Hundreds of Brits would be willing to permanently “sell” their partner for £500,000, according to Gocompare.com

A survey by the insurance comparison site found that 20 per cent of men and 14 per cent of women would sell their partner for only £500,000.

The company surveyed 3,000 people to highlight the importance of life insurance cover, giving them the scenario that by selling their partner, they would lose their partner’s income, childcare support and help around the house.

It aimed to make respondents think about how much money they would need if their partners were not around.

Some 14 per cent of men and nine per cent of women would take less than £100,000 for the opportunity.

When asked what they would miss about their partner, the top response was companionship although three per cent said they would not miss anything about them.

However, just 10 per cent of people said their partners had the same sum in life insurance and 33 per cent said they had no cover at all.

Jeremy Cryer from Gocompare.com said: “Realistically we’re not going to get the opportunity to sell our partner but sometimes we don’t have a choice about when they’re taken away.

“Most people in our survey said their partner was priceless, it’s a lovely sentiment but losing a partner, especially if you are parents, can have a heavy and tangible financial impact.”