Almost a quarter of homeowners in the UK are risking their families' futures because they do not have cover to pay off their mortgage debts in the event of their death, a Friends Provident survey has revealed.

<p>And despite warnings of a growing &#0039;protection gap&#0039;, it seems that homeowners are putting greater value on the contents of their home than on the home itself. Just over two-thirds (69%) have life cover to help their families meet mortgage repayments should the worst happen, compared with more than nine out of ten who have contents insurance, the survey found.<br /><br />Homeowners also acknowledge that they don&#0039;t like the thought of some of the sacrifices their families might need to make. The least popular of these is their family being forced to sell the family home (64%) and their partner having to take on extra work, such as a second job (34%). But for the millions who have no life cover in place, these scenarios could be a distinct possibility.<br /><br />Most people are happy to insure their car, their laptop or their mobile phone but often give too little thought to insuring themselves. Everybody&#0039;s circumstances are different and people need life assurance cover for many different reasons. The key thing for people to remember, especially those with families or other dependents, is that life assurance can soften the financial difficulties for loved ones should the worst happen, says Ian Jefferies, head of protection marketing at Friends Provident.</p>