Claim-process knowledge gap
Income-protection claims run on a ladder of different thresholds — notice, forms, complete submission, Date of Absence , waiting period , Initial Period, Extended Period, and complaint deadlines are not interchangeable. Claimants are rarely told which rung they are on until something goes wrong.
Why it matters
Notice, forms, complete submission, Date of Absence , and waiting period are different rungs — treated as one.
What goes wrong
Employers, HR, and insurers each use everyday words that sound like the same deadline. A sick note may feel like 'notice', a claim form like 'submission', and a hospital admission like proof of disability — but policy wording separates actual notice, prescribed-form submission, complete claim, DOA, and waiting-period continuity. Missing one threshold can delay payment or anchor a rejection.
ClaimBuddy response
Stage the file on a date ladder before you argue the medicine.
Claim tip
Build a personal date ladder early: first symptom , first medical certificate , first notice to employer/insurer, form submission, complete claim, insurer DOA, waiting-period start/end, rejection, and complaint deadlines. ClaimBuddy stage triage maps your position on that ladder before you upload.
ClaimBuddy resources
Modules, language-map terms, traps, and related explainers — hover for a quick summary.