What Is The UK’s Best Critical Illness Insurance In 2024?

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09/02/2024
11 mins

Finding the best Critical Illness Cover can be a tricky decision to navigate. ‘Best’ can mean different things to different people. There are lots of elements to consider, and several different providers to choose from, each with their own approach.

So, how do you choose? In this guide, we’ll help you figure out the best Critical Illness Insurance policy for your needs.

What Is Critical Illness Cover?

Critical Illness Cover pays out a tax-free lump sum if you become critically ill. Each insurer has a list of serious illnesses that the Critical Illness policy covers. To be able to claim, you need to meet the severity of the condition in your provider’s terms and conditions.

Do I Need Critical Illness Insurance?

A severe illness or injury can result in a lot of financial expense. From being unable to work again to needing to make home or lifestyle changes, the costs can add up. Taking out Critical Illness cover is there to protect you in case the worst happens.

Want a rough idea of the cost? Use our handy online quote tool to compare instant quotes from all the top UK providers.

What Do The Best Critical Illness Policies Cover?

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.

So what conditions are generally covered? Well, most insurance providers have a ‘core’ policy and a ‘comprehensive’ policy. Each one will offer a different extent of cover.

Core Critical Illness 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:

  • Cancer (severe or advanced forms)
  • Heart attack
  • Stroke
  • Alzheimer’s disease
  • Parkinson’s disease, and Parkinson’s Plus syndromes
  • Loss of a limb
  • Major organ failure
  • Permanent and irreversible loss of sight, hearing or speech.

Cancer, heart attacks and strokes are known in the insurance industry as the ‘big three’, as they make up around 80% of all Critical Illness claims.

It’s important to note, that not all forms of cancer are insured under a core policy. If you want helping understanding what is and isn’t covered, give us a call on 02084327333 or email help@drewberry.co.uk.

Alex Weir
Independent Protection Expert

Comprehensive Critical Illness Cover

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:

  • Less advanced forms of cancer, such as carcinoma in situ of the breast, larynx, testicles and prostate
  • Skin cancer
  • Less severe heart surgeries
  • Diabetes mellitus type 1
  • Partial loss of hearing or sight.

Core Vs Comprehensive Cover

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.

It can be risky to take out a policy on your own when you’re not familiar with the market. On top of that, comprehensive policies are often only available through intermediaries.

We always recommend chatting to an expert to make sure you get a policy that fits. Pop our team a call on 02084327333 or email help@drewberry.co.uk.

Ben Brooks
Independent Protection Expert

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How To Choose The Best Critical Illness Insurance

By now, you have a good idea of what a Critical Illness Cover policy is, how it works, and what kind of cover you can get. But how can you make sure you end up with the best policy for you?

Here’s the aspects you need to consider:

Provider Reputation

Each provider has their own Critical Illness policy offering. Factors vary between insurers, such as number of conditions covered or the types of definition they use.

Alongside the policy itself, it’s a good idea to research the provider in more detail. Ask yourself the following:

  • What’s their financial reputation?
  • Do they have good customer reviews?
  • Do they pay out?

Policy Definitions

It’s not just the number of conditions that you’ll need to consider, but how each Critical Illness Cover provider defines those conditions. Some insurers have better definitions than others. For example, most insurers need you to meet a certain severity or treatment in order to claim. But there are one or two that will pay out on any cancer diagnosis.

To help clarify what definitions are suitable, the Association of British Insurers (ABI) set out model definitions of conditions. This means all insurers have to meet the ABI’s standard as a minimum.

ABI+ Definitions

Many insurers go above and beyond for some conditions, offering what’s known as an ABI+ definition. All this means is that they offer a definition that’s better than the ABI’s minimum standard.

EXPERT TIP 🤓
The best Critical Illness Insurance providers will tend to offer the most ABI+ definitions.

Total Permanent Disability

Critical Illness policies often include Total Permanent Disability cover as well. This condition pays out if you become completely and permanently disabled. In other words, if you become too unwell to perform your job ever again.

But, not all insurers include it in their conditions as standard. With some providers, you need to add it on for an extra premium. For other insurance companies, it’s only available when you take out a policy through a financial adviser.

