Critical Illness Cover
Critical illness cover pays a lump sum if you're diagnosed with a serious illness listed in your policy — cancer, a heart attack, a stroke, and dozens of others. Unlike life insurance, it pays out while you're still alive, which is exactly when the mortgage, bills, and time off work become a very real problem.
Get a no-obligation quoteWhat it actually is
Cover for what illness does to you, not just what death does to them
Critical illness cover works alongside life insurance, not instead of it. Life insurance protects your family if you die; critical illness cover protects you if you're diagnosed with something serious and survive. Every insurer publishes a definitions document setting out exactly what counts as a claimable diagnosis for each condition. Two policies that look similar on price can have very different definitions, so what's actually covered — and how easily a claim is accepted — matters as much as the label on the tin.
Who needs it
This is probably for you if…
- You have a mortgage or rent to pay and no savings that would cover months off work
- You're the main earner, or your income would be missed if you were off sick for a long time
- You have children who'd need you around, whatever state you're in, without a financial crisis on top
- You're self-employed or wouldn't get full pay from an employer if you were seriously ill
- You already have life insurance but nothing that pays out if you survive a serious diagnosis
Sound like you?
If any of that struck a chord, the next step is a short conversation. I'll tell you honestly whether critical illness cover is what you need, and what it'd cost to arrange.
What it costs
What changes the cost
Cost is driven mainly by your age, health, family medical history, whether you smoke, how much cover you choose, and how many conditions the policy covers. Cover that includes a longer list of conditions, or pays out at an earlier stage of illness, generally costs more than a policy with a shorter list. I'll show you where insurers differ so you're choosing based on what's actually covered, not just what looks cheapest on the page.
See what drives the price of critical illness cover→I compare cover from leading UK insurers.
- Vitality
- Scottish Widows
- Zurich
- Legal & General
- Aviva
- Guardian
- MetLife
- The Exeter
- LV=
- Royal London
Questions people ask
Straight answers, no jargon.
What conditions does critical illness cover actually pay out for?
Every insurer covers the big three — cancer, heart attack, and stroke — plus a longer list that usually includes conditions like multiple sclerosis, organ failure, and major organ transplants. The exact list and the definition of each condition varies by insurer, which is why I go through the definitions document with you rather than just the marketing summary.
Why do the definitions matter so much?
Because a diagnosis has to meet the specific wording in your policy to trigger a claim, not just a general description of the illness. Two insurers can both say they cover cancer but set the bar differently for what stage or severity counts, so the policy that looks cheapest isn't always the one that pays out most easily when you actually need it.
What's the difference between critical illness cover and life insurance?
Life insurance pays out when you die. Critical illness cover pays out if you're diagnosed with a serious illness on your policy's list and you survive what's called the survival period — a short window after diagnosis during which you must still be alive before the policy will pay out — so it's designed for the scenario where you're still here, still have bills, and possibly can't work for a while. Most people combine the two rather than choosing one over the other.
What is a partial payout?
Some policies pay a percentage of your cover amount for less severe versions of a condition, early-stage cancer for example, rather than the full amount, with the option to claim the rest later if things get worse. It's a useful middle ground, but it means what you could claim over the life of the policy is more nuanced than a single headline figure, so it's worth understanding before you buy.
Can I get critical illness cover if I already have a health condition?
Often, yes, though insurers vary in how they treat existing conditions — some will cover you with an exclusion for that specific condition, others may load the cost or decline that part of cover. I'll be upfront with you about which insurers tend to take a more sensible view of your particular history, rather than you finding out after you've applied.
How do you get paid, and are you comparing more than one insurer?
My advice costs you nothing. My commission is funded by the insurer if you decide to go ahead with a policy, and it doesn't change what you pay. I compare cover from leading UK insurers.
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Two minutes now. I'll come back to you within one working day with a straight answer on what you need and what it’s likely to cost.