Finding the best Critical Illness Insurance in the UK can feel complex. Policies differ in how many conditions they cover, how they define those illnesses, and what additional benefits they include.
This 2026 guide reviews leading insurers side by side – highlighting claim rates, unique benefits and extra cover – so you can make an informed choice and secure the right protection for your circumstances.
The best Critical Illness policies will cover the widest range of conditions, with the option to add more. And some providers aren’t as strict when it comes to their definitions of each illness, meaning your claims are more likely to be successful. Most providers have a “core” policy and a “comprehensive” policy. Each one will offer a different extent of cover.
A core policy will tend to cost less and cover fewer conditions. The average number is typically around 35 or so critical illnesses. A core policy will cover conditions such as:
Comprehensive policies can cover as many as 80 or 90 conditions in total. This might include 50 full conditions, which would pay out your total benefit. Insurers also tend to offer Critical Illness Cover for 30 or more less severe illnesses, which pay out a smaller, extra lump sum.
If you claim for one of these additional conditions, your full amount remains available for a claim in the future, should you need it. Comprehensive Critical Illness Cover often includes:
We only ever recommend policies offering full cover to our clients. In our experience, the extra protection you get (for just a few pounds more per month) makes it more than worthwhile.
We’ve had people enquire with us about Critical Illness Cover and then apply on their own without taking advice. In one such case, a gentleman was sadly unable to claim for testicular cancer because he’d taken out a core policy for a lower premium. At the time, he wasn’t aware that less advanced forms of cancer weren’t normally covered by Critical Illness standard policies. We’re here to find you the right policy, so give us a call on 02084327333 or email help@drewberry.co.uk to talk through your options and get fee-free advice.
The UK has a few major Critical Illness providers to choose from, each with their own unique policy types, pricing structure, and underwriting process.
There’s no one-size-fits-all when it comes to insurance. The “best” product for you won’t necessarily be the best for someone else, as it all depends on your unique situation. That’s why it’s important to compare quotes and policies from different providers. And the cheapest quote isn’t always the best.
As an independent insurance broker, we deal with a number of leading Critical Illness insurers every day. We’ve weighed up the key features and benefits of each provider’s Critical Illness offering to create this shortlist. Details we’ve compared include:
Aviva is one of the UK’s largest insurers, serving more than 20 million customers across the nation. They recently acquired AIG Life UK (now Aviva Protection UK) to strengthen their personal protection offering.
Pros | |
|---|---|
✅ | Comprehensive standard children’s cover |
✅ | 24/7 health and wellbeing service |
✅ | Available as a standalone product |
Cons | |
|---|---|
👎 | Maximum cover may be lower than some competitors |
👎 | Waiver of premium not included as standard |
As of November 2025, Aviva currently has over 52,000 reviews on Trustpilot (73% of them giving 5⭐), giving them an average “Excellent” score of 4.3/5 stars. Note that this is for the company as a whole, rather than just the protection division.
Read our specialist review of Aviva Critical Illness Cover, or get a quote online in 60 seconds.
Many insurers have a long legacy, and Guardian is no exception. They were founded in 1821 and over the past two centuries, they’ve offered many insurance and financial products.
Guardian’s mission is to provide families with clear, comprehensive insurance policies that pay out quickly. They’re all about reliability and providing support when you need it most.
Pros | |
|---|---|
✅ | Waiver of premium included as standard |
✅ | Guaranteed increase option |
✅ | Available as a standalone product | Cons |
👎 | Limited customer reviews |
As of November 2025, Guardian only has 4 reviews on Trustpilot (only one of them giving 5⭐), giving them an “Average” score of 3.5/5 stars.
Read our specialist review of Guardian Critical Illness Cover, or get a quote online in 60 seconds.
Legal & General is a large and well-established insurer in the UK market, serving over 10 million customers across the country.
Pros | |
|---|---|
✅ | Good standard children’s cover |
✅ | Good add-ons with adviser |
✅ | Advanced claims | Cons |
👎 | Fewer free benefits |
As of November 2025, Legal & General currently has over 26,000 reviews on Trustpilot (57% of them giving 5⭐), giving them an average “Excellent” score of 4.3/5 stars. Note that this is for the company as a whole, rather than just the protection division.
Read our specialist review of Legal & General Critical Illness Cover, or get a quote online in 60 seconds.