Children’s Cover

A question we get a lot is: “Are my children covered for Critical Illness?” All providers offer cover for your children, which will pay out if they develop a critical condition. But the type of cover they provide can vary. Here’s what to look out for:

  • How much will they pay if your child gets sick?
    Providers impose a payout limit for children’s cover. So for example, they might pay out 50% of your Critical Illness Cover amount, but only up to a threshold of, say, £30,000. It’s important to check this.
  • Is it included for free?
    There are providers who include it within their adult policy as standard, and providers who charge extra to add child cover. So you need to think about what you’re paying as well as what you’re getting in exchange.
  • What conditions are your children covered for?
    Some providers insure certain child-specific illnesses or pregnancy complications, so look out for these if you’re concerned about them.
  • Can you upgrade?
    If a provider’s standard child cover doesn’t meet your needs, it might be possible to upgrade it. If it’s an option, it will always cost a little more. Enhanced cover often means a higher benefit limit, and many more conditions covered.
  • What’s the age limit?
    Finally, you should check what age the child cover expires. Some providers will cover your children until they’re 18, or in some cases until age 21 if they’re still in full-time education. However, there are one or two that’ll continue your coverage until age 22 or 23.

If you’re confident that you don’t need 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 towards something you don’t need.

Sophie Guiver
Independent Protection Expert

Maximum Benefit

Most insurers have a maximum benefit they’ll cover you for. The limit is often around £3 million, but there are some providers who offer unlimited Critical Illness Cover.

For the vast majority of people, a limit of up to £3 million is more than enough. The cost you’ll pay for cover of this amount would also be much higher.

Partial Payouts

Some providers pay out on a sliding scale if you don’t quite meet the definition for a claim. Some illnesses need to be of a certain severity outlined in your policy documents before they’ll pay out.

For example, if you develop a low-grade cancer and catch it early, the insurer may not pay the full benefit. This would be because you don’t meet the full definition of cancer in the policy documents.

Other insurers offer a proportionate benefit, often the lower of £25,000 or 25% of your benefit, if you develop a less serious illness. In some cases, these are ‘additional’ illnesses that aren’t as severe as the main conditions the policy covers.

Survival Period

This is the amount of time you will need to survive for after making a Critical Illness claim before it pays out. It’s normally 10 or 14 days. It’s always best to check this before taking out a policy as you’ll want it to pay out as quickly as possible after making a claim.

Add-Ons

Finally, you might want to take up the option of adding extra paid features onto your policy. Features like Total Permanent Disability or Children’s Cover can sometimes come at an extra cost. But there are few more options for you to enhance your Critical Illness Cover.

  • Waiver of Premium
    This means your provider will waive your policy premiums if you’re signed off work after a certain period – often 6 months
  • Fracture Cover
    You’ll get a small, lump sum payout if you fracture a certain bone. Sometimes this includes torn ligaments or ruptured tendons, too
  • Life Cover Buyback
    If you take out a Combined Life and Critical Illness policy, you might be able to ‘buy back’ the Life Insurance part of your policy following a Critical Illness claim – without needing to go through the underwriting process again. You’ll usually need to choose this at the start of your policy.

Additional Benefits

To find the best policy, you need to look beyond the core offering. Where the best Critical Illness Insurance providers stand out is in the extra benefits they offer.

These benefits often include:

  • Digital GP services
  • Mental health support
  • Second medical opinions
  • Support after a critical diagnosis, such as with your recovery, improving quality of life or accommodating a new disability
  • Hospitalisation benefit.

If you can find good core cover with a number of providers, then it’s merely a case of choosing between the most attractive extra benefits. Think about what you’d get the most use out of to help you decide.

When doing your research (even while reading this page) we recommend making a list of all the features you want your policy to cover.

If it helps, you can sort them into categories like, ‘Must Have’, ‘Would Prefer to Have’ and ‘Not Important’.

Ben Brooks
Independent Health & Protection Expert

How To Get The Best Critical Illness Premiums

This is not an easy question to answer because your cover will be based on your own personal circumstances and the policy options you choose. To help give you a rough idea of cost though, we look at the different factors affecting it below.

We have opted for a combined Life and Critical Illness policy because, as a rule of thumb, we don’t tend to recommend standalone Critical Illness Cover unless you have ample Life Insurance elsewhere.The quotes are based on an individual who:

  • wants Life and Critical Illness cover
  • £100,000 life benefit
  • £100,000 critical illness benefit
  • works in a low risk job
  • 35 years old
  • wants a 25 year term and level cover.

Policy Factors

Here, we’ll look at the specific decisions you’ll make to your policy that affects the price of your insurance.

Provider

Each provider will view risk differently. Because of this they will each charge different premiums. So when comparing quotes it’s important to look at the providers and what they offer in detail.

Different Providers
Zurich Logo Vitality Logo
£24.65 £28.27
Quotes accurate as of Feb 2024

Level or Decreasing Cover

With Level Cover, the benefit stays the same for the policy term. But Decreasing Cover falls over the policy term, reaching zero by the end. As the risk to the insurer is fixed with Level Cover, it’s more expensive.

