Best life insurance in the UK 2026

Why you can trust our best life insurance UK reviews

myTribe’s life insurance content, including provider ratings, is created by a team of writers and editors who specialise in protection. Our reviews are based on detailed analysis of each insurer’s policy documents, as well as customer service reviews and claims payout data to reflect real-life customer experiences.

• ‍Independent and impartial - we have no commercial relationships with insurers‍
• Comprehensive assessment - each insurer is evaluated across six categories, covering more than 40 policy features, options and data points
• Experienced experts - backed by over 30 years’ insurance experience and CII-qualified professionals

Read our life insurance rating methodology

Best life insurance: Key takeaways 

• Royal London is our best-rated life insurance provider in 2026. It offers the widest choice of life insurance products, excellent customer service and valuable additional benefits.‍
• Aviva, Vitality, Scottish Widows, and LV=, also performed strongly in our review, each earning the maximum five stars for the quality of their life insurance products and service.
• Guardian and Beagle Street are new entrants to this year’s top ten life providers, scoring well in our expanded methodology for 2026.
• Our ratings show that each of the insurers we assessed had different strengths and weaknesses so make sure you focus on the policy details that are most important to you.

Every year, myTribe's team of insurance experts review all of the UK's leading life insurance providers, paying close attention to product features, customer satisfaction and claim payout rates. With this information, we can provide you with our impartial and up-to-date list of the best UK life insurers. Read on to see which life insurance policies we rated the highest in 2026:

1. Royal London

myTribe rating: 5.0

Founded in London in 1862, Royal London is the UK’s largest mutual insurer. This means it’s owned by its policyholders rather than a private company. Many customers enjoy the fact that they have a stake in the success of their insurer. Royal London is our top-rated life insurance provider for 2026, achieving the highest overall score of 94.97% in our assessment of the UK market, and earning a five-star rating.

Compare Life Insurance

Pros of Royal London life insurance

• Level, decreasing, increasing and family income benefit cover options
• Highest maximum joining age and an extensive range of term periods
• Dual life cover option, plus joint life on a first event and second event basis
• Very high Trustpilot customer service rating
• Options to add waiver of premium and critical illness cover
• Free access to the Helping Hand Service, providing wellbeing and support services (advised policies only)

Cons of Royal London life insurance

• Fewer additional benefits than some other insurers

Sources: Royal London website, Royal London Personal Menu Plan Life Cover Plan Details, Royal London 2024 Claims Statistics, Royal London Trustpilot profile‍

Royal London life insurance policies

Royal London offers the broadest range of life insurance options in the market. The types of cover you can get include term life insurance (level, decreasing, increasing and family income benefit), specialist diabetes life cover and whole of life.

Royal London’s advised life insurance is available to a wide range of customers, allowing you to join from the age of 18 to 87. There’s an impressive choice of term lengths between one and 72 years (depending on your age).

There is an option to buy life insurance direct from Royal London online, but it comes with stricter age limits (18-70 years), a lower maximum cover amount and fewer additional options.

Royal London customer reviews

Royal London has a 4.7 out of 5 rating on Trustpilot based on 5,330 reviews. This is a rating of ‘excellent’ and the highest among the providers in this guide, although it is based on Royal London’s full range of products.

On Fairer Finance Royal London has a high overall customer experience score of 85% for life insurance, earning it a gold ribbon.

Royal London payout rate

In 2024, Royal London paid out 98.7% of all protection claims, broadly in line with other major insurers. However, unlike many providers, Royal London reports term life insurance claims separately from other types of life cover, such as whole of life. In 2024, it paid 93.8% of term life insurance claims, totalling £212 million, and 99.9% of whole of life claims, amounting to £286.1 million.

It's worth noting that Royal London has been approved by the Protection Distributors Group (PDG) for meeting its Claims Charter for best practice standards.

Royal London perks

If you take out a Royal London Menu Plan through a financial adviser you will get free access to its Helping Hand service to help you stay fit and healthy. This is a package of services that can add extra value by giving you 24/7 remote GP access, mental wellbeing support and help with assessing musculoskeletal problems such as muscle, joint or spinal pain.

2. Aviva

myTribe rating: 5.0

Aviva is the largest insurer in the UK, providing everything from car and home to health and life insurance. Similarly to others in this guide, Aviva has a good reputation among its customers, and offers competitively priced policies. Aviva was runner-up in our 2026 review of the best life insurance providers, with a score of 92.18% earning it a myTribe five-star rating.

Compare Life Insurance

Pros of Aviva life insurance

• Comprehensive range of cover including level, decreasing, increasing and family income benefit
• Plenty of optional extras such as critical illness, fracture cover, global treatment cover and waiver of premium
• Free house purchase cover for up to 90 days
• Generous £11,000 advance payment for funeral costs
• Rated “excellent” for customer service on Trustpilot
• Free access to Aviva Digicare+ app, providing health and wellbeing benefits

Cons of Aviva life insurance

• Joining ages are more restrictive than some other insurers

Sources: Aviva website, Aviva Life Insurance+ Policy Summary, Aviva Life Insurance+ Policy Conditions, Aviva protection claims, Aviva Trustpilot profile‍

Aviva life insurance policies 

Aviva offers a full range of life insurance options, including term life insurance, whole of life and over 50s life insurance. If you opt for term life insurance through a financial adviser you can pick from level term, decreasing term, increasing term or family income benefit, with policy terms ranging from one to 50 years. Cover is available to anyone aged 18 to 77 and can run until your 90th birthday.

When you set up a policy you can tailor it with additional extras such as waiver of premium, fracture cover, global treatment, critical illness, upgraded critical illness and upgraded children’s benefits.

