Table of Contents

Life insurance for terminal illnesses

By
Mike Albert - Financial Services Copywriter - myTribe
Mike Albert
Mike is a personal finance copywriter who has written for numerous financial services publications and websites over many years.
Mike Albert
Reviewed by
Mike Albert - Financial Services Copywriter - myTribe
Chris Steele
Private health and protection insurance expert and editor
Cert CII (F1, IF7 & I10)
Chris Steele is myTribe’s resident expert in private health insurance and healthcare, with over a decade of experience in the field. As a Chartered Insurance Institute (CII) qualified professional, he has helped countless consumers navigate private medical insurance. Regularly quoted by national media, Chris is a trusted voice in the UK insurance industry, with his insights featured in leading consumer finance publications.
Chris Steele
Updated on
October 31, 2024

In this article, we'll tell you everything you need to know about terminal illness cover. We'll explain which illnesses are covered and which are not. We'll also look at some of the biggest life insurance providers in the UK and compare how they offer terminal illness insurance. Let's get started.

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Introduction to terminal illness cover

People purchase life insurance to provide financial support for their loved ones if they pass away. However, many people don't know that most life insurance policies pay out a lump sum if you are diagnosed with a terminal condition with a life expectancy of around 12 months.

We call this terminal illness cover, designed to make your final months slightly more bearable.

What is terminal illness cover?

Terminal illness cover is a standard feature of most life insurance policies. It is not typically offered by insurers as a standalone product.

If your life insurance policy offers a terminal illness benefit, you'll be able to make an early claim on your policy if you're diagnosed with an incurable illness with a life expectancy of 12 months or less.

Your insurance company may operate a list of terminal conditions that are covered. They will be contained in your life insurance policy documents. There may be slight differences between insurers around what illnesses are covered.

If you make a successful claim, your insurer will pay out your life cover lump sum, after which your policy will expire. Of course, if you live longer than 12 months after the payout, you don't have to give the money back.

One of the differences between terminal illness cover and life insurance is that you're still around to receive the lump sum. Most policyholders use this payout to ease the financial pressure on their families at an incredibly difficult time. Alternatively, they may use it to pay for medical treatment.

How does terminal illness cover work?

When you buy life insurance, terminal illness cover is typically included in the policy as part of the package. But how does it work in practice?

What is a terminal illness?

For the purposes of life insurance, a terminal illness is considered to be a condition that is incurable and predicted by medical experts to result in you passing away within 12 months.

There may be slight differences between insurers around which conditions are covered by the terminal illness benefit, but there are some that should be covered as standard:

  • Aggressive stages of cancer
  • Heart disease
  • Coronary artery disease
  • Kidney disease
  • Liver disease
  • Leukaemia
  • AIDS

Cancer accounted for 92% of terminal illness claims with Legal and General in 2022. - Source

Make sure you check your life insurance policy documents so you know which conditions are included in your terminal illness cover.

Making a claim on your terminal illness cover

If you’re diagnosed with a terminal illness - and you have terminal illness cover as part of your life insurance policy - you can make a claim to receive your lump sum payment.

Your insurer will likely demand to see proof of your diagnosis. A letter from your doctor should suffice, although in some cases, they may ask you to undergo an examination from a consultant.

Assuming you can provide proof that you have less than 12 months to live -and your condition is covered by your insurance company - you can proceed with your terminal illness claim. The time it takes to receive your payout varies by insurer, but you should have it in less than three months.

Some life insurance companies have clauses in their policies that you can’t make a claim on your terminal illness cover if you have less than 12 months before your policy expires. Make sure you check your policy terms and conditions.

After you receive your payout from your terminal illness cover, your life insurance policy expires and you can make no further claims.

FCA investigation into terminal illness cover

In 2023, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) conducted a review of terminal illness insurance to ensure companies are treating their customers fairly at a time when they’re extremely vulnerable. It was assisted by the Financial Ombudsman Service.

The FCA found that while there is room for improvement in customer service throughout the industry, companies generally followed good practices, particularly in the speed at which they handle claims. They found no significant evidence that insurers were unreasonably declining terminal illness claims.

This is reassuring if you hold terminal illness cover as part of your life insurance. If the worst happens and you contract a serious condition with no known cure, you can expect to be treated well as you apply for your early payout.

Benefits of terminal illness cover

Having terminal illness cover as part of your life insurance policy can provide a wide range of benefits.

If you make a successful claim, you could use the money from your payout to help you:

  • Replace your income
  • Pay off your mortgage
  • Get medical care in your home
  • Adapt your home to make living easier for you
  • Cover your funeral costs

Like life insurance, you could use your terminal illness benefit to provide financial security for your loved ones after you’ve gone.

Alternatively, you could use it to do something amazing during the remaining time in your life - a big holiday or party, for example.

Terminal illness cover cover allows you to achieve peace of mind. Even when you’ve received the worst diagnosis imaginable, you can still support the people most special to you.

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Critical illness cover vs terminal illness cover

When you first take out your life insurance policy, you’ll probably be offered critical illness cover as an add-on. It’s important to know that critical illness cover and terminal illness cover are not the same.

Critical illness cover is a different type of insurance that pays a lump sum if you’re diagnosed with a serious illness, but one that you’re likely to recover from. Such a diagnosis could include a heart attack, less aggressive forms of cancer or a serious injury.

