Compare the top critical illness insurance providers in United Kingdom — see cover, features and typical rates side by side.
23 live offers compared from 20 providers, from £13 /month. Updated daily.
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Price on request
Critical illness cover pays a tax-free lump sum if you are diagnosed with one of a defined list of serious conditions, such as certain cancers, heart attack or stroke, and survive a short qualifying period. The money can be used however you wish, to clear a mortgage, fund treatment, adapt your home or replace lost income during recovery.
It is often bought alongside life insurance, either as an add-on or a standalone policy, and is a common part of protecting a family or a mortgage.
Premiums depend on age, health, smoking status, the sum assured and the term. The single most important comparison point is the list of conditions covered and, crucially, the severity definitions, insurers differ in how many conditions they include and how strictly each is defined. Better policies cover more conditions and offer partial payouts for less severe or early-stage diagnoses.
Cover can be level or decreasing, and can be combined with life insurance so the policy pays out on the first event, illness or death.
Conditions covered — compare the number and definitions, not just the headline price.
Partial payments — cover for early-stage or less severe conditions adds real value.
Children's cover — many policies include cover for a policyholder's children.
Combined or standalone — bundling with life insurance can be cheaper than two policies.
Legal & General, Aviva UK, Scottish Widows and Royal London are major providers of critical illness cover. LV= is highly rated for its definitions and claims, while Vitality Health UK and Vitality Life offer condition-based severity payments and wellness-linked premium discounts. AXA Health UK also operates in the protection market. Quality of definitions varies, so cover breadth matters as much as cost.
Decide the sum assured needed to clear debts and support your family, then compare the breadth and quality of conditions covered rather than shopping on price alone. Consider combining with life insurance for value, and check whether children's cover and additional payments for less severe conditions are included.
Premiums for critical illness cover commonly start from around £13 a month for younger, healthy non-smokers on modest cover, rising to £25 or considerably more with age, higher sums assured, added life cover and health factors. Adding critical illness to a life policy costs more than life cover alone, reflecting the higher likelihood of a claim.
Critical illness insurance is regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). Complaints can be escalated free to the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS), and the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) protects 100% of a valid claim with no cap for this long-term insurance if the insurer fails. Accurate disclosure of your medical history is vital, as it directly affects whether a future claim is honoured.
Is every illness covered? No, only the conditions listed and meeting the policy's severity definitions.
Critical illness or income protection? Critical illness pays a lump sum on diagnosis; income protection replaces income while you cannot work, and many people benefit from both.
Does it cover pre-existing conditions? Generally no, existing conditions are usually excluded.
Do I get money back if I never claim? Standard critical illness cover pays only on a qualifying diagnosis; there is normally no payout or refund if you never claim.
The cheapest Critical Illness Insurance in United Kingdom is £13 /month from LV=.
The lowest tracked price on Giraffy is £13 /month across 5 live offers. Compare all plans sorted by price.
Giraffy tracks LV=,Legal & General,Aviva UK,Vitality Health UK,British Friendly critical illness insurance companies in United Kingdom.
Offer data is refreshed daily from the Giraffy database. Each compare page shows when data was last checked.
No. Giraffy does not sell ranking placement. Results reflect your filters and sort order — default is lowest price.