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Critical illness cover

Cover yourself against critical illness and serious injuries.

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What is critical illness cover?

Critical illness cover pays out a lump sum if you’re diagnosed with a critical illness or life-changing injury. It's an optional extra that you can add to your life insurance policy.

People who receive critical illness payouts typically put them towards:

  • Financially supporting their family if they’re unable to work
  • Paying off a mortgage
  • Making adaptations to their home if they’re disabled
  • Paying for private healthcare if they don't have private medical insurance

What types of critical illness cover are there?

When you get a quote, there are 2 types of critical illness cover that you can choose from:

Combined cover merges your life insurance and critical illness cover into a single policy. This policy pays out once. This is either when you make a critical illness claim, or when your family make a life insurance claim after you die.

If you make a critical illness claim, both your life insurance and critical illness policies end. So your family won’t get another pay-out after you die.

Additional cover splits your life and critical illness cover into 2 separate policies. You decide how much each policy pays out. If you make a critical illness claim, that part of your policy ends, but the life insurance side continues.

This means, your loved ones get a second payout if you die during your life insurance policy’s term.

Once you've chosen the type of cover you want, there are also 3 levels of cover to choose from:

  • Level critical illness cover means you pay the same amount in monthly premiums throughout the policy. You also get the same payout amount no matter when you claim.

  • Index-linked critical illness cover links your critical illness insurance amount to inflation. As inflation rises, your payout amount rises too. This option also means that your monthly payments could get more expensive over time.

  • Decreasing critical illness cover is a good way to cover any outstanding balance that you have on your mortgage. The amount you get as a payout decreases over time with the amount you owe on your mortgage.

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How does critical illness cover work?

Most of the insurers we work with only offer critical illness cover as a life insurance add-on. To get it, you have to take out a life insurance policy first and work out how much cover you need.

Here's how you get critical illness cover:

  • Start by choosing how much cover you want. This is the amount you’ll get as a payout if you make a claim.
  • Next, choose how long you want your cover to last. Insurers set a minimum and a maximum term for critical illness cover – usually ranging from 5 to 50 years.
  • Once you've decided on a cover term, choose the type and level of cover you want.
  • If you become seriously ill or injured during your policy term you should be able to claim. But the illness or injury has to be included in your policy for the insurer to pay out. If your claim is successful, you'll get your cover amount as a payout.
  • You can only claim on your policy once, and unlike your life insurance policy, the payout you get from a successful critical illness claim is tax free.

How much is critical illness cover?

The price you pay for critical illness cover can vary depending on factors such as age, what health conditions you have and your medical history.

Here's an example of the cost of critical illness cover when combined with certain types of life insurance:

Policy type Average monthly premium offered
Level term and critical illness cover
£44.681
Mortgage protection and critical illness cover
£56.022

1. Based on Confused.com data June - August 2023. Prices based on average quote offered on a policy with a 20-year term and £122,480 of cover.

2. Based on Confused.com data June - August 2023. Prices based on average quote offered on a policy with a 24-year term and £158,052 of cover.

What our life insurance expert says

"There's 2 types of critical illness cover, combined or additional cover. Combined cover can be cheaper, but you only get a payout if you're ill or die. With additional cover, you could get a payout if you become seriously ill, and a second payout when you die."

Matthew Harwood, Home & lifestyle insurance expert at Confused.com
Home & lifestyle insurance expert Confused.com logo

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What's covered by critical illness insurance?

Most policies will cover you for:

  • Heart attacks
  • Strokes
  • Non-terminal cancers
  • Life-changing injuries
  • Multiple sclerosis
  • Parkinson’s
  • Organ transplants

There are also some conditions that aren't usually covered. These are:

  • Pre-existing conditions
  • Alzheimer’s disease
  • Self-inflicted injuries
  • Injuries or illnesses resulting from drug and alcohol misuse

But remember that your illness or injury has to be ‘life changing’. Insurers may not cover something like a mild heart attack that has little impact on your day-to-day life.