Type of Cover
Level Decreasing
£24.65 £17.89
Quotes accurate as of Feb 2024

Sum Assured

This is the total tax-free lump sum you’ll be entitled to claim if you become critically ill. The higher the amount, the higher your premiums

Policy Term

This is how long you want the policy to last. The longer you need your policy for, the higher your premiums will be. This is due to the increased risk of illness we face as we grow older

Personal Factors

There are also some personal factors which affect the cost of Critical Illness Cover, which are usually outside of your control.

Age

The older you are when you take out the policy, the more it will cost. Again, this is down to the higher risk of illness as we get older.

Age
30 35 40
£24.65 £34.70 £50.37
Quotes accurate as of Feb 2024

Health and Medical History

Your current health is a big factor for insurers, and they’ll look at things like your height, weight, and your medical history. If you have pre-existing conditions, the insurer may either exclude them from the insurance, or charge higher premiums to cover the extra risk.

Smoker Status

Smokers are more likely to become seriously ill during their lifetime. As such, providers charge smokers more than non-smokers, because they’re seen as a higher risk to insure.

Smoker Status
🚭 🚬
£24.65 £33.67
Quotes accurate as of Feb 2024

Occupation

If you work in a high-risk environment (such as on a construction site or hazardous facility), you’re at a greater risk of serious injury than a typical desk worker. These jobs generally mean higher premiums.

Samantha Haffenden-Angear, Independent Protection Expert at Drewberry

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 pop us a call on 02084327333 or email help@drewberry.co.uk.

Samantha Haffenden-Angear
Independent Protection Expert

Critical Illness Product Reviews

Our expert in-depth review of each of the UK's leading providers

Compare UK’s 10 Best Critical Illness Insurance Providers 2024

As an independent insurance broker, we compare all of the UK’s top insurers for our clients. The one that’s right for you will all depend on your situation, but it can be helpful to get an overview of the different providers.

So let’s compare the UK’s top 10 Critical Illness Cover providers in 2023.

AIG Logo

Policy Overview

Maximum Benefit

£3 million

Conditions Covered

Core Cover

  • 23 full payment conditions as standard
  • Plus the lower of £25,000 or 25% of your benefit for low-grade breast and prostate cancer

Enhanced Cover
An optional add-on for an extra premium, paying:

  • Your full benefit for 7 further conditions
  • The lower of £35,000 or your full benefit for 20 further conditions
  • £5,000 if you develop one of six pregnancy complications

ABI+ Definitions

16

Survival Period

10 days

Children’s Cover

Standard Children’s Cover

An optional add-on for an extra premium, covering children from birth to age 22 for:

  • The lower of £25,000 or 50% of your benefit if your child develops one of 7 conditions
  • The lower of £25,000 or 25% of your benefit if your child is diagnosed with one of 16 conditions
  • A £5,000 child death benefit (including stillbirth after 24 weeks)
  • £100 per night as a hospitalisation benefit if your child is hospitalised for up to 30 nights.

Enhanced Children’s Cover

An optional add on for an extra premium. It covers children from birth to age 22 for:

  • The lower of £50,000 or 50% of your benefit if your child develops one of 11 conditions
  • The lower of £25,000 or 25% of your benefit if your child is diagnosed with one of 33 conditions
  • Double the claim amount if your child can only be treated overseas
  • A £10,000 child death benefit (including stillbirth after 24 weeks)
  • £100 per night as a hospitalisation benefit if your child is hospitalised for up to 30 nights
  • £5,000 if your child is born with one of 4 birth defects

Claims Paid

97% of claims in 2022, totalling over £40 million

Additional Benefits

Smart Health is AIG’s main additional benefits offering. It includes:

  • 24/7 digital GP service
  • Fitness and nutrition plans from qualified nutritionists
  • Mental health support and counselling
  • Online health assessment
  • Second medical opinion from Best Doctors

The Drewberry Verdict

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Child cover offers good protection including a child funeral benefit, hospitalisation benefit after 7 consecutive days, and insures children for certain birth defects

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Excellent free benefits that support you in maintaining good health and wellbeing through AIG’s Smart Health services

🏆
  • Winner: AIG’s Smart Health benefits won Best Innovation in Insurance at the Financial Services Forum Awards in 2021
  • Winner: Critical Illness Choices won Outstanding Individual Critical Illness at the Cover Excellence Awards 2021
  • 5-star Defaqto rating

Total Permanent Disability, Waiver of Premium, and Child Cover are only available as optional add-ons

Only covers two additional critical illnesses which pay a lower benefit as standard. Many other insurers cover more than this.

