Critical illness

Key questions

• Critical illness cover: what is it and why might you need it?
• What is critical illness cover, and how does it work in the UK?
• What does critical illness cover pay out for?
• How much does critical illness cover cost in the UK?
• Do critical illness policies pay out?
• Critical illness cover vs income protection: what’s the difference?

Topics in this section

Everything in critical illness

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  What is critical illness cover, and how does it work in the UK?

  Critical illness cover pays a tax-free lump sum if you are diagnosed with a condition that meets the written definition in your policy. You pay…

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  What does critical illness cover pay out for?

  Policies pay out for the conditions listed in the policy wording, each with a written definition of how severe the diagnosis must be. Cancer, heart…

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  How much critical illness cover do I need?

  Add up what the money would need to do: replace your income for a realistic recovery period, clear or reduce the mortgage and other debts,…

• 
  How much does critical illness cover cost in the UK?

  There is no single honest figure: premiums depend on your age, health, smoking status, the sum assured, the term length and whether premiums are guaranteed…

• 
  Critical illness cover vs income protection: what’s the difference?

  Critical illness cover pays a single tax-free lump sum if you are diagnosed with a condition on the policy’s defined list. Income protection pays a…

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  Critical illness cover and cancer: how claims work

  Cancer is the most common cause of critical illness claims, and every policy defines what counts — usually invasive malignant cancer, with some early-stage or…

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  Critical illness cover for children: how it works

  Most adult critical illness policies automatically include children’s cover: if your child is diagnosed with a defined condition, the policy pays a capped amount —…

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  Critical illness cover and pre-existing conditions

  Critical illness cover is fully medically underwritten: you answer health questions, and the insurer offers standard terms, excludes the specific condition, loads the premium, or…

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  Do critical illness policies pay out?

  Yes — the large majority of claims are paid: 97.9 per cent of individual protection claims were paid in 2024, a record year with £8…

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  Critical illness cover for the self-employed

  Self-employed people have no employer sick pay and usually no access to Statutory Sick Pay, so a serious diagnosis can stop income immediately. Critical illness…

• 
  Critical illness cover: what is it and why might you need it?

  Critical illness cover pays a single lump sum if you are diagnosed with a specified illness, such as some cancers, heart attack or stroke, that…

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  Is critical illness cover worth it?

  Critical illness cover is worth it when a serious illness would cost your household more than it could absorb — for example, with dependants, a…

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  Can you get critical illness cover without life insurance?

  Yes. Standalone critical illness cover pays a lump sum on a qualifying diagnosis and nothing on death. Combined life and critical illness policies usually pay…

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