Receive an upfront cash lump sum for your loved ones to pay off the mortgage in full should you pass away during the term of your mortgage
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Receive an income to cover your monthly mortgage repayments should you be unable to work due toaccident, sickness or unemployment
Get My Instant QuotesYour home is likely your biggest financial commitment. If you lost your income tomorrow – through illness, injury, or redundancy – could you keep up with your mortgage repayments?
Mortgage Insurance is designed to make sure you don’t lose your home if life takes an unexpected turn. It can cover monthly repayments or even pay off your entire mortgage if you pass away or are diagnosed with a critical illness.
While lenders may require you to have buildings insurance, mortgage protection insurance isn’t compulsory. It’s entirely your choice – but having it can mean the difference between keeping your home and facing repossession.
When it comes to protecting your mortgage, the different terms can be confusing. The most suitable product for your needs will depend on what you want to protect, and in what way. Consider whether you want to:
| Protect your life | Protect your income |
|---|---|
| Get a lump sum paid to your loved ones upon your death, allowing them to pay off the remaining mortgage debt. | Keep up with your mortgage payments with a monthly income if you’re unable to work due to accident or sickness. |
Mortgage Life Insurance pays a lump sum to clear your mortgage if you die during the policy term – protecting your family from inheriting the debt. Mortgage Life Insurance is the same product as Life Insurance, it’s a different name for the same thing.
There are two common types of Life Insurance:
Both can give your loved ones the security of knowing the home can be kept, even if the worst happens. Check out our review of the best Life Insurance or compare quotes if you’re confident this is what you need.
You have a couple of options when it comes to protecting your ability to pay the mortgage. You can opt for a short-term policy known as Mortgage Payment Protection Insurance, or a more comprehensive cover known as Income Protection.
In this review, we’ll focus on the top providers’ Income Protection offering.
We find that when people are looking for Mortgage Payment Protection, an Income Protection policy is often more suitable. Call 02084327333 to chat through your options with one of our friendly advisers.
Samantha Haffenden-Angear
Independent Protection Specialist
The UK has a few major 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.
Our list of “top” insurers has been put together by considering product offering, company size, longevity, and customer reviews.
GOOD TO KNOW 🤓
As an FCA-authorised firm, you can trust Drewberry to guide you with integrity and knowledge. You can find us on the Financial Services Register.
As an independent insurance broker, we deal with a number of leading insurers every day. We’ve weighed up the key features and benefits of each provider’s offering to create this shortlist of best Mortgage Protection Insurance companies. 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 | |
|---|---|
✅ | Strong claims payout record |
✅ | Benefit guarantee |
✅ | Budget-friendly option available |
Cons | |
|---|---|
👎 | Mixed customer service reports |
As of November 2025, Aviva has 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 Income Protection, or get a quote online in 60 seconds.
Founded in 1902 to provide sickness benefits for commercial travellers, British Friendly is a UK mutual society (friendly society) – meaning it doesn’t have shareholders and operates for the benefit of its members.
Pros | |
|---|---|
✅ | Inclusive of manual and higher-risk occupations |
✅ | No price hikes for smokers |
✅ | Strong long-term claims record |
Cons | |
|---|---|
👎 | Mixed customer feedback |
👎 | Low maximum benefit |
As member-focused provider, British Friendly is a good option for those in manual or higher-risk occupations who are looking to protect their ability to pay the mortgage. As of October 2025, British Friendly has almost 300 reviews on Trustpilot (70% of them giving 5⭐), giving them an average “Average” score of 3.4/5 stars.
Read our specialist review of British Friendly Income Protection, or get a quote online in 60 seconds.
Cirencester Friendly is a UK mutual society specialising in Income Protection Insurance for employed and self‑employed individuals. Their main products include “My Earnings Protected” and “Income Assured Enhanced”, designed to help you replace part of your earnings if you’re unable to work due to illness or injury.
Pros | |
|---|---|
✅ | High claims payout rate |
✅ | Flexible product options |
✅ | No price hikes for occupation or smoking (in many cases) |
Cons | |
|---|---|
👎 | Limited customer reviews |
👎 | Restrictions for overseas work |
Cirencester Friendly doesn’t currently have a Trustpilot review page, making it hard for potential policyholders to find genuine insights. However, they’ve won multiple awards in 2025, including Best Financial Protection Provider at the What Mortgage Awards, and Best Protection Service at the Moneyfacts Awards.
Read our specialist review of Cirencester Friendly Income Protection, or get a quote online in 60 seconds.