Aviva

Policy Overview

Maximum Benefit

£1 million

Conditions Covered

Core Cover (Critical Illness)

  • Payout in full for 33 conditions as standard
  • Plus the lower of £25,000 or 25% of your benefit for low grade in-situ cancer of the breast or prostate

Upgraded Cover (Critical Illness+)
An optional add-on for an extra premium, which pays out:

  • In full for a further 15 conditions
  • The lower of £30,000 or your full benefit for a further 24 conditions
  • A hospitalisation benefit of £100 per night for up to 30 nights (maximum £3,000) if you spend more than 7 consecutive nights in hospital.

ABI+ Definitions

19

Survival Period

10 days

Children’s Cover

Standard Children’s Critical Illness

Included as standard for children from 30 days old until their 18th birthday (21st birthday if in full-time education), paying:

  • The lower of £25,000 or 50% of your benefit if your child develops any of the critical illnesses the policy covers excluding Terminal Illness
  • A death benefit of £5,000 should your child pass away during the policy term
  • A hospitalisation benefit of £100 per night for up to 30 nights if your child is hospitalised for more than 7 nights

Upgraded Children’s Critical Illness
An optional add-on for an extra premium, covering:

  • Covers your child from birth to their 22nd birthday
  • £25,000 for any of the full payout conditions, low grade in-situ cancer of the breast or prostate, or one of 11 child-specific conditions
  • £50,000 if your child develops one of 12 severe conditions
  • Extends eligibility for the death benefit from the 24th week of pregnancy rather than from 30 days old

Claims Paid

93.5% paid in 2022, totalling more than £334 million

Additional Benefits

Aviva DigiCare+

Free as standard, Aviva DigiCare+ is a health and wellbeing service offering:

  • 24/7 Bupa Anytime HealthLine, staffed by trained nurses to help manage minor health concerns
  • Mental health support
  • Second medical opinion service
  • Annual health check
  • Nutrition advice
  • Gym discounts
  • Bereavement support if you lose a family member.

You can also opt to pay an extra £36 annually for three Digital GP appointments per year.

The Drewberry Verdict

👍

Aviva DigiCare+ is a great suite of additional benefits available for free

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Great selection of additional benefits to add for an extra cost, such as a Digital GP service, Fracture Cover, Global Treatment and Extra Care Cover

👍

Uses 19 ABI+ definitions, one of the highest in the market

🏆
  • Winner: Sustainable Finance Award at the FS Awards in 2022
  • 5-star Defaqto rated

While Aviva offers a digital GP service via Aviva DigiCare+, which not every insurer does, it’s at extra cost and limited to three appointments per year.

Waiver of Premium and Total Permanent Disability come at an extra cost

Children’s cover starts when children are 30 days old, but many other providers commence cover from birth

Guardian Logo

Policy Overview

Maximum Benefit

£3 million

Conditions Covered

  • Payout in full for 53 conditions as standard – including Total Permanent Disability
  • Plus the lower of 25% of your benefit or £50,000 for an additional 22 illnesses
  • Plus the lower of 10% of your benefit or £50,000 for low risk non-melanoma skin cancer, rising to up to 25% of your benefit or £50,000 for high risk incidences
  • An advanced payment of 25% of your cover up to £50,000 when you’re on a UK waiting list for surgery

ABI+ Definitions

18

Survival Period

14 days

Children’s Cover

An optional add-on for an extra premium covering children from birth to age 23 for:

  • A lump sum of your choosing between £10,000 and £100,000 (up to 100% of your benefit) if your child develops any of the 53 full conditions, excluding TPD
  • A full payout for any of six child-specific conditions
  • An additional payout of either £50,000, or between 10% and 25% of your cover amount for a further 22 conditions
  • 100% of your child’s cover amount if they’re placed on a UK waiting list for surgery
  • 25% of the child’s benefit for 22 additional conditions
  • £10,000 towards your child’s funeral if they pass away or are stillborn after the 24th week of pregnancy

Claims Paid

£4.9 million paid out in Critical Illness claims in 2022

Additional Benefits

  • Guardian Anytime
    A 24 / 7 remote GP service, plus a second medical opinion service following a serious diagnosis and post-diagnosis support from a dedicated nurse
  • Guardian Halo
    Support after a critical illness claim, including nurse support, estate planning, speech therapy, counselling and help returning to work

The Drewberry Verdict

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TPD is included as standard — for many insurers, this is an optional add-on for an extra premium

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All cancer diagnoses are guaranteed to receive a payout, regardless of type or severity

👍

Claims for cancer, heart attacks, or strokes are paid out after a clinical diagnosis, with no need to meet a specific definition, and less medical evidence is required

👍

When Guardian improves their critical illness definitions, all existing customers benefit from the increased coverage

👍

If you pay for child cover, you choose a payout of £10,000-£100,000 (up to 100% of your benefit), meaning a children’s claim could pay out more than with other insurers

👍

The optional paid-for child cover covers children from birth up to age 23, regardless of education status. This is the longest term in the market. It also provides a high child death benefit of £10,000.

