LV= has paid out over £12m in Coronavirus-related claims to more than 1,400 life, critical illness and income protection insurance policyholders and families since the start of the pandemic.

Half of financial advisers who took part in a recent survey report an increase in protection sales since Covid-19 hit.

Protection and pension provider LV= said it expects to see a rise in income protection and critical illness claims in 2021 due to a backlog of cancer screenings.

Protection provider LV= has paid more than £6m in Coronavirus-related income protection and death claims since March.