Aviva also offers a direct product, which you can apply for online. However, this version is limited to level term or decreasing term cover.

Aviva customer reviews

Aviva has amassed 56,918 reviews on Trustpilot, with a current rating of 4.3 out of 5. Although this rating applies to all of Aviva’s products and services, not just its life insurance, it suggests that the majority of its customers are satisfied with the service they have received.

On Fairer Finance, Aviva has a life insurance customer experience score of 84%, giving it gold ribbon status.

Aviva payout rate

In 2024, Aviva paid out more than £862 million in life insurance and terminal illness benefits, with a 98.8% acceptance rate. The amount paid is the highest in the market, while its payout rate is comparable to that of other leading UK insurers.

Aviva perks

One striking extra benefit for Aviva customers is its Digicare+ app. With this app, customers can book unlimited appointments with a digital GP and receive two second medical opinions each year. In addition, you get up to eight sessions a year for mental health support, along with the same annual allowance for bereavement and nutritional support. Customers can also benefit from up to eight online consultations with a personal trainer each year, all at no extra cost.

3. Vitality

myTribe rating: 5.0

Founded in 2007, Vitality is well known in the life insurance marketplace for its proactive approach that helps customers live longer and healthier lives while providing financial protection. Vitality is highly-regarded by its customers, as reflected in its excellent Trustpilot reviews. Vitality ranked third in this year’s review of the best life insurance providers, scoring 92.06% overall and earning a five-star myTribe rating.

Compare Life Insurance

Pros of Vitality life insurance

• Choose from level, decreasing and increasing term options
• Tailor cover by adding waiver of premium and accident and fracture cover
• Optional Optimiser feature, offering savings of up to 30% on standard premiums
• Access to discounts and rewards for maintaining a healthy lifestyle
• Rated “excellent” for customer service by Trustpilot
• High life cover claims payout rate in 2024

Cons of Vitality life insurance

• You need to stay active to secure the lowest premiums and maximise rewards
• No wellbeing support services or remote GP, which many insurers include as an extra perk

Sources: Vitality website, Vitality Personal Protection Plan Summary, Vitality Personal Protection Guide, Vitality life cover claims, Vitality Trustpilot profile‍

Vitality life insurance policies

Vitality offers several types of life insurance policies, including term life insurance and whole of life policies. If you choose term life insurance, you can opt for a level term policy with a fixed payout, a decreasing term policy to cover financial commitments like a repayment mortgage, or an increasing term policy to safeguard your payout against inflation.

You can buy life insurance as part of the Vitality Personal Protection plan from any age between 16 and 84. The minimum term is five years, and the maximum term is limited only by your age, as your policy must end by your 90th birthday.

A standout feature is Vitality’s Optimiser feature, which, if added, gives you some control over future premiums. Your initial premium starts lower for the first year but may increase or stay the same depending on your Vitality Status (the points you earn for activity).

Vitality customer reviews

Vitality currently has a 4.5/5 star rating on Trustpilot from 62,060 reviews. Although these reviews relate to Vitality as a whole rather than just its life insurance, the high volume and strong rating suggest that customers are generally very satisfied with the service they have received.

On Fairer Finance Vitality has an overall life insurance customer experience rating of 77%.

Vitality payout rate

In 2024, Vitality paid out 98.9% of life cover claims, worth £95.7 million. The average life insurance claim payout was £84,268. Vitality's life insurance claims payout rate for 2024 is among the highest in the market.

Vitality perks

A core part of Vitality's proposition is encouraging members to adopt healthier lifestyles. It rewards positive habits with a wide range of additional benefits, including discounted gym memberships, Apple Watches and free treats from Caffè Nero. While these perks will appeal to some, the absence of a remote GP service, which has become increasingly common among the UK’s leading insurers, is a drawback.

4. Scottish Widows

myTribe rating: 5.0

For more than 200 years, Scottish Widows has been assisting UK families with life insurance and pensions. Today, it's owned by the Lloyds Banking Group. Scottish Widows came fourth in our review of the best life insurance companies, scoring 91.93% and earning a myTribe star rating of five stars.

Compare Life Insurance

Pros of Scottish Widows life insurance

• Choice of level, decreasing, increasing or family income benefit
• Replacement cover automatically included on joint life policies
• Life cover buyback option available when critical illness cover is added
• Strong life insurance claims performance in 2024
• Includes the Scottish Widows Care package for practical and emotional support (such as RedArc services and Clinic in a Pocket)
• Rated “excellent” by customers on Trustpilot

Cons of Scottish Widows life insurance

• Covers fewer critical illnesses in full (if added) compared with some others

Sources: Scottish Widows website, Scottish Widows Personal Protection Policy Summary, Scottish Widows Protection Facts, Scottish Widows Trustpilot profile‍

Scottish Widows life insurance policies

Scottish Widows offers four term life insurance options: level term, decreasing term, increasing term and family income benefit. All policies are available to UK residents aged between 18 and 79, and the term must end before you turn 90.

You can customise your Scottish Widows life insurance by adding critical illness cover for an additional cost. You can also get waiver of premium (referred to as Premium Protection), which means you don't have to pay your premiums if you can't work due to illness or injury.

The Scottish Widows Personal Protection Plan is only available through financial advisers. However, Scottish Widows also offers a direct option, Plan & Protect, if you’re aged 18 to 59. This option is limited to level term cover with a maximum sum assured of £500,000, and includes fewer additional features than the adviser-only plan.

Scottish Widows customer reviews

Scottish Widows has an “excellent” Trustpilot rating of 4.6/5 stars from 12,235 reviews. This rating relates to Scottish Widows’ entire range of products, not just life insurance, but it's among the highest of any of the companies we've reviewed here.

