Insurance & protection · 189

Income protection gap

How much monthly income remains unprotected after policy benefits?

Your numbers

$
%
$
months

Quick answer

What does the Income protection gap calculate?

How much monthly income remains unprotected after policy benefits? This calculator uses monthly take-home income, desired income replacement, monthly policy benefit, and waiting period to estimate monthly income still exposed immediately in your browser.

With the values currently entered, the result is $900.00monthly income-protection gap. It also shows desired monthly replacement, and waiting-period reserve.

How to use the Income protection gap

  1. Replace the example values with your own numbers.
  2. Review the result and supporting figures as they update automatically.
  3. Check the formula and assumptions before using the estimate for a decision.

Inputs used

  • Monthly take-home income
  • Desired income replacement — entered in %
  • Monthly policy benefit
  • Waiting period — entered in months

Income protection gap formula

Desired monthly replacement − policy benefit; desired replacement × waiting months

Assumptions

  • Policy benefit is payable and tax treatment is already considered.
  • Eligibility, benefit duration, and exclusions are not evaluated.

Verify the inputs

Authoritative sources

These sources explain the definitions, factors, or rules behind this tool. Their geographic scope is shown because an official source for one country is not automatically valid somewhere else.

Sources do not endorse Calculum. Check the source date, scope, and your own documents before making a financial, tax, insurance, or reporting decision.

Practical guide

Income protection gap example and edge cases

How much monthly income remains unprotected after policy benefits? Let's use a concrete example, then look at the assumptions that can move the answer.

Example: A practical income protection gap scenario

For this example, use monthly take-home income of 5,200, desired income replacement of 75 %, monthly policy benefit of 3,000, and waiting period of 3 months. These are starting values, so replace them with numbers that match your situation.

Monthly take-home income
5,200
Desired income replacement
75 %
Monthly policy benefit
3,000
Waiting period
3 months

Calculated result$900.00monthly income-protection gap

Start with monthly income-protection gap. Then check desired monthly replacement, and waiting-period reserve to understand what sits behind the main result.

Example results use the default display profile. The calculator above follows your selected country and units.

How to read the result

  • Read the main result first. The supporting figures for desired monthly replacement, and waiting-period reserve explain how the estimate is built.
  • The method is Desired monthly replacement − policy benefit; desired replacement × waiting months. Keep the units consistent and use values from the same time period.

Edge cases worth checking

When monthly take-home income is unusual

Policy benefit is payable and tax treatment is already considered. Double-check this input before relying on the result.

When waiting period is uncertain

Eligibility, benefit duration, and exclusions are not evaluated. Run a lower and higher value to see a useful range.

What changes the result most

Monthly take-home income

Use a current amount for monthly take-home income. Include fees or recurring costs that belong in the same figure.

Desired income replacement

Test a lower and higher desired income replacement. A small percentage change can move the final result more than expected.

Monthly policy benefit

Use a current amount for monthly policy benefit. Include fees or recurring costs that belong in the same figure.

Try a different scenario

Small changes show whether the answer is stable or sensitive.

Monthly take-home income: 10% lower

4,680

$510.00monthly income-protection gap

Monthly take-home income: 10% higher

5,720

$1,290.00monthly income-protection gap

Desired income replacement: 10% higher

83 %

$1,316.00monthly income-protection gap

Common mistakes

Check monthly take-home income

Policy benefit is payable and tax treatment is already considered. Make sure this matches the number you enter.

Keep waiting period consistent

Eligibility, benefit duration, and exclusions are not evaluated. Use the same units and time period throughout the calculation.

Do not rely on one income protection gap scenario

Run a cautious case and an optimistic case. The range is often more useful than one exact-looking number.

Use this result well

Use it for

How much monthly income remains unprotected after policy benefits?

Do not use it as

The policy wording, exclusions, limits, and insurer decision control real coverage.