death benefit: a cash lump sum payable of up to £85,000 on accidental death

  • Natural death benefit: a cash lump sum payable on death of £2,500 after your policy has been in place for 2 years

  • Rehabilitation benefit: a payment of up to £1,000 providing access to private facilities covering physical therapies i.e. acupuncture, physiotherapy, osteopathy and chiropractic treatment, follow-up scans and tests and consultations.

  • Friendly GP+: 24/7 access to a virtual GP for the whole family as standard and a wellbeing hub which includes confidential support for personal and work issues.

  • Friendly Dentist+: In-app access to a dentist for the policyholder. 

  • Optional cover for spouse and children.

Policy Summary
Policy Conditions

*Policy Summary and Conditions are for policies starting from 15 July 2025*

Choose your level

Bronze Silver Gold

Income benefit - for up to 3 months

 £750 £1,500 £2,250
Fracture cover £1,000 £2,000 £3,000
Accidental death £45,000 £85,000 £85,000
Natural death £2,500

Additional sickness benefit

Adds income benefit for sickness
Rehabilitation benefit Up to £1,000 in any policy year for all levels

Friendly GP+ for the whole family

 Included as part of core cover from policy opening
Access to a Private GP any time day or night

Friendly Dentist+

Dental care at your fingertips
Get a quote

Your questions answered

To apply for a policy, you must be:

  • Aged between 18 and 60 when the policy starts
  • Working and living in the UK (this doesn’t include the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man)
  • Working at least 16 hours a week
  • Able to pay for the policy from a UK bank account
  • Registered with a UK doctor with access to at least the last 2 years of their medical records

No, we won’t ask any medical or health related questions, which makes your application quick and simple, and acceptance is guaranteed regardless of your medical history.

If you choose to add sickness cover to your policy, you won’t be able to claim income benefit for any conditions you have been treated for in the past 18 months.

The different types of benefit have different waiting periods. Please see the Policy Conditions or Policy Summary for more details.

We cover a wide list of occupations however unfortunately there are some we aren’t able to cover for.

To find out if we’ll be above to provide cover, please use our online quote tool or call our UK Friendly Customer Service team on 0333 014 6244 or request a call back.

You and your family, has free access to our virtual GP service. It’s called Friendly GP+ and it can be accessed over the phone or online 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. 
 
The policyholder will also have access to Friendly Dentist+, our dental helpline service that provides a dental chat helpline, emergency appointments, online check-up service and prescriptions. 
 
We’ll give the full details on how you can access the services when you take out a policy or you can go to our Existing Members page to find out more.

If you cancel your policy, you won’t be able to take another one for 2 years.

You can decrease your cover level from Gold to Silver or Gold to Bronze, and from Silver to Bronze, but you cannot increase your cover. 

Free access to Friendly GP+

Our virtual GP service, Friendly GP+, is a free added benefit to your Private Medical Insurance policy. It can be accessed over the phone or online 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

This means your client's always have easy access to a doctor when they need their help.

Find out more about Friendly GP and Friendly GP+.

Friendly GP+ access is included immediately for members and their families (living at the same address). Members will have access to:

Friendly GP

Friendly GP access is included immediately for members and their families (living at the same address) with the following policies:

If the GP decides your condition requires further investigation or treatment, they can issue an open private referral letter to enable you to access the health care you need.

You can conveniently book an appointment with a practising GP at a day and time that suits you. You can book digitally via The Friendly GP web app, or via the 24/7 telephone help

Appointments are available 24/7. You can book either a telephone or video consultation and choose whether to speak with a male or female doctor.

Should the GP feel you would benefit from prescription medication, the medication can be delivered to you at any UK address or to a nominated pharmacy of your choice. You will need to cover the costs of prescriptions.

The GP can also issue fit notes if necessary.  You will need to cover the costs of the medication and delivery fees.

Aches and Pains helpline. Physiotherapists help restore movement and function in patients that have been affected by injury, illness or disability. They will do this by delivering personalised exercise plans and supporting you to be able to safely and independently complete a home exercise programme with verbal prompts and guidance.

Available from 8am – 8pm Monday Friday (excluding bank holidays)

Friendly GP+

Free Friendly GP+ access is included for members and their families (living at the same address) immediately with the following policies:

Provides information and guidance on legal matters such as consumer rights, property, landlord/tenant, family and motoring law.

Support with advice for managers who are assisting their teams through any difficulties.

Guidance with money matters, including managing creditors, budgeting and debt management plans.

Provides information on a wide range of mental health and wellbeing related topics such as sleep, diet or exercise so you can start to improve your day to day life.

The Wellbeing Hub is a confidential and secure online resource available 24 hours a day to help you look after your mental health.  With access to monthly newsletters, insightful articles and short videos, there are lots of ideas on ways to improve your day to day wellbeing.

How our members rate Friendly GP+

Our Friendly GP+ service provides you with peace of mind that you can access a GP for you and your family at any time, day or night.

Our members have rated the service:

Overall satisfaction

94%

for the overall experience you received as excellent, very good or good.

Recommended

91%

agreed you would recommend Friendly GP+ to a friend or colleague.

GP helpline star rating

89%

rated the helpline as 5 stars or 4 stars.

Data taken from reviews between January and July 2025.

Any other questions?

Don’t delay – find out how Friendly Shield can protect you and your family today!

If you need help or have any questions, please contact our friendly UK based team today on 0333 014 6244 or request a call back 

Calls are recorded for training and quality purposes.
Calls from UK landlines and mobiles cost no more than a call to a 01 or 02 number and will count towards any inclusive minutes.

Request a callback

How to apply

Apply online today

Applying is quick and easy. 

Get a quote

Request a call back

Our friendly team can talk you through your options to help you to decide what level of cover is best for you.

Request a callback

0333 014 6244

Monday to Friday / 8am - 6pm

Important Information

  • You won’t be covered for unemployment or during qualifying or waiting periods.
  • To be covered, accidents have to result in an impact injury.
  • Every 3 years we will review your premium and could change the cost of your cover.
  • Sickness Cover add-on: Pre-existing medical conditions won't be covered under income benefit until an 18 month symptom-free period has passed.
  • *Our dental team will make reasonable efforts to help you find and arrange an appointment with a local clinic for in-person care. However, we cannot guarantee appointment availability, timing, or acceptance, as these depend on 3rd party clinic capacity and discretion.
Get a quote
Existing Members
Claims
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