Critical illness cover policyholders may use this money to:

  • Replace their income if they cannot work
  • Pay for specialist medical treatment
  • Adapt their home to make it more accessible

Critical illness cover is available from your insurer as a standalone product, or you can add it to your life insurance policy. Depending on your policy wording, claiming on your critical illness cover may give you a portion of your life cover payout, but not cause your life insurance policy to expire.

How to get terminal illness cover

Because terminal illness cover comes as standard with most life insurance policies, the process for getting terminal illness cover is the same as life insurance cover.

  • Search the marketplace or talk to a broker to decide the type of policy that’s right for you. Get multiple quotes to ensure you get the best deal at the right price
  • There are several types of life cover policies, including term policies and whole-of-life cover. Make sure you purchase cover that aligns with your goals and financial circumstances
  • Apply for life insurance, making sure that terminal illness cover is part of your package. You will have to fill in a medical information questionnaire and possibly undergo a medical examination
  • The cost of your life insurance cover will depend on a range of factors, including:
    • Age - Your premiums will be more expensive the older you are
    • Lifestyle - If you smoke, for example, prepare to pay more for your life insurance
    • Medical history - If you’ve experienced serious health conditions in the past, you’ll be more expensive to insure
  • Once you’ve been accepted for life insurance, continue paying your monthly premiums. Ensure you tell your beneficiaries about your life insurance policy and that they know how to make a claim if you pass away
  • If you’re unfortunately diagnosed with a terminal illness during your policy term, you can make an early claim to receive your payout

Does it cover if you already have a terminal illness

If you have already been diagnosed with an incurable terminal illness with a life expectancy of 12 months or less, you will not be able to get life insurance cover with terminal illness cover included.

This is because it’s a near certainty that the insurer will have to pay out, which makes it too much of a risk for them.

Over 50s life insurance for people with a terminal illness

If you’re aged between 50 and 85, you will be able to get over 50s life insurance. Acceptance is guaranteed and you won’t be expected to provide any medical information.

However, if you have a terminal illness with fewer than 12 months of life expectancy, this is not recommended.

These types of policies always have a waiting period of between 12-24 months, so you cannot make a claim if you pass away during that time. Your loved ones may receive your premiums back, but no lump sum payment.

Top 10 terminal illness cover providers

Finally, let's look at ten of the top life insurance providers in the UK and examine the terminal illness insurance products they offer.

Liverpool Victoria

Liverpool Victoria offers terminal illness cover to its life insurance customers at no extra cost. It defines a terminal illness as an incurable condition where you're not expected to live for more than 12 months, in the opinion of their Chief Medical Officer and an attending consultant.

If you claim early on your life insurance due to terminal illness, your cover expires on payment.

Aviva

Aviva offers terminal illness insurance alongside its life insurance policies. It considers terminal illness cover one of the flagship benefits of life insurance.

It also defines a terminal illness as a diagnosis that - in the opinion of a consultant - cannot be cured and will lead to you passing away within 12 months.

Royal London

Royal London offers terminal illness insurance as an add-on to its life cover products. Conditions covered include:

  • Advanced cancer
  • Dementia (including Alzheimer's) 
  • Motor neurone disease
  • Lung disease
  • Neurological diseases such as Parkinson's
  • Advanced heart disease

VitalityLife

Vitality includes terminal illness cover as part of its life insurance products, allowing you to make an early claim on your policy on diagnosis.

However, the insurer reserves the right to perform extra checks on your diagnosis, to ensure you didn't know about your condition when you first purchased your life insurance.

Legal and General

Legal and General includes terminal illness cover in its life insurance policies, providing the policy term is at least two years.

If you make a terminal illness claim with Legal and General, you will need to satisfy their Medical Officer that you have a condition that cannot be cured and will lead to you passing in 12 months or less.

Zurich

Zurich offers terminal illness cover to life insurance customers as standard.

One point to emphasise is that to make a terminal illness claim with Zurich, there must be at least 18 months left on your life insurance policy.

Post Office

Did you know you can get life insurance with terminal illness cover from the Post Office?

One benefit offered by the Post Office that not all insurers can match is they'll cover you for terminal illnesses from day one of your policy.

Like other insurers, it considers the opinion of a medical specialist when evaluating whether the policyholder has an incurable illness with a life expectancy of less than 12 months.

Scottish Widows

Scottish Widows automatically includes terminal illness cover in its life insurance policies.

To make a claim, you must satisfy the attending Consultant that your condition is incurable (or progressed to a point where it cannot be cured) and will lead to you passing away within 12 months.

Beagle Street

Beagle Street also allows you to claim an early payment from your life insurance with its terminal illness cover.

For your terminal illness claim to be successful, you need to have more than 12 months left on your life insurance plan.

Nationwide

Nationwide provides life insurance in partnership with Legal and General. Therefore, its policies around terminal illness cover are identical to Legal and General's.

Terminal illness insurance is included as standard. Critical illness cover is an optional add-on.

Disclaimer: This information is general and what is best for you will depend on your personal circumstances. Please speak with a financial adviser or do your own research before making a decision.

Mike is a personal finance copywriter who has written for numerous financial services publications and websites over many years.

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