The Exeter is a specialist UK mutual insurer, focusing on Health, Life, and Income Protection products designed to support working professionals and the self-employed. As a member-owned organisation, The Exeter reinvests profits into improving cover options and customer service rather than paying dividends to shareholders.
Pros | |
|---|---|
✅ | Speedy cover for younger applicants |
✅ | Waiver of premium included as standard |
✅ | Fixable benefits |
Cons | |
|---|---|
👎 | Limited customer reviews |
👎 | Smaller insurer |
As of October 2025, The Exeter currently has over 1,000 reviews on Trustpilot (72% of them giving 5⭐), giving them an average “Great” score of 3.9/5 stars.
Read our specialist review of The Exeter Income Protection, or get a quote online in 60 seconds.
Holloway Friendly is a mutual society focused on income protection (sickness cover) rather than being a broad financial-services conglomerate. Its roots stretch back to the 19th century, and it claims credit for pioneering income protection in 1875. Their offering centres on “My Sick Pay” policies (plus variations like “Classic Plus”) that allow members to insure a portion of their income if illness or injury prevents them working.
Pros | |
|---|---|
✅ | Free and unlimited Virtual GP appointments |
✅ | Terminal illness benefit |
Cons | |
|---|---|
👎 | Mixed customer reviews |
👎 | Not available directly to the public |
As of October 2025, Holloway Friendly has just over 150 reviews on Trustpilot (78% of them giving 5⭐), giving them an average “Great” score of 3.9/5 stars.
Read our specialist review of Holloway Friendly Income Protection, 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. Their Income Protection Benefit product lets customers insure a portion of their gross pay if they can’t work because of sickness or injury.
Pros | |
|---|---|
✅ | High benefit amount |
✅ | Rehabilitation support service |
✅ | Budget-friendly option |
Cons | |
|---|---|
👎 | Lower payout rate |
👎 | Benefit cap for self-employed |
👎 | Lower death benefit |
As of October 2025, Legal & General has over 26,000 reviews on Trustpilot (57% of them giving 5⭐), giving them an average “Great” score of 4.2/5 stars. Note that this is for the company as a whole, rather than just the protection division.
Read our specialist review of Legal & General Income Protection, or get a quote online in 60 seconds.
Liverpool Victoria (LV=) is a large provider of individual Income Protection and financial services 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 | |
|---|---|
✅ | Good payout record |
✅ | Good option for medical professionals |
✅ | Fracture cover as standard |
Cons | |
|---|---|
👎 | Longer deferred period options |
👎 | Mixed reviews specific to protection |
As of October 2025, Legal & General has over 81,000 reviews on Trustpilot (80% of them giving 5⭐), giving them an average “Excellent” score of 4.5 stars. Note that this is for the company as a whole, rather than just the protection division.
Read our specialist review of LV= Income Protection, 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 | |
|---|---|
✅ | Good for self-employed / contractors |
✅ | High customer satisfaction levels |
✅ | Added benefits included |
Cons | |
|---|---|
👎 | Lower death benefit |
As of October 2025, Royal London has over 4,400 reviews on Trustpilot (77% of them giving 5⭐), giving them an average “Excellent” score of 4.6 stars – the highest on this list. Note that this is for the company as a whole, rather than just the protection division.
Read our specialist review of Royal London Income Protection, or get a quote online in 60 seconds.
Vitality is a leading insurance and investment company, offering a range of Life and Health Insurance products. Its core purpose is to make people healthier and help them to protect their lives, offering perks and incentives for policyholders who practice healthy habits. They offer “Mortgage protection insurance” which is the same as Term Life Insurance. For this review, we’ve summarised their Income Protection offering.
Pros | |
|---|---|
✅ | Unique rewards |
✅ | Recovery support |
✅ | Earnings guarantee |
Cons | |
|---|---|
👎 | Needs consistent engagement |
👎 | Needs shared data to work |
As of October 2025, Royal London has over 58,000 reviews on Trustpilot (71% of them giving 5⭐), giving them an average “Excellent” score of 4.4 stars.
Read our specialist review of Vitality Income Protection, or get a quote online in 60 seconds.
Finding the “best” Mortgage Protection Insurance will depend on your unique needs. Here are some aspects to consider.
Your best 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:
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 Mortgage Protection 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.
The price of Mortgage Protection depends on your age, health, job, mortgage 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 Income Protection.
Buying a house is a huge milestone, and making a commitment to a mortgage can be daunting prospect. With such a large liability attached to your name, it’s important to make sure you’re suitably protected.
Our specialists live and breathe the protection market, and have helped thousands of people to protect their most important asset – themselves. We’re here to make what can be a stressful time go as smoothly as possible, so 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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