Liverpool Victoria (LV=) is a large provider of individual protection and financial products in the UK. Founded in 1843, LV started out as “The Liverpool Independent Legal Victoria Burial Society” and sold Life Insurance at the cost of a penny per month. Now with over 180 years of experience, it offers a range of protection products and has acquired over 1.28 million customers.
Pros | |
|---|---|
✅ | Higher pay‑outs for severe conditions |
✅ | Cancer benefit |
✅ | Comprehensive children’s cover | Cons |
👎 | Waiver of premium not included as standard |
As of November 2025, LV= currently has over 81,000 reviews on Trustpilot (80% of them giving 5⭐), giving them an “Excellent” score of 4.5/5 stars. Note that this is for the company as a whole, rather than just the protection division.
Read our specialist review of LV= Critical Illness Cover, or get a quote online in 60 seconds.
Royal London is the UK’s largest mutual life, pensions, and investment company, owned by its members rather than shareholders. With over 2.3 million members, it’s known for its customer-first approach – scoring highly on review sites.
Pros | |
|---|---|
✅ | High customer satisfaction levels |
✅ | Comprehensive children’s cover |
✅ | Rehabilitation support included | Cons |
👎 | Certain features not included as standard |
As of November 2025, Royal London currently has over 4,500 reviews on Trustpilot (77% of them giving 5⭐), giving them an “Excellent” score of 4.6/5 stars. Note that this is for the company as a whole, rather than just the protection division.
Read our specialist review of Royal London Critical Illness Cover, or get a quote online in 60 seconds.
Part of the Lloyds Banking Group, Scottish Widows is one of the UK’s oldest financial institutions, founded in 1815. With over 200 years of experience, they have built a strong reputation for stability and customer care, offering a wide range of protection, pension, and investment products.
Pros | |
|---|---|
✅ | Free children’s Critical Illness cover included |
✅ | Booster payments for neurological conditions |
✅ | Available as a standalone product | Cons |
👎 | Fewer conditions covered |
👎 | Capped Total Permanent Disability cover |
As of November 2025, Scottish Widows currently has over 10,000 reviews on Trustpilot (71% of them 5⭐), giving them an “Excellent” score of 4.5/5 stars. Note that this is for the company as a whole, rather than just the protection division.
Read our specialist review of Scottish Widows Critical Illness Cover, or get a quote online in 60 seconds.
Zurich Insurance Group is a global insurer with over 150 years of experience, serving customers in more than 200 countries.
Pros | |
|---|---|
✅ | Large maximum payout amount |
✅ | Enhanced payments for life-altering conditions |
✅ | Advanced claims | Cons |
👎 | Certain features not included as standard |
👎 | Lower satisfaction levels |
As of November 2025, Zurich currently has over 3,300 reviews on Trustpilot (61% of them 5⭐), giving them an “Average” score of 3.6/5 stars. Note that this is for the company as a whole, rather than just the protection division.
Read our specialist review of Zurich Critical Illness Cover, or get a quote online in 60 seconds.
Finding the “best” Critical Illness Insurance will depend on your unique needs. Here are some aspects to consider.
Your best Critical Illness policy depends on factors like:
If you already have certain benefits, you might not need to double up on cover – but gaps are common, especially for the self-employed.
When comparing policies, look closely at:
If you’re confident that you don’t need something like children’s Critical Illness Cover on your policy, you might look for a provider that doesn’t include it as standard. That way, you’re not paying for something you don’t need.
Samantha Haffenden-Angear
Independent Protection Specialist
The price of Critical Illness depends on your age, health, benefit size, and policy type.
Premiums vary a lot between providers, so always get multiple quotes and make sure you’re comparing like-for-like. Check out our guide to the cost of Critical Illness Cover.
It’s crucial to understand what’s not covered before you buy, which is why we always recommend speaking to an independent adviser before taking out Critical Illness Insurance. It’s free to get our advice, and we’ll search the market to find you the most suitable policy for your needs. Call 02084327333 to chat through your options with one of our friendly advisers.
Another area to consider is the claims payout rate of a potential Critical Illness insurer. Claims stats are higher than most people think, most insurers publishing consistently high payout rates.