On Fairer Finance, Scottish Widows has a customer experience rating of 75% for its life insurance.

Scottish Widows payout rate

In 2024, Scottish Widows paid out 99% of life insurance claims, totalling more than £141 million to 9,939 families. A third of these claims were on behalf of people who had passed away due to cancer.

Scottish Widows has also signed up to the PDG’s Claims Charter.

Scottish Widows perks

Scottish Widows life insurance gives customers free access to Scottish Widows Care when it is bought through a financial adviser. This support package consists of two offerings: RedArc and Clinic In A Pocket. RedArc is a phone-based service that lets you talk to professional nurses and get medical support, including mental health support. Clinic In A Pocket is a remote GP and prescription service delivered through its app.

5. LV=

myTribe rating: 5.0

Liverpool Victoria, branded as LV=, has been a leading UK life insurance provider for over 180 years. It's one of the best-reviewed insurers on our shortlist. LV= ranked fifth in our 2026 life insurance reviews, scoring 90.17% overall and achieving a five-star myTribe rating.

Compare Life Insurance

Pros of LV= life insurance

• Opt for level, decreasing, increasing and family income benefit cover
• High maximum joining age of 84 for most types of term life insurance
• Guaranteed increase options include support for renters if their rent rises
• Option to add waiver of premium and critical illness cover
• Access to LV=’s member benefits, including a Legal Advice Line and Doctor Services
• One of the highest Trustpilot customer service ratings among life insurers

Cons of LV= life insurance

• Limited options to add extra benefits
• Life insurance claims payout rate in 2024 was slightly lower than some insurers

Sources: LV= website, LV= Flexible Protection Plan Key Features, LV= Claims Report 2024, LV= Trustpilot profile‍

LV= life insurance policies

LV= offers the full range of term life insurance types, including level term, decreasing term, increasing term and family income benefit. All policies are available to UK residents aged 17 to 84, except for increasing term cover where the maximum joining age is 79. The policy term can be anywhere from five to 50 years, but must end before your 90th birthday (or by age 85 for inflation-linked cover).

Like most insurers, LV= allows you to add critical illness cover or waiver of premium for an additional monthly cost. Policies can be arranged on either a single or joint life basis, depending on your needs.

LV= also sells life insurance direct if you prefer to apply online without the help of a financial adviser or broker.

LV= customer reviews

LV= is one of the UK's highest-rated life insurers based on customer reviews, with a 4.5-star rating on Trustpilot from 83,591 reviews. It's important to note that these reviews are for the company as a whole rather than purely for life insurance. But it still demonstrates its commitment to high levels of customer satisfaction.

LV= payout rate

The latest claims statistics from LV= show that in 2024, the insurer paid out 97% of all life insurance and terminal illness claims, totalling more than £80 million. While the payout rate isn't as high as some of the entries on our list, it's still good in the broader UK life insurance market.

LV= is a signatory to the PDG Claims Charter, an initiative designed to improve the claims experience for customers, including faster claim payments and a named point of contact throughout the process.

LV= perks

When you take out life insurance with LV=, you get free access to Doctor Services, LV=’s remote health support. LV= Doctor Services gives you fast and convenient remote access to medical services via a phone call or app request, including 24/7 remote GP, second opinions, physiotherapy and psychological support. You also get free access to LV=’s legal advice line.

6. Legal & General

myTribe rating: 4.5

Founded in 1836, Legal & General has been providing different types of insurance to UK residents for 190 years. Customers value Legal & General’s affordable premiums and reliable customer service. Legal & General achieved a four-and-a-half-star rating in our 2026 review of the best life insurance providers, scoring 89.86%.

Compare Life Insurance

Pros of Legal & General life insurance

• Four types of term life cover: level, decreasing, increasing and family income benefit
• Accidental death benefit, and free life cover (between exchange of contracts and property completion)
• Ability to add waiver of premium and critical illness
• Critical illness cover includes an accident hospitalisation benefit
• Well-rated for customer service on Trustpilot
• Free access to Legal & General’s Wellbeing Support Service and Care Concierge

Cons of Legal & General life insurance

• Limited range of additional benefits to choose from
• Claims payout rate in 2024 was lower than some other insurers

Sources: Legal & General website, Legal & General Life Insurance Policy Booklet, Legal & General Claims Statistics 2024, Legal & General Trustpilot profile‍

Legal & General life insurance policies

Legal & General offers term life insurance, as well as whole of life and over 50s life plans. Within its term life range, you can choose level term, decreasing term, increasing term or family income benefit. You can also add critical illness cover to your policy, which pays out if you’re diagnosed with a specified serious illness.

To apply for Legal & General life insurance, you must be aged between 18 and 77. Policy terms range from one to 50 years, depending on the type of cover, and must end by your 90th birthday.

Like most other insurers featured in this guide, Legal & General also offers life insurance direct to consumers. However, some options, such as increasing term cover, are not available when applying online.

Legal & General customer reviews

Legal & General has a Trustpilot rating of 4.3 out of 5, based on  28,741 reviews. It’s a strong ratting but like many of the other big insurers, these reviews relate to more than purely life insurance.

On Fairer Finance Legal & General holds a customer experience rating of 75% for its life insurance.

Legal & General payout rate

In 2024, Legal & General paid out 97% of claims, which is slightly lower than some of its peers. The number of claims was 14,067, and the total amount paid was £583 million.

Legal & General perks

Legal & General life insurance customers get free access to its Wellbeing Support Service, where you can talk to a dedicated nurse for advice, guidance or a clinical assessment. Customers also have access to Care Concierge, a confidential telephone advisory service offering support in later life. However, unlike some competitors, Legal & General doesn’t include a remote GP service as an added-value benefit.

