Ageas has increased income protection commission for financial advisers to match the level paid on other policies.
The full commission rate will now be available for financial advisers recommending income protection to match the higher rate paid on life, critical illness and family income benefit policies; it will apply to applications submitted from 1 February 2013.
Steve Casey, head of marketing & propositions at Ageas Protect, said: "Income protection should be the first protection benefit people buy when they start work, to protect their long-term income if they are unable to work through illness.
"Despite its huge potential, life insurers have historically paid lower commission rates for income protection than for term and critical illness cover, and take-up has remained low.
According to Ageas the move eliminated potential product bias and would ensure advisers got the same commission rate whichever combination of term assurance, family income benefit, critical illness cover or income protection they recommended to clients.
Adviser Lawrence King, chief executive of Catalyst Financial Solutions, said: "We are completely fee-based now so it does not make a huge difference to us, other than clients get more more money back when they get a return of the commission paid.
"But it does make sense to have all commission level in this way."
