According to the provider’s latest figures, 77% of the claims made last year were for cancer, heart attack or stroke. It aid the average payment on a Skandia Protect CII policy was £148,148.

Skandia re-entered the critical illness market in April in response to what head of protection Ian Jefferies said was advisers “re-prioritising protection following the RDR [Retail Distribution Review].”

Jefferies said: “Our claims paid data for 2013 demonstrates that our focus on thorough and understandable condition definitions, rather than the number of conditions covered, makes a real difference to customers, giving them the reassurance of financial protection for them and their families should the unthinkable happen.”