Critical illness cover, for the moment life changes.
Critical illness cover provides financial support if a serious illness strikes. We focus on what matters, so you have the help you need during challenging times.
A tax-free lump sum if you’re diagnosed with a serious illness covered by your policy, so you can focus on getting better rather than the bills.
Is it right for you?
Anyone whose household would struggle if they had to stop work to recover
Self-employed people without employer sick pay
Parents who want children’s critical illness cover included
How it works
The policy pays a one-off lump sum if you’re diagnosed with one of the conditions it covers and meet the insurer’s definition, typically including many cancers, heart attacks and strokes. You can use the money however you like: clearing the mortgage, adapting the home or simply taking time off.
Why advice matters
Definitions and the number of conditions covered vary a lot between insurers, and the cheapest policy is not always the one that pays out when you need it. We compare the detail, not just the price, and tell you plainly where the differences are.
Alongside life cover
Critical illness is often combined with life insurance, paying out once on whichever happens first. Or it can be a standalone policy. We’ll explain the trade-offs.
The choices, explained.
There’s no single right answer. These are the decisions we’ll go through with you, so you understand exactly what you’re buying.
Standalone cover
A separate critical illness policy, so a claim doesn’t affect your life cover.
Combined with life
One policy paying on death or diagnosis, usually costing less than two policies.
Children’s cover
Most policies include cover for your children at no extra cost. We’ll check how generous it is.
Additional payments
Some policies make smaller payments for less severe conditions and keep your main cover in place.
Lucy, 42, self-employed designer
Lucy has no employer sick pay and a £160,000 mortgage. We arranged critical illness cover with a lump sum big enough to clear most of the mortgage and give her a year’s breathing space.
We chose an insurer whose cancer definitions were broader than the cheapest quote she’d found online, for a few pounds more a month.
An illustration of how this cover can work, not a real client. Your own recommendation will depend on your circumstances.
Critical illness cover: your questions.
Can’t see yours? Call us, we’re happy to talk it through.
All FAQsIs critical illness cover worth it?
Cancer Research UK estimates that 1 in 2 people in the UK will get cancer in their lifetime. Survival rates are improving, which means more people need money to live on while they recover. Whether it’s right for you depends on your savings, sick pay and commitments, and we’ll talk that through honestly.
What isn’t covered?
Every policy has a list of covered conditions and exclusions, and pre-existing conditions may be excluded. We go through these with you before you apply, never after.
Do I have to be off work to claim?
No. Critical illness pays on diagnosis of a covered condition that meets the definition, whether or not you stop working.
Ready to talk it through?
No call centres, no scripts. Just a real person who’ll listen, explain your options in plain English and help you decide.