7. Zurich

myTribe rating: 4.5

Part of the Swiss insurance giant, Zurich’s UK arm offers competitive life insurance policies to British residents. Customers choose Zurich for its affordable premiums, high payout rate and range of additional benefits. Zurich scored 89.77% in our 2026 review of the best life insurance providers, earning it a four-and-a-half myTribe star rating.

Compare Life Insurance

Pros of Zurich life insurance

• An extensive range of cover options, including level, decreasing, increasing and family income benefit
• Low minimum entry age of 16 and high maximum age of 83
• Very high life insurance claims payout rate in 2024
• Option to add muti-fracture cover, critical illness cover or Zurich Accelerate (medical support for cancer, heart and neurological conditions)
• Access to Zurich’s Support Services, including counselling, legal and financial guidance

Cons of Zurich life insurance

• Lower customer service rating on Trustpilot
• Limited added-value services compared with other insurers

Sources: Zurich website, Zurich Personal Protection Key Features, Zurich Personal Protection Terms and Conditions, Zurich Claims Paid 2024, Zurich Trustpilot profile‍

Zurich life insurance policies

Zurich offers both term life insurance and whole of life cover. If you want term life insurance you can choose from level cover (fixed premiums and payout amounts), decreasing cover (often used to cover a repayment mortgage) or increasing cover (to offset inflation). Alternatively, you can select family income benefit which pays out a monthly income instead of a lump sum.

You can purchase Zurich life insurance from age 16. The maximum purchasing age is 83 and cover can last until you’re 89. The minimum term length is one year; the maximum is fifty years.

Zurich offers lots of optional add-ons at an extra cost, including critical illness, children’s cover (with enhanced options), pregnancy and early childhood cover, multi-fracture cover and waiver of premium. You can also add Zurich Accelerate, giving you and any children up to the age of 22 fast access to specialist medical services for the investigation, diagnosis and treatment of certain serious conditions.

Zurich customer reviews

Currently, Zurich has a 3.5 out of 5 star rating on Trustpilot, based on 3,354 reviews, which is considered "average". However, it’s important to note that this rating is for Zurich’s entire insurance range, not just life cover. Its Trustpilot rating is much lower than most of the other insurers in this guide.

Zurich scored 71% for life insurance customer experience with Fairer Finance.

Zurich payout rate

In 2024, Zurich paid 99.8% of life insurance claims, totalling £220.2 million. It's one of the highest claims payout rates among the providers in our top ten, providing some reassurance if you’re considering taking out Zurich life insurance.

Zurich perks

Zurich life insurance customers get 24/7 access to Zurich’s support services. These include mental health support and counselling, as well as bereavement support. However, it doesn’t offer access to a remote GP service.

8. Guardian

myTribe rating: 4.5

Guardian is an insurance brand that has been helping protect families since 1821. Its life insurance products are provided by Scottish Friendly and innovate by offering waiver of premium as standard, an enhanced terminal illness definition, and dual life cover. Guardian is a newcomer to our top ten life insurance providers this year, scoring 88.31%, earning it a four-and-a-half myTribe star rating.

Compare Life Insurance

Pros of Guardian life insurance

• Opt for level, decreasing, increasing, or family income life cover options
• Joint highest life insurance claims payout rate in 2024
• Waiver of premium included as standard
• Terminal illness cover can pay out sooner for some conditions
• HALO claims service support for loved ones and remote GP access
• Dual life option for couples that want to keep their cover separate

Cons of Guardian life insurance

• Lack of customers reviews makes service levels difficult to gauge
• Maximum age limit of 64 years for joining is more restrictive than others

Sources: Guardian website, The Guardian Protection Menu Policy Terms and Conditions, The Guardian Protection Menu Key Facts, The Guardian 2024 Claims Statistics‍

Guardian life insurance policies

Guardian offers level, decreasing, and increasing term life insurance, as well as family income benefit, to customers aged 18 to 64. Minimum terms start at one year (level and increasing) and five years (decreasing and family income benefit), with cover lasting up to age 90.

Guardian is the only life insurer we reviewed that includes waiver of premium as a standard. It also offers enhanced terminal illness cover, paying out immediately on diagnosis of certain conditions such as incurable stage 4 cancer, motor neurone disease, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, or Parkinson-plus syndromes, rather than requiring a life expectancy of less than 12 months.

As well as its flagship Life Protection policy, Guardian also offers a low-cost alternative called Life Essentials which is aimed at first-time buyers or those looking to pay a potential inheritance tax bill, where cost is a greater priority than additional features.

Guardian customer reviews

The number of Trustpilot reviews for Guardian is so low that it is difficult to draw any meaningful conclusions. This can partly be explained by the fact that Guardian life insurance is only available through financial advisers, limiting customers’ opportunities to leave public reviews.

Within the adviser market, however, Guardian has a reputation for quality service. It was awarded five stars for its protection service at the 2025 Financial Adviser Service Awards.

Guardian payout rate

In 2024, Guardian paid out £6.72 million in life insurance claims with a payout rate of 100%. It’s the second consecutive year in which it has paid all life insurance claims, although the total amount paid was lower than that of most other insurers in our review.

Guardian perks

Guardian life insurance comes with a range of additional services that can provide welcome support for you and your family during difficult times. Its HALO service provides access to specialist medical consultations, rehabilitation support, counselling, and financial and legal advice. Meanwhile, its Anytime service offers free medical expertise, including unlimited access to a remote GP, second medical opinions, and consultations for emotional wellbeing and musculoskeletal concerns such as aches and pains.