🏆
  • Winner: 5 Star Winner for Pension & Protection Services at the Financial Times Adviser Awards in 2022
  • Winner: Gold Award for Critical Illness Cover from Protection Guru in 2022
  • 5-star Defaqto rating

Claims statistics don’t include the percentage of claims paid, so there’s a lack of transparency here

L&G logo

Policy Overview

Maximum Benefit

  • £3 million with work tasks TPD cover
  • £2 million with own occupation TPD cover

Conditions Covered

Core Critical Illness

  • Payout in full for 31 conditions as standard
  • Plus the lower of £25,000 or 25% of your benefit for low grade in-situ breast or prostate cancer

Critical Illness Extra
An optional add-on for an extra premium, which pays out for:

  • In full for 48 conditions
  • Plus a payout for the lower of £30,000 or 50% of your benefit for a further 28 conditions

ABI+ Definitions

17

Survival Period

14 days

Children’s Cover

Standard Children’s Critical Illness

Included as standard, covering children between 30 days and 18 years old (21 if in full-time education) for:

  • The lower of £25,000 or 50% of your benefit if your child develops any critical illness the policy covers except Total Permanent Disability
  • £5,000 hospitalisation benefit if your child suffers an accident and needs at least 28 days in hospital
  • A £5,000 funeral benefit if your child dies during the policy term
  • £1,000 towards childcare with a registered childminder in the 18 months after a parent’s critical diagnosis. Only eligible for children under 5 years old
  • A £100 family accommodation benefit (up to £1,000) for each night a child spends in hospital in the 3 months after they develop a covered critical condition

Children’s Critical Illness Extra
An optional add-on for an extra premium, which extends child cover from birth rather than 30 days old, paying:

  • The lower of £35,000 or 50% of your benefit for all 76 conditions under Critical Illness Extra, plus eight child-specific conditions
  • Funeral benefit increases to £10,000 if your child passes away during the policy term
  • Family accommodation benefit limit increases to £3,000 when your child is hospitalised following a critical diagnosis

Claims Paid

93.4% of all Critical Illness claims in 2022, totalling £224 million

Additional Benefits

Legal & General provides policyholders with umbrella benefits under Wellbeing Support. This includes:

  • Practical and emotional assistance from RedArc nurses during a critical illness
  • A second medical opinion service
  • Mental health support for short and long term conditions, including trauma
  • Recovery support to rehabilitate you after a serious illness
  • A diagnostic understanding service
  • Dietary and lifestyle support
  • Serious and chronic illness management
  • Later life planning

The Drewberry Verdict

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Standard children’s cover includes some unique features, such as a £5,000 hospitalisation benefit, £1,000 childcare support and a family accommodation benefit if your child is hospitalised overnight

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Good selection of optional add-ons available when you buy through an adviser, such as Private Diagnostics, Fracture Cover, and Waiver of Premium

👍

Advanced claim payment for certain surgeries once you’re on the NHS waitlist

🏆
  • Winner: Organisation of the Year at the Protection Review Awards 2022
  • Winner: Best Overall Protection Provider at the Mortgage Advice Bureau Awards 2022
  • 5-star Defaqto rated

Minimal free benefits included when you take out a policy

LV

Policy Overview

Maximum Benefit

Unlimited

Conditions Covered

Enhanced Critical Illness Cover

  • Payout in full for 49 conditions as standard
  • Plus the lower of £30,000 or 50% of your benefit for an additional 19 conditions
  • Enhanced payments of up to £200,000 for certain life-altering conditions
  • £1,000 cost of cancer payment if you’re diagnosed with any form of cancer covered by the policy

ABI+ Definitions

18

Survival Period

14 days

Children’s Cover

Standard Children’s Cover

Included as standard, covering children from birth to age 23 without a survival period. It pays:

  • The lower of £25,000 or 50% of your benefit if your child develops one of the 58 conditions the policy covers, except type 1 diabetes and TPD
  • An additional payment for the lower of 25% of your cover amount or £15,000 for a further 18 conditions
  • Enhanced claim payments of £50,000 or 100% of your cover (whichever is lower) for certain conditions
  • £5,000 child funeral payment if your child dies during the policy term

Your child can convert their cover into an adult policy without medical underwriting if they do it within 6 months of their 23rd birthday.

The maximum cover available if they convert the cover is the lower of £25,000 or 50% of your benefit.

