As long as you understand what a policy entails and have checked the exclusions against your circumstances then a cheap mortgage payment protection insurance policy could be your financial lifeline. If you were to come out of work after suffering from an accident, illness or through unexpected redundancy then you would still have to find the money each month to repay your mortgage.

If you cannot continue repaying your mortgage then you stand to lose your home to repossession and you cannot rely on the State to step in and help. Even if you qualify for help from the State the financial assistance they do give is very little.

A cheap mortgage payment protection insurance policy could give a tax free income each month to ensure that you have the money needed to keep up with the mortgage repayments. If you are out of work continually for between 31 and 90 days then the policy would start to payout and would continue to do so each month for between 12 and 24 months.

However, while mortgage protection is an excellent way to safeguard the roof over your head it is not suitable for all individuals due to the exclusions. Common exclusions to all policies include suffering a pre-existing medical condition, those who are self-employed, retired or only working part time. Providers can add other exclusions so you do have to take the time to read the key facts of any policy you are considering taking out.

It is the exclusions which have caused the majority of mis-selling of payment protection or rather the lack of making the consumer aware that they exist. Problems began in 2005 when the Financial Services Authority stepped in and handed out fines to several high street names before the sector was referred to the Competition Commission by the Office of Fair Trading.

While changes for the better have been seen a recent review by the Financial Services Authority revealed that some firms are still failing in some areas. Recently the Chief Executive of a mortgage firm was handed a personal fine along with a company fine for failing to have the consumer's best interest at heart. The Financial Services Authority will continue to crack down by handing out personal fines and in March 2008 they plan on introducing comparison tables. Tables will help the consumer to determine which cover would be the most suitable along with making them aware of the exclusions and how much the cover will cost.

With faith in the product having been lost this is leaving many homeowners without valuable cover and at risk of losing the roof over their head. Providing you shop with a standalone specialist in payment protection you will be given access to the key facts and all the information needed to make an informed decision regarding suitability. Along with this vital information you will also get quality cheap mortgage payment protection insurance you can count on to be your lifeline if you should be unfortunate enough to have to make a claim on it.