9. The Exeter

myTribe rating: 4.5

The Exeter is a mutual organisation with no shareholders. All profits are invested back into the company, and customers are known as members. The Exeter promotes itself as a specialist in providing life insurance for people with medical problems, which many insurers will shy away from. The Exeter scored 87.88% in our 2026 best life insurance companies review,  earning it a four-and-a-half myTribe star rating.

Compare Life Insurance

Pros of The Exeter life insurance

• Level, decreasing and increasing life cover options
• Joint highest life insurance claims payout rate in 2024
• Waiver of premium automatically included if you have an income protection policy with The Exeter
• Free access to HealthWise app for medical advice and treatment
• Joint life cover includes a separation option, with consent only needed from one policyholder

Cons of The Exeter life insurance

• Lower Trustpilot customer service rating than many other insurers
• No option to add critical illness cover

Sources: The Exeter website, The Exeter Real Life Policy Summary, The Exeter 2024 Claims Statistics, The Exeter Trustpilot profile‍

The Exeter life insurance policies

The Exeter only offers term life insurance, but within its Real Life plan you can choose from three types of cover: level term, decreasing term and increasing term. It is available to individuals aged 18 to 80, and you can select a policy term of five to 50 years, provided the cover ends before your 90th birthday.

The Exeter offers both single and joint life policies. Last year it introduced dual life cover, which allows couples to apply together while keeping their policies separate. Waiver of premium is available, but is only included if you have income protection insurance with The Exeter.

Notably, if you have a joint life policy, The Exeter only requires consent from one policyholder to separate it into two single plans if the relationship breaks down. It's a standout feature designed to help prevent financial abuse.

The Exeter customer reviews

On Trustpilot, The Exeter has a rating of 4.1 out of 5 stars, from 1,302 reviews. While this is a respectable score, the relatively small number of reviews makes it difficult to draw firm conclusions about the overall quality of its customer service.

The Exeter payout rate

In 2024, The Exeter paid out on 100% of life insurance and terminal illness claims. However, the total life insurance claims amount was £5.2 million, which is considerably lower than most of the other insurers in our top ten.

The Exeter perks

When you take out life insurance with The Exeter, you get access to its HealthWise app. Through the app, you can book unlimited remote GP consultations each year for medical guidance, as well as receive up to two second-opinion consultations. The service also allows you to speak with physiotherapists, dietitians and mental health specialists. In addition, it includes an annual health assessment through a complimentary at-home Health MOT kit, helping you monitor your overall wellbeing.

10. Beagle Street

myTribe rating: 4.0

Beagle Street is an online provider specialising in life insurance. It was launched in 2012 by BGL Insurance but was acquired by OneFamily in 2022. Beagle Street is another new entrant to this year’s best life insurance companies, scoring 78.20% and achieving a four-star rating.

Compare Life Insurance

Pros of Beagle Street life insurance

• Choice of level and decreasing cover
• Ability to add critical illness cover and child critical illness
• Strong claims payout and support
• Includes free simple will, one hour free legal advice and companions service for second medical opinions, counselling and more
• Rated “excellent” by customers on Trustpilot

Cons of Beagle Street life insurance

• Maximum life cover is determined by your age and is limited to £750,000, or £300,000 for life and critical illness
• Doesn’t offer increasing term life insurance or family income benefit

Sources: Beagle Street website, Beagle Street Life Insurance Plan Policy Summary, Beagle Street Life Insurance Plan Terms and Conditions, Beagle Street Trustpilot profile‍

Beagle Street life insurance policies

Beagle Street offers two types of term life insurance: level term and decreasing term. Unusually, the maximum cover available depends on your age; the older you are the less cover you can apply for. There's a maximum of £750,000 for life insurance or £300,000 for life insurance with critical illness.

The minimum policy term is five years and the maximum term is 50 years, with cover required to end by your 90th birthday. You can take out Beagle Street life insurance on either a single or joint life basis.

There is also the option to enhance your cover with add-ons such as critical illness and children’s critical illness cover.

Beagle Street customer reviews

Beagle Street holds a Trustpilot rating of “excellent”, scoring 4.6/5 stars from 4,702 reviews. As Beagle Street specialises solely in life insurance, this provides a strong indication of how highly customers rate its life insurance service.

On Fairer Finance, Beagle Street has the second-highest customer experience rating for life insurance at 86%, earning it a Gold Ribbon award.

Beagle Street payout rate

Beagle Street is underwritten by Family Assurance, which paid out 99.8% of all protection claims in 2024. In 2025, it also met the Protection Distributors Group (PDG) criteria to become a signatory to its Claims Charter.

Beagle Street perks

Beagle Street offers a number of value-added benefits when you purchase life insurance, including a free simple will and up to one hour of legal advice to discuss matters such as estate planning. You’ll also have access to RedArc’s Companions counselling service, which can help arrange a second medical opinion and provide practical and emotional support following a terminal or serious illness diagnosis.

To build our list of the best life insurance policies and companies in the UK, we combine several strands of research to calculate our myTribe rating. These include:

• Cover options and terms and conditions: We study each insurer's life insurance product range in detail to determine how comprehensive their policies are.
• Trustpilot scores: We review Trustpilot ratings and customer feedback to understand how policyholders rate the service they’ve received.
• Life insurance claims payout rates: We collect each provider’s most recent claims payout statistics to assess their track record for paying claims.

The data that we gather is used to measure each life insurance provider across the six key metrics detailed in our methodology section below. Our aim is to help you identify the best life insurance policy based on quality indicators, not cost.

In another article, we’ve also ranked best over 50s life insurance in the UK and best health insurance in the UK.