Enhanced Children’s Cover
An optional add-on for an extra premium, this pays:

  • The lower of £35,000 or 50% of your benefit if your child develops any of the conditions your policy covers, excluding type 1 diabetes and TPD
  • 10 further child-specific conditions, including child’s diabetes type 1, Down’s syndrome and spina bifida
  • Enhanced claim payments of £70,000 for certain life-altering conditions. Or, if both parents are covered, this increases to £140,000
  • The £5,000 child funeral benefit starts after your 24th week of pregnancy
  • £5,000 if you suffer from one of six pregnancy complications

The maximum cover available if your child converts their cover to an adult policy increases to £35,000, or 50% of your benefit, whichever is lower.

Claims Paid

88% of Critical Illness claims paid in 2022, totalling £28.3 million

Additional Benefits

LV’s main additional benefits offering is LV Doctor Services. This offers:

  • 24/7 remote GP appointments, with prescription services
  • Second medical opinion service
  • Remote physiotherapy sessions
  • Remote mental health support
  • 25% off health MOTs

The Drewberry Verdict

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Standard child cover protects children from birth to age 23, regardless of education status. This is the longest coverage for children in the market.

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Enhanced payments of up to £200,000 for critical conditions that will have a significant financial effect on your life

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£1,000 paid on top of your claim if you’re diagnosed with cancer

👍

Good range of additional benefits, including a remote GP service

🏆
  • Winner: Outstanding Insurer of the Year at the LifeSearch Awards in 2023
  • Winner: Gold Award for Life and Enhanced Critical Illness Cover from Protection Guru in 2022
  • 5-star Defaqto rating

88% payout rate in 2022 is on the low side

Waiver of Premium and Total Permanent Disability cover are only available as add-ons and cost extra

Royal London Logo

Policy Overview

Maximum Benefit

£3 million (£1.2 million with increasing cover)

Conditions Covered

  • Payout in full for 46 conditions as standard
  • Plus a payout of the lower of £30,000 or 50% of your benefit for an additional 27 conditions

ABI+ Definitions

14

Survival Period

10 days

Children’s Cover

Standard Children’s Cover
An optional add-on for an extra premium, covering children from birth to age 22 (23 if in full-time education). It pays:

  • The lower of £30,000 or 50% of your benefit if your child develops any of the adult critical illnesses, including TPD
  • A £5,000 death benefit if a child passes away

Enhanced Children’s Cover
For a further additional premium, the enhanced option pays:

  • The lower of £50,000 or 50% of your benefit if your child develops any critical illness you’re covered for, including TPD, and a further 13 child-specific conditions
  • Also pays a further claim for the lower of £30,000 or £50% of your benefit for the additional 27 conditions in adult cover
  • £5,000 for certain pregnancy complications
  • £10,000 as a death benefit if your child passes away

Claims Paid

93.6% of Critical Illness claims paid in 2022, totalling £132 million

Additional Benefits

Royal London’s main additional benefits offering is Helping Hand. This offers:

  • Access to virtual GP consultations with experienced NHS doctors
  • Thrive, a mental wellbeing app approved by the NHS for managing mental health conditions
  • TrackActiveMe, a physiotherapy app to help you prevent, treat, and manage musculoskeletal pain
  • Nurse support from RedArc following a serious illness, injury, or bereavement
  • Back-to-work coaching
  • Speech and language therapy after a stroke
  • Practical help around the home
  • Complementary therapies
  • Mental health therapies
  • Dietary and nutrition consultations

The Drewberry Verdict

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Children’s cover includes pregnancy complications and Total Permanent Disability, which most other providers exclude

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Free rehabilitation after a critical illness, with access to cardiac, oncology and stroke nurses to support your recovery

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Advanced surgery payments once you’re on the waiting list for 1 of 14 approved surgeries

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  • Winner: 5 Stars for Protection service from the Financial Adviser Service Awards in 2022
  • Winner: Outstanding Insurer of the Year at the LifeSearch Awards in 2022
  • 5-star Defaqto rating

Waiver of Premium and Total Permanent Disability cover are only available as add-ons, which cost extra

Scottish Widows Logo

Policy Overview

Maximum Benefit

£3 million (capped at £1.5 million for TPD claims)

Conditions Covered

  • Payout in full for 30 conditions as standard
  • Plus the lower of £30,000 or 25% of your benefit for 10 additional conditions
  • A booster payment of 150% of your benefit, up to £200,000, whichever is lower if you develop one of four neurological conditions by age 45

ABI+ Definitions

14

Survival Period

10 days

Children’s Cover

Included as standard, covering children from birth to age 22. It pays:

