Health is an important factor and common conditions such as high blood pressure, high BMI and diabetes can have a big impact.

But other conditions could be taken into consideration. For example, an ongoing back pain could develop and prevent clients from working altogether. In some cases a pre-existing condition may even prevent clients from taking out some types of policy.

Depending on the circumstances, insurers can load the premium – anything from 25 per cent to 50 per cent up to 200 per cent to 300 per cent. Or, they can apply an exclusion – for example, you have a history of back problems, so we will apply a spine exclusion, but will not change the premium.

In more extreme circumstances, an insurer may decline or postpone cover. More serious conditions such as cancer or past heart attacks will not mean cover is necessarily impossible to get, but it is likely to cost more and it may be worth speaking to a specialist adviser.

At the time of writing, applications will be postponed for one to three months for anyone who has tested positive recently or who has symptoms of Covid-19 at the time of applying. Some of the smaller friendly societies have added respiratory exclusions on new business and have removed some of the shorter deferred periods, typically one and two weeks.

There are many resources to help advisers quote, advise, write and review excellent protection business. In no particular order, take a look at iPipeline, UnderwriteMe, CIExpert, Protection Guru, IPTF (The Income Protection Task Force) and more.

Kevin Carr is managing director and Suzanne Clarkson is associate consultant at Carr Consulting & Communications