Our life insurance rating methodology

According to the FCA’s Financial Lives 2024 Survey, having good policy cover is consistently one of the most commonly cited reasons people choose their life insurance provider. However, despite this, only a quarter of those who took out a life insurance policy in 2024 said they had read the documentation carefully. More than a third (35%) admitted they had only skimmed through it, while 31% reported reading just the key points. 

The same FCA research also shows that, among the main insurance types, life insurance policyholders are the least likely to say they understand what their policy covers very or fairly well.

The myTribe 2026 life insurance ratings can help you understand the strengths and weaknesses of different providers. We analyse each insurer’s flagship life insurance product across six core categories to provide a clear  comparison of what’s on offer.

What we assess

• Cover Types & Limits examines the range of different types of life insurance offered, cover limits, premium choices and the term lengths that can be selected.
• Additional Benefits & Options looks at the full scope of the cover included as standard or available as optional add-ons so you can personalise your policy. Examples include terminal illness benefit, critical illness cover, fracture cover and waiver of premium, as well as value-added services like wellbeing support and remote GP access.
• Eligibility & Accessibility considers how well each provider caters to different customer needs, including age limits, entry criteria, joint life options and how consumers can buy the policy.
• Customer Reviews & Clarity measures independent customer feedback on service standards and how clearly providers communicate product information in their terms and conditions.
• Claims Payout & Support reviews the latest life claim statistics and any additional commitments insurers make so that the claims process is as straightforward as possible.
• Policy Flexibility assesses how easy it is to make changes once a policy is in place. This includes whether cover amounts, term lengths and options can be adjusted, and any guaranteed insurability options that you can use to increase cover following certain life events.

The scores in each of these categories were weighted by what matters most to life insurance policyholders and combined to produce an overall percentage that determined the star rating.

For more information on how our life insurance star ratings work, read our full methodology.

‍

3 things to know before you pick a life insurance policy

Finding the best life insurance policy for your situation can be difficult, especially given the wide choice of different providers and policy types. Understanding the following three points can make the process easier for you:

‍‍‍1. How you buy life insurance can affect your options

Buying life insurance direct from an insurer rather than through a financial adviser can change what’s available to you. For instance, increasing life cover, which can help ensure any future payout keeps pace with inflation, is not usually offered when you buy life insurance direct. The maximum amount of cover you can apply for and the age at which you can take out a policy may also be more limited. In some cases, additional benefits and features are only available when a policy is bought through a financial adviser.

2. The cheapest life cover isn’t necessarily the best

While it can be tempting to choose the lowest-priced policy, the cheapest life insurance may not provide the level of cover or features you actually need. Lower-cost life policies may offer fewer benefits or limited flexibility if your circumstances change. It’s important to look beyond the premium and consider how comprehensive your cover really is.

3. Always check how flexible the policy is

Most people take out life insurance to provide long-term protection, which means a lot can change over the time you will have it. Check which life events or circumstances allow the policy to be adjusted without requiring further medical underwriting or taking out a new policy, so you can stay adequately covered. It’s also important to recognise that certain additional features, such as waiver of premium, can only be selected when you first take out a policy. 

More: Expert tips to consider when buying life insurance

What is life insurance?

A life insurance policy is a contract between you and an insurance company which ensures your family or loved ones are financially secure if you were to die. Having life insurance will give you peace of mind that should the worst happen, your family will be taken care of and not end up financially destitute.

You pay monthly or annual premiums and the insurance company promises to pay out a cash sum if you die while the policy is active. That is provided that all of their terms and conditions are met.
Every company and policy provider has its own conditions and indeed exclusions, so it is vital to read the small print of your policy documents. For example, many providers won’t pay out if death occurs due to suicide, a drug overdose or a risky or reckless act. If you have any questions or concerns about the policy you are thinking of taking out, be sure to speak to the insurance company and get clarification.

There are a number of key questions you should ask yourself when considering how much life insurance you need.

• How many people are financially dependent on you?
• Do you have a mortgage you need to cover?
• Do you or your family have other debts?
• Do you have any savings your family could use?
• Is there future spending you need to plan for, i.e. education costs for your children?
• What unforeseen costs might arise because of your death?
• What death-in-service benefit does your employer offer, if any?

Financial dependants

The first question you should ask yourself is who else is financially dependent on you? Do you have a partner or children who rely on your income? Are there other family members who would face financial hardship if you were no longer around to support them?

If you don’t have any dependants, then there may not be a need for you to take out life insurance at all.

Some insurance companies will offer free life insurance to new parents, but this is unlikely to be enough to cover all of your costs if the worst happens to you, so it is well worth considering your options if you are expecting a baby.

Death in service and savings

Before you look at how much cover you require it’s important to understand what arrangements you already have in place, such as death in service protection from your employer or your own savings. Even if you don’t have your own personal life insurance policy, you may find that your employer will pay out a cash sum in the event of your untimely death if they have a death in service benefit scheme. The value of this lump sum will vary from employer to employer, but often it is around four times your annual salary. 

If you don’t have a mortgage or many dependants, you may find that this cover is actually ample, and you don’t require additional life insurance protection. Just bear in mind that if you change jobs, or become self-employed, you could lose that benefit.

Mortgage and other debts

Often when a policy is configured, you will start with the size of your mortgage and any other debts you have, and look to have those paid off should you die. Generally speaking, debts reduce over time as you pay them off, which is why insurers have created policies such as decreasing term life insurance, which also reduce over time. 

How much life insurance cover?

A rule of thumb is to cover 10 times the main breadwinner’s income; this is meant only as a guide though, and everyone’s circumstances will be different. It may sound like a lot of money, but you need to bear in mind that inflation will eat into the value of any payout over time.

