FSC chief executive Peter Neilson said it would use videos and case studies to communicate its messages to consumers, to help them understand the benefits of having cover.

The FSC’s polling shows about half of working adults could not survive more than a month after they used up their sick days and annual leave.

But it found most people did not know that if their partner earnt more than $30,000, they would not be eligible for a benefit.

One in five New Zealanders wrongly thought ACC covered all long-term sickness, not just those related to long-term workplace exposures, the FSC said.

It said 60% of New Zealanders thought they had about the same or greater likelihood of being off work for a long period due to an illness as they did of being laid low due to an accident.

But working-age people are almost twice as likely to fall sick as they are to be in an accident.

“The new polling is a bit of a wake-up call and helps partly explain the relatively low take-up of income protection insurance by only 26% of households,” said FSC chief executive Peter Nielson.

“These key facts will be distributed to people who work alongside those living with long-term illness.  Health workers, social workers and budget advisers will be able to give good advice based on this evidence.”

Over the last five years only one in eight of the households struck with long-term illness had income protection insurance in place.