Your life insurance policy can protect you but it can't cover every eventuality.
If you're concerned about how your family would cope if you were to die prematurely then you're probably keen to ensure they would be protected in the event of income lost to a serious or life-threatening illness.
Insurance companies make provision for this eventuality through a product called critical illness cover. This is available a as a stand-alone plan or as a cover option on life insurance plans.
Similar to a life insurance policy, a sum of money is paid out to cover your own and family's living costs in the event you are diagnosed with one of a specific list of serious or critical illnesses. Critical illness plans normally provide a lump sum after the person insured has survived a specific amount of time after being officially diagnosed, often 28 days or more later.