As you can see in the table below, in the last few years, nearly all insurers have paid out more than 90% of the claims they received.
| Insurer | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aviva | 93.5% | 91.6% | 97.8% (all protection claims) |
| Guardian | N/A | 92% | 92% |
| Legal & General | 93.4% | 93% | 93% |
| LV= | 88% | 85% | 95% (all protection claims) |
| Royal London | 93.6% | 90.5% | 89.7% |
| Scottish Widows | 93.3% | 92% | 98% (all protection claims) |
| Zurich | 90% | 90% | 90% |
You have two options when it comes to getting the best Critical Illness Cover policy. You can either go directly to an insurer, or buy cover through an adviser, such as Drewberry.
With this method, you’ll need to approach every UK insurer and compare quotes/policy details from all of them to get the best deal.
Once you have some figures, you’ll also need to compare Critical Illness policies by the number of conditions covered and the definitions used. This involves a lot of fine print, and needing to know medical and insurance jargon.
This is the smart choice. An independent adviser (like our Drewberry specialists) will consider your circumstances fully to make sure you get the best Critical Illness Cover for your needs.
We do all the hard work for you, comparing leading insurers on your behalf so you can be sure you’ve got the best deal for your needs. Where we provide a regulated advice service, we’re responsible for the advice we provide to you – giving you protection and peace of mind. Plus, you won’t pay us a penny.
The cheapest policy isn’t always the best one. Your protection adviser can work with you to balance out the right policy features with a price that fits your budget.
It can be daunting and stressful to try and arrange cover by yourself, so don’t be afraid to call us on 02084327333 or email help@drewberry.co.uk.
Danny Gill
Independent Protection Specialist
Total Permanent Disability Cover (TPD) pays out if you are left totally and permanently disabled and unable to work due to illness or injury.
To make a TPD claim, you must suffer a severe life-changing disability that has no medical prospect of improvement. There are fairly strict criteria to make a total permanent disability claim.
Yes, you can add Life Insurance to your Critical Illness policy, and we often recommend getting a policy that covers both.
The most popular option is to take out a Combined Life And Critical Illness policy. This means your policy will pay out in either event: death, or serious illness. Once your policy pays out, your cover will end unless you add life cover buyback. So if you claim for a critical condition, you’ll lose your life protection. But, it’s a cost-effective way of getting full Critical Illness Cover.
Another option is to take out two separate policies – one for serious illness cover only, the other for Life Insurance. In terms of cover, this option gives you the best of both worlds, paying out in either event. It also means that if you claim for a Critical Illness, you’ll keep your Life protection. But, this will cost a fair amount more than your other options.
Your other option is to take out Critical Illness Insurance only, with no Life Protection attached. Not all providers offer this option, as it’s less common. As a rule of thumb, we don’t tend to recommend standalone Critical Illness Cover unless you have ample Life Insurance elsewhere. Taking out a combined policy might cost a touch more, but it gives you more protection.
Terminal Illness Insurance is usually included free with Life Insurance. It pays the policy benefit early if the policyholder becomes terminally ill (where a doctor has said they have less than 12 months to live).
Critical Illness Insurance, on the other hand, pays out if you develop a critical illness of a specified severity, such as cancer, heart attack or stroke.
The two options sound similar but are in fact very different and not interchangeable. It’s possible to recover from a critical illness, for example, whereas that’s not the case after a terminal prognosis.
No, you don’t typically pay tax on a Critical Illness Insurance payout. This is because you usually pay premiums from income you’ve already paid tax on, i.e. your wages. That means HMRC has already effectively taxed you once and therefore allows you to receive a Critical Illness Insurance claim tax-free.
Critical Illness Insurance and Income Protection both pay a benefit if you become ill. It can therefore be hard to tell them apart or know which one would work best for you.
Critical Illness Insurance pays a lump sum of your choosing, while Income Protection Insurance pays a monthly benefit of a proportion of your earnings.
With Critical Illness Cover, to claim you must develop a critical condition in the policy at a severity your insurer dictates. On the other hand, Income Protection pays out simply if you can’t do your job after any accident or sickness. Learn more about the difference between Critical Illness Cover and Income Protection.
With a number of UK Critical Illness Insurance providers to compare, there’s a lot of information to sift through. Luckily, we live and breathe insurance, and are ready to chat about what’s best for you.
We’ve helped thousands of people to protect their most important asset – themselves. Call 02084327333, email help@drewberry.co.uk, or compare quotes to get started.
When it comes to protecting yourself and your finances, you deserve first-class service. Here’s why you should talk to us:
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