It depends what type of income protection policy you take out. If you take out full-term cover, there is no maximum payment period; it will keep paying until you’re well enough to go back to work, your policy ends, or you retire (whichever happens first). If you take out short-term cover, there will be a maximum payment period of 1, 2 or 5 years; it’ll keep paying until you’re well enough to go back to work or you reach the maximum payment period.