Life insurance
Consider who relies on your income or support and what they might need if you die. The amount, term and type of cover should reflect your circumstances.
Life insurance and critical illness cover
Think ahead for the people who depend on you.
Your protection needs are personal. We help you consider what financial support may be needed if you die or experience a serious illness covered by a policy.
Look at the responsibilities you carry
A mortgage, family commitments and day-to-day costs can all be part of the picture. Understanding those responsibilities helps frame a conversation about protection.
We take the time to discuss your circumstances and explain how different types of cover work. The aim is to help you make an informed decision about what may be appropriate for you.
What we can discuss
Critical illness cover
A serious illness can affect more than your health. We can discuss cover that may pay a benefit for specified conditions when the policy's definitions and requirements are met.
Existing arrangements
If you already have protection, it is useful to understand how it fits your current circumstances. A review can help identify the questions to consider before making any changes.
Choosing the amount and term of life insurance
Term life insurance provides cover for a specified period. A level-term policy keeps the insured amount broadly fixed, while decreasing-term cover reduces over time and is often considered alongside a repayment mortgage. Whole-of-life cover works differently, with no fixed end date provided the policy's requirements continue to be met. These are different arrangements rather than interchangeable labels.
Start with what a payment would need to achieve. Clearing a mortgage is one possible purpose, but dependants may also need help with everyday spending, childcare or education costs. Consider how long that support would be needed and whether existing savings or workplace benefits already meet part of the need. Unpaid responsibilities within the household can also have a financial value if someone else would need to take them on.
The term, insured amount and ongoing premium should be considered together. A policy that looks sufficient today may need revisiting after a house move, a new child or a change in employment.
How critical illness cover differs from life insurance
Critical illness cover is designed to pay a benefit when an insured person meets the definition of a condition covered by the policy. Life insurance primarily responds to death. Having life cover does not, by itself, mean that a diagnosis of a serious illness will result in a payment while you are alive.
Policies define the illnesses and severity levels they cover. A condition's familiar name is not enough to establish whether a claim will be accepted. Waiting or survival periods, exclusions and the medical evidence required can also matter. Some policies include additional payments for specified conditions. The detail should be compared alongside the insured amount, rather than counting the number of illnesses in a brochure.
A payment could help with a mortgage, household costs or practical changes during recovery. It should not be assumed to replace earnings throughout every period off work. Where life and critical illness benefits are combined, check whether a claim reduces or ends the remaining cover.
Reviewing existing cover and making an application
Before adding or replacing protection, make a list of current policies and any death-in-service or sick-pay benefits through work. Record the amounts, expiry dates, premiums and who would receive a benefit. Workplace arrangements can depend on employment continuing, so consider what would change if you left that job or became self-employed.
Insurance applications can ask about health, occupation and lifestyle. Answer the questions accurately, including any follow-up requests from the insurer. A quoted premium is not always the final offer; underwriting may result in a different premium, exclusions or a decision not to offer cover. The final terms should be understood before accepting a policy.
Replacing an older policy can mean giving up terms that are no longer available to you. Review the existing cover before cancelling it and establish when any replacement would actually begin. It is also useful to check ownership and beneficiary arrangements, including whether a trust is relevant. Legal and tax input may be needed to put those arrangements in place correctly.
How we work
A conversation is a good place to start.
- 01
Tell us what matters
Talk to us about your circumstances, your questions and what you want to achieve.
- 02
Understand your options
We explain how we can help and discuss the next steps, including any relevant fees.
- 03
Agree a way forward
You can decide how you would like to proceed with a clearer understanding of what is involved.
A little clarity
Questions you
may have.
Are life insurance and critical illness cover the same?
No. They respond to different events and have their own policy terms. We can explain the distinctions as part of discussing your needs.
Will critical illness cover pay for any serious illness?
No. A policy covers specified conditions and the relevant definitions must be met. It is important to understand the terms and exclusions before proceeding.
Should I replace an existing policy?
Do not assume that replacing it is the right step. Your circumstances and the terms of both the existing and proposed cover need to be considered first.
A wider view
Related services
Your next chapter
Start with what you want to protect.
Talk to us about the people who depend on you and the arrangements you already have.