The quotes you receive for life insurance will vary dramatically based on the amount of cover you would like. So when you compare life insurance companies and policies it’s vital to always use the same details of how much cover you would like and for how long.

myTribe research shows that life insurance costs around £9 a month on average based on the quotes we received in August 2025. This is for £150,000 of level term life insurance with a 25-year term for a 35-year-old, with a clean medical history, who doesn’t smoke and is a light drinker.  The average cost for the same individual but opting for decreasing term insurance instead, would be £6.87 per month.

The prices you receive will vary based on your own circumstances, such as your age, any pre-existing medical conditions you may have and also whether you smoke.

If you add critical illness cover to the policy it will increase the cost of the policy too, usually by as much as the cost of the original policy. 

The good thing with life insurance is that most premiums are fixed and the monthly costs will never increase. 

It is always worth shopping around when looking for life insurance as it will likely be a one-time purchase that will stay with you for most of your adult life.

The main types of life insurance in the UK are:

• Level term life insurance
• Decreasing term life insurance
• Life insurance with critical illness cover
• Whole of life insurance
• Over 50s life insurance
• Funeral cover

We explore each of these different types of life insurance in more detail throughout this guide. 

When selecting a life insurance policy, it’s essential to not only seek out the most affordable option but also find the type of life cover that best suits your needs. Term life insurance can often offer the best value for those looking for a cheap life insurance policy. Term insurance insures you for the term of the policy, paying out if you die before the policy ends. If you are still alive when the policy finishes, the premiums you’ve paid won’t be returned.

There are two main types of term insurance: level term and decreasing term. In the next section, we explain the difference.

Level term vs decreasing term life insurance

The key difference between level term and decreasing term life insurance policies is what they pay out if you die while the policy is active. 

Level term life insurance

Level term life insurance pays out the same pre-specified cash lump sum if you die, regardless of whether you die at the start, or just before the end, of the term of the policy. The cover remains the same throughout the life of the policy and the premiums remain the same too. Level term life insurance is often a good choice for those looking to cover interest only mortgages that are not covered by an investment vehicle or endowment policy.

UK comparison websites often use level term insurance as the foundation for their quotations, but it’s not always the best route to keep costs down. 

Decreasing term life insurance

Decreasing term life insurance is similar to level term inasmuch as the premiums tend to remain the same throughout the term of the policy. However, how it differs is that with decreasing term life insurance, the amount of cover decreases over the term of the policy. Meaning that if you die towards the end of the policy, the cash lump sum will be significantly less than if you were to die at the beginning.

This type of policy is often used to cover debt, such as a repayment mortgage, as the outstanding balance will get smaller over time.

Decreasing term life insurance is an excellent way to get a cheaper policy, assuming you understand that the cover will decrease over time. If you’re looking to get life insurance to cover your mortgage or other debt, this is an excellent choice. As well as providing mortgage cover, this type of policy can also be useful for inheritance tax planning purposes. 

How much does level term life insurance cost?

We obtained quotes in August 2025 for a level term policy for a 40-year old, non-smoker, with a clean medical history who is based in London. The prices we received for £150,000 of cover for a 25-year term ranged from £11.82 per month to £14.05 per month.

As will be the case with any type of insurance, costs can vary significantly based on your own personal circumstance and of course policy choice. It is always worthwhile doing independent research and also speaking to an independent expert, such as our FCA approved advisers, before you buy.

Generally speaking, life insurance costs rise with age, so the younger you are when buying a policy, the cheaper it will usually be across the term. If you suffer from any ill health or are a smoker, you can expect your life insurance premiums to be higher. 

The great thing with life insurance is that getting quotes is usually quick and easy, so you can very quickly compare costs and benefits of the various providers. Just be mindful that comparison websites tend to be quite sparse in terms of information, so going direct to the providers or speaking to a life insurance broker are both sensible options.

Over 50s Life Insurance

Over 50s life insurance is a specific type of policy created for those between 50 and 85 years of age. Rather than the usual health interviews and questions from doctors, everyone between 50 to 85 is guaranteed acceptance. It’s for this reason that over 50s life insurance is also referred to as “no-medical life insurance”.

With over 50s life insurance, premiums are usually fixed and stop at the age of 90 or 95, with cover then continuing for the entirety of the policyholder’s life. However, there are policies where you will keep paying the premium for the rest of your life.

‍Something to be careful of is that over 50s life insurance often has a qualifying period, between 12 and 24 months, and if you die during this initial period your premiums may be returned without the cash lump sum being paid. Of course, all life insurance companies have their own rules, so be sure to read the small print before committing.

How much is over 50s life insurance?

You can get over 50s life insurance for as little as £4 per month (source: SunLife website February 2026) but bear in mind that you won’t get a huge amount of cover for that so if you want more cover, you can expect to pay more. While you’re guaranteed to be accepted for “no medical” life insurance, costs can still vary depending on your age, whether you smoke and how much cover you need.

Whole of life insurance

Whole of life insurance provides cover for your whole life as the name suggests. As with other insurance, you pay your premium each month and, when you die the policy pays out a lump sum.

With some whole of life policies, the insurance company invests your premiums into a life fund that spreads its investment across the stock market, bonds, property and cash. When you die, it then uses that fund to pay your cash lump sum.

Whole of life insurance - pros and cons

The significant benefit of whole of life cover is that the policy lasts the entirety of your life.

The whole of life policies that are sold today operate in the same way as standard life cover, in that the premiums and cover amount are usually fixed. However, older style whole of life cover may be tied to the performance of the insurer’s investments. It means that if they underperform, you could be asked to increase your premiums just to maintain the same level of cover.

2016 Cuts to cover

In 2016, the financial ombudsman received thousands of complaints about whole of life insurance policies. Primarily, those complaints were due to companies cutting the levels of cover their schemes offer while asking customers to pay the same premiums. The reason for this is that premiums and sums assured are reviewed after 10, 15 and 20 years. 