  • The lower of £30,000 or 50% of your benefit if your child develops any illnesses the policy covers, except TPD
  • The lower of £30,000 or 50% of your benefit if your child develops one of five child-specific conditions
  • A £10,000 death benefit if your child dies between birth and age 22 during the policy term

Claims Paid

93.3% of Critical Illness claims paid in 2022, totalling £86.2 million

Additional Benefits

Scottish Widows Care is Scottish Widows’ main additional benefits offering. It centres around a team of dedicated nurses available on a telephone helpline, offering support with:

  • Long-term physical or mental illnesses
  • Bereavement
  • Trauma
  • Disability
  • Recovering from being discharged from hospital
  • Second medical opinion which can be arranged with a top UK specialist
  • Therapy, such as counselling, complementary therapies or occupational therapy

The Drewberry Verdict

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Booster payments of up to £200,000 if you’re diagnosed with a degenerative neurological condition before age 45

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Advanced claim payments once you’re on a UK waiting list for certain surgeries

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£10,000 child death benefit as standard, one of the highest available in the market

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  • 5-star Defaqto rating

Scottish Widows covers one of the lowest overall number of conditions in the market

While TPD cover is standard (many insurers require you to add it for an extra premium), Scottish Widows caps it at £1.5 million.

Zurich

Policy Overview

Maximum Benefit

£5 million (£2 million with TPD cover)

Conditions Covered

Standard Critical Illness

  • Payout in full for 40 conditions as standard
  • An advanced payout while you’re on an NHS waiting list for 1 of 7 qualifying surgeries
  • Plus the lower of £25,000 or 25% of your benefit for less advanced breast and prostate cancer

Critical Illness Select 
An optional add-on for an extra premium, Critical Illness Select is an upgraded policy that pays:

  • In full for a total of 51 conditions
  • An additional claim of up to £25,000 for a further 48 conditions, including less advanced cancer of the breast or prostate
  • An advanced payout while you’re on an NHS waiting for 1 of 9 qualifying surgeries
  • An uplift of the lower of £100,000 or 100% of your benefit if you develop one of ten life-changing conditions before the age of 50
  • £5,000 if you suffer one of five pregnancy complications before age 45

ABI+ Definitions

18

Survival Period

10 days

Children’s Cover

Standard Children’s Benefit
Only available with the standard Critical Illness policy, this is optional add-on for an extra premium. It covers children from birth to age 22 for:

  • The lower of £25,000 or 50% of your benefit if your child develops any of the 40 adult conditions the policy covers
  • Funeral benefit of £5,000 if your child dies during the policy term
  • Your child can take out their own policy between the age of 16 and 22 without answering any further health questions

Enhanced Children’s Benefit
Only available with Critical Illness Select, this is optional add-on for an extra premium. Unless stated otherwise, it covers children from birth to age 22, paying:

  • The lower of £25,000 or 50% of your benefit if your child develops any of the 51 adult conditions the policy covers
  • If your child has a cancer claim, Zurich will pay up to £50,000
  • A further payment of up to £25,000 if your child develops one of six child-specific conditions
  • Up to £25,000 if your child needs overseas treatment
  • Funeral benefit of £5,000 now covers babies after the 24th week of pregnancy
  • Your child can take out their own policy between the age of 16 and 22 without answering any further health questions

Claims Paid

90% of claims in 2019, totalling £76.4 million

Additional Benefits

Included free as standard, Zurich’s main additional benefits offering is Zurich Support Services. This offers support in four key areas:

  • Daily concerns, such as job-seeking, money management and consumer rights
  • Significant life events, like wedding planning, separation, bereavement, or moving home
  • Emotional support to assist with issues like anxiety, depression, or living with an illness or disability
  • Work, for instance, workplace bullying and harassment, or employment rights

The Drewberry Verdict

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Additional payment of up to £100,000 if you suffer from a life-altering condition

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Advanced claim payment if you’re on an NHS waitlist for one of Zurich’s approved surgeries

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Optional multi-fracture cover, which also covers certain dislocations, ruptured tendons, and cruciate ligament tears

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  • Winner: Mental Health Support Proposition at the Insurance Post Claims & Fraud Awards in 2022
  • Winner: Doing It Better Award from the Protection Review Awards in 2022
  • 5-star Defaqto rated

Children’s cover is an optional add-on for an extra premium. While this does mean you don’t pay for a benefit you won’t use if you don’t have children, with many providers it’s free as standard.

Waiver of Premium and Total Permanent Disability aren’t included as standard and will cost extra

We have taken care to ensure that information on this Drewberry owned website is accurate. However, we offer no guarantee as to its accuracy and accept no liability for any losses, whether direct or indirect, arising from errors on our part.

