Friends Life has announced sales of individual protection on an Annual Premium Equivalent (APE) basis for 2011 are up 55% on last year to £80m, while group protection sales on an APE basis rose to 286% to £22m.
The figures contributed to parent company, Resolution, posting operating profits for the group of £681m up from £275m in 2010.
However Friends Life highlighted the 286% figure for caution.
Steve Payne, managing director, UK Protection at Friends Life, said: "The last percentage figure is a bit misleading because Friends Provident group protection business which was the only business sitting in Resolution in 2010, was a relatively small component of the combined business and was only selling income protection.
"The Bupa Health Assurance business that arrived in January 2011 is probably three quarters of the total. But we have had a good year writing £22m on the group side in a year when we have integrated the two propositions in July."
Resolution's annual results quoted the value of this new business at £18m and said of Friends Life: "Contribution from new business has improved significantly in the year with a total of £18 million contributed in the second half of 2011 versus a loss of £2 million in the first half of the year.
"The change in focus, towards the higher value critical illness and income protection products as well as the migration to the lower cost strategic platform have been the key drivers of this improvement.
"In addition new business contribution has also benefited from the changes made to assumptions on persistency and mortality reflecting recent favourable experience."