A lot of customers who had whole of life policies felt they were not properly informed about the reviews and thousands were understandably upset when they received letters informing them about their cuts to cover. 

At the time, the Telegraph spoke to one customer, whose life and critical illness cover was slashed from £113,500 to £36,950, despite paying Sun Life of Canada premiums for over 20 years.

As you can see, it’s incredibly important to understand how life insurance works before you take it out, so make sure you speak to potential insurers and seek out independent advice before committing to a policy.

If you’ve been hit with a reduction to your cover or an increase to your premiums, it may be worth shopping around for another provider to see if you can get better terms.

How much does whole of life insurance cost?

Many things, such as your age and medical history, will affect the price you pay for whole of life insurance. If you’re a heavy drinker, smoker or have suffered medical issues in the past, you can expect to pay more for your cover. 

Essentially, the higher the risk of you dying young, the more expensive cover will be. 

The total cost of a policy also depends on whether payments stop at a set age or continue indefinitely. If you continue paying until you reach the age of 100, for example, you may find your cover has come at a very high price. 

Online price comparison sites don’t always take this into account, so make sure you click through to read the full policy details for each insurance company.

Comparing whole of life with term life insurance policies

The majority of people that pay for life insurance choose either level or decreasing term insurance that runs for a set period of time. Term insurance is usually cheaper than whole of life and most people in their later life have much less need to provide life cover for the ones they love.

The main reason people take out whole of life cover is to help reduce their family’s inheritance tax bill (IHT). If for instance, you take a whole life cover policy, you can write it into trust and your beneficiaries will receive a tax-free cash lump sum that they can use to pay the inheritance tax bill.

Tax planning is a complicated area and we’d always recommend taking specialist advice about how to put life insurance into trust.

Life insurance with critical illness cover

Many people choose to take out critical illness cover at the same time as a life insurance policy. Critical illness pays out a lump sum if you die, become terminally ill, or are diagnosed with a serious illness. As soon as one of these happens, the policy ends and is paid out.

What do critical illness policies cover?

Critical illness insurance policies will cover some core conditions plus a range of additional specified illnesses. Effectively the more you’re willing to pay, the more illnesses will be covered by the policy.

What is and isn’t covered also varies from provider to provider, so it’s important to look closely at the list of conditions. For example, some providers may not cover forms of cancer which are easily curable. Similarly, mild heart attacks and strokes might not be considered severe enough to justify the policy paying out. Reading the policy small print and exclusions will help you understand what is and isn’t covered. 

How much does critical illness cover cost?

Critical illness cover costs will depend on how likely you are to fall ill, alongside how many illnesses you would like cover for. Many providers ask applicants to complete health questionnaires or have a check-up with a doctor before providing a policy. If you want to reduce the cost of your policy you can do so by living a healthier lifestyle. Quitting smoking, reducing your weight and exercising frequently can all bring premiums down. 

Key facts about critical illness cover:

• Premiums are usually fixed for the whole term of the policy, but some do have “reviewable” premiums that are re-set regularly. 
• There is no cash in value on the policy. If you don’t get a serious illness or don’t die within the length of the policy you and your loved ones won’t get anything back. 
• Critical illness cover is often less expensive when purchased alongside life insurance, but bear in mind that the policy will only pay out once. So if you became seriously ill and subsequently died, you would receive one payout when you’re diagnosed, but your family wouldn’t get anything additional when you pass away.
• It’s very important to be honest when you fill out your forms and questionnaires and complete them accurately and carefully. The better the information you supply, the more likely the policy will pay out in the event of a claim.
• Just like other forms of life insurance, your cover will stop if you don’t keep up with your premiums, so be sure to make it affordable.

8 Best critical illness insurance policies:

These are the 8 best critical illness policies based on comprehensiveness:

• Aviva - Critical Illness +
• Guardian - Critical Illness Protection
• Legal & General - Multi Protection
• LV= - Life and Critical Illness Cover
• Royal London - Personal Menu Plan
• Scottish Widows - Scottish Widows Protect Personal
• Vitality - Personal Protection Serious Illness Cover‍
• Zurich - Critical Illness

Funeral cover

Our own funerals aren’t something we often discuss, but they can be costly, so making some preparations for yours is sensible. Life insurance that specifically covers the cost of your funeral can be a simple way to ensure that there is at least no financially related stress associated with your death.

Here are a few of your options:

Whole of life insurance policies

Whole of life insurance policies are a good option, but bear in mind they can take some time to pay out in the event of your death.

Funeral plan

Another option is getting a funeral plan that will cover the cost of your funeral - just be sure to check what it covers and what is and isn’t included. 

Pay out of your estate

If you’re planning on your family using your savings to pay for your funeral just make sure the money is held in a joint account that a member of the family has access to. 

List of UK life insurance companies

Our guide to the best life insurance providers shows what we assessed to be the top ten providers, but there are other life companies that you may wish to consider. The following is a list of some of the main UK life insurance providers:

• Aviva
• Bank of Scotland
• Barclays
• Beagle Street
• British Seniors
• Foresters Financial
• Guardian
• Halifax
• Legal & General
• Lloyds Bank
• LV=
• National Friendly
• Nationwide
• NatWest
• NFU Mutual
• OneFamily
• Post Office
• Royal London
• Royal Bank of Scotland
• Sainsbury’s Bank
• Santander
• Scottish Friendly
• Scottish Widows
• Shepherds Friendly
• Smart Insurance
• SunLife
• Tesco Insurance
• The Exeter
• TSB
• Virgin Money
• Vitality
• Zurich