Some policies may cover a longer list of conditions, so check with your insurer to see exactly what you’re covered for.

Do I need critical illness cover?

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You may need critical illness cover if:

  • You have financial dependents
  • You’re still repaying a mortgage
  • You’re renting
Cross

This type of cover may not be suitable for you if:

  • You have no dependents
  • You have savings you could live off
  • You’re of retirement age

Statutory sick pay can help if you can’t work, but it’s unlikely to be enough to cover your loss of earnings. It's also only paid for 28 weeks, so you could be left with no income sooner than you expect.

Help calculating your cover

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How long does critical illness cover last?

Your critical illness cover runs for as long as your life insurance policy, or until you make a claim.

If you have mortgage life insurance, your cover runs for as long as your mortgage.

If you have level term life insurance, you can choose how long you want to be covered for. Most people tie this to how long their family is dependent on their income. If you have young children, this could be up to 21 years, but it could be longer.

You can even get whole life insurance that covers you until the day you die, with added critical illness cover that does the same.

There’s no expiration date for your critical illness insurance. As long as it’s within the cover period of your life policy, you’re eligible for a pay-out.

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What are the different types of life insurance?

Life insurance guides

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Need more help?

Income protection vs critical illness cover

Both income protection insurance and critical illness cover can help keep you afloat if you’re ill or injured. But they work in very different ways.

Where critical illness insurance pays out a lump sum to help you focus on your recovery if you become severely ill, income protection is designed to cover your outgoings if you suffer a milder illness or injury. It pays a portion of your salary to help you maintain your standard of living while you’re on the mend. If you have a physically demanding job, but hurt your back and can’t work, for example, income protection can help bridge the gap until you’re fit to work again.

Critical illness cover is designed to ease the financial burden of a life-changing illness or injury, taking some of the stress out of an already stressful situation. What policy you choose to take out depends on what you want to be covered for.

Can you get critical illness cover for children?

Yes. Some critical illness policies will cover your children at no extra cost. Others may ask you to pay a little extra to cover them.

Cover for a child works in much the same way as an adult. If your child is injured or develops a serious condition, your policy will pay out. But the amount you’ll receive is usually lower for a child than for yourself, with the maximum being around £25,000. This can still help ease some of the financial burden of having a seriously ill child, giving you some breathing space to focus on what really matters – them.

How long does critical illness cover last?

Your critical illness cover runs for as long as your life insurance policy, or until you make a claim.

If you have mortgage life insurance, it’ll run for as long as your mortgage.

If you have level term life insurance, you can choose how long you want to be covered for. Most people tie this to how long their family will be dependent on their income. If you have young children, this could be 20 years, but it could be longer.

You can even get whole life insurance that’ll cover you until the day you die, with added critical illness cover that’ll do the same.

There’s no expiration date for your critical illness insurance. As long as it’s within the cover period of your life policy, you’ll be eligible for a pay-out.

What happens if I don’t claim on my critical illness cover policy?

If you reach the end of your life insurance cover term without claiming on your critical illness policy, your coverage will simply end. You won’t be able to get back what you’ve paid in premiums.

The same is true if you pass away during your cover period without having claimed for a critical illness. Your loved ones will get your life insurance pay-out, but they won’t get back what you’ve paid in critical illness cover premiums.

Even so, the peace of mind that critical illness insurance can bring is often worth the extra you’ll pay in premiums. Cover can vary between insurance providers, so it's important to check the level of cover that your policy provides.

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Page last reviewed: 15/10/2023

Reviewed by: Matthew Harwood

Confused Life is provided by Direct Life & Pension Services Ltd, who are authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Registered office; 2nd Floor Gateway 2, Holgate Park Drive, York, United Kingdom, YO26 4GB. Registered in England and Wales No 2467691. Our service is free and compares a wide range of trusted household names. Confused.com is an intermediary and receives commission from Direct Life & Pension Services Ltd which is based on a percentage of the total annual premium if you decide to buy through our website. We pride ourselves on impartiality and independence – therefore we don’t promote any one insurance provider over another.