In addition to this expert guide, we’ve also written individual reviews of each of the top UK Critical Illness Insurers, which you can check out below.

Which Critical Illness Insurance Companies Have The Best Payout Rates?

One more area it’s important to consider is making sure the provider you choose is likely to pay out a claim when you need it the most. It’s actually quite hard to distinguish one provider from another in this area. Payout rates across the industry are not only higher than many people assume, but are also fairly uniform.

As you can see in the table below, in 2020 almost all insurers paid out on more than 90% of the claims they received.

Insurer

2020

2021

2022

AIG

95%

98%

N/A

Aviva

92.7%

92.4%

93.5%

Guardian

£1.4 million

£2.8 million

£4.9 million

Legal & General

92%

93%

93.4%

Liverpool Victoria

92%

93%

88%

Royal London

92.4%

91.7%

93.6%

Scottish Widows

94%

93%

93.3%

Zurich

87%

87%

N/A

EXPERT TIP 🤓
You shouldn’t use payout statistics alone to decide which insurer offers the best critical illness cover. Instead, use them as a rough guide to compare successful claims across the industry as a whole.

How To Get The Best Critical Illness Insurance

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™. Bear in mind that one provides you with far more protection than the other.

Go Direct To An Insurer

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.

EXPERT TIP 🤓
Buying Critical Illness Cover directly from an insurer is classed as a ‘non-advised sale’ by the FCA. This means there’s no financial protection if it’s unsuitable later on. The responsibility is on your shoulders.

Get Independent Advice

This is the smart choice. An independent adviser (like our Drewberry experts) 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 every insurer on your behalf so you can be sure you’ve got the best deal. And because it’s an ‘advised sale’, we’re responsible for any policy we arrange for you, giving you more protection and peace of mind. Plus, you won’t pay us a penny.

Samantha Haffenden-Angear, Independent Protection Expert at Drewberry

We take all the heavy lifting off your desk, looking through insurers, their policies and their definitions to find you the best terms.

We’re ready to help you find the best Critical Illness Insurance. Get started by comparing quotes, calling 02084327333, or emailing us on help@drewberry.co.uk.

Samantha Haffenden-Angear
Independent Protection Expert

Common Critical Illness Cover Questions

  • What is Total Permanent Disability (TPD) Cover?

    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.

  • Can You Combine Critical Illness Cover With Life Insurance?

    Yes, you can add Life Insurance to your Critical Illness policy, we always 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.

    Separate Critical Illness And Life Insurance Policies

    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.

    Standalone Critical Illness Cover

    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.

  • What's The Difference Between Critical Illness And Terminal Illness?

    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.

  • Do You Pay Tax On A Critical Illness Cover Payout?

    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.

  • Is Critical Illness Insurance Better Than Income Protection?

    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.
    Find out the difference between Critical Illness Cover and Income Protection here →

  • Why Are Some Policy Features Only Available Through a Financial Adviser?

    Critical Illness is a complicated product. And insurance providers do just that – they provide the cover. It’s very rare that insurance companies will also give financial advice to consumers.

    Instead, they withhold certain complicated aspects of cover from consumers. It’s part of their due diligence, to try and prevent their financial products from being mis-sold.

    Financial advisers undertake a lot of education and training in order to perform their jobs. And the advice they give is regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). This also means that when you take out a policy through an insurance adviser, you have financial protection. In other words, if your policy turns out to be unfit for purpose later on, the FCA can investigate the company in question and work towards a positive resolution on your behalf.

Compare Critical Illness Insurance Quotes & Get Expert Advice

With around ten major UK Critical Illness Insurance providers to compare, this involves sifting through a lot of information.

Finding the right Critical Illness Cover – at the best price – can be overwhelming. Luckily, we live and breathe insurance, and are ready to chat about what’s best for you.

No fees, just independent advice and access to the most competitive rates. Give us a call on help@drewberry.co.uk

Why Speak to Us?

We started Drewberry™ because we were tired of being treated like a number.

We all deserve a first class service when it comes to issues as important as protecting our health and our finances. Below are just a few reasons why it makes sense to talk to us.

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BN1 6AF
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If you are unhappy with our service, we have a complaints procedure, details of which are available upon request. If you are unhappy with how your complaint has been dealt with, you may be able to refer your complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS). The FOS website is www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk.

Drewberry Ltd is registered in England and Wales. Companies House No. 06675912

Drewberry Ltd registered office: Telecom House, Preston Road, Brighton, England, BN1 6AF. Telephone 0208 432 7333

Drewberry Ltd (Financial Conduct Authority No. 505473) is an Appointed Representative of Quilter Wealth Limited and Quilter Mortgage Planning

Limited, which are authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.

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