Illness ≠ Incapacity

You can be ill before policy incapacity begins — dates matter.

Illness

Everyday health problem language

Incapacity

Policy trigger word for when benefits logic starts

Why this matters for your claim — Waiting periods, pre-existing condition clauses, and date-of-absence disputes often turn on when you became unable to perform material duties — not when you first felt unwell.

What to capture in ClaimBuddy

Tap a label to open the language-map explainer for that date or concept.

Symptom onset — When you first noticed symptoms (may be approximate).
Stopped performing duties — When core job tasks became impossible (often your DOA).
First medical certificate — May differ from both dates above.
First notice to employer or insurer — Another date insurers track separately.

Claim tip

Build a date ladder: symptom onset → cannot perform duties → DOA → first notice.

Timeline: symptoms from March 2024; stopped performing duties 12 June 2024; first medical certificate 14 June 2024.