Critical illness cover without life insurance: what to know
Yes — you can buy it on its own
Yes. Critical illness cover can be bought as a standalone policy, with no life insurance attached. It pays a lump sum if you are diagnosed with a condition listed in the policy and the diagnosis meets the written definition, and it does not pay anything on death. [1]
Many people first meet critical illness cover as an add-on to life insurance, often when arranging a mortgage. That can create the impression that one cannot exist without the other. In fact, both standalone and combined versions are widely sold, and which one makes sense depends on what you already have and who relies on you.
This guide explains the difference, who tends to pick each option, and what to check. It is information, not advice; an FCA-authorised adviser can recommend a specific policy.
Standalone vs combined cover: the key difference
The most important difference is what happens after a pay-out. A combined life and critical illness policy usually pays out once: either when you are diagnosed with a covered condition, or if you die first. After a critical illness claim, the policy normally ends, so the life cover goes too.
With standalone critical illness cover, the policy exists only to pay on diagnosis. If you also have a separate life policy, a critical illness claim does not affect it — your family would still receive the life insurance if you later died. That separation is the main reason people choose to keep the two apart.
| Feature | Standalone critical illness | Combined life and critical illness |
|---|---|---|
| Pays on diagnosis of a covered condition | Yes | Yes |
| Pays on death | No | Yes, if no critical illness claim has been made |
| After a critical illness claim | Policy usually ends; any separate life cover continues | Policy usually ends, including the life cover |
| Number of policies to manage | One for illness, plus any separate life policy | One |
| Typical reason to choose | Keep life cover intact, or no need for life cover | Simplicity and a single premium |
Some policies are “additional” rather than “accelerated”: the critical illness benefit is paid on top of the life cover rather than instead of it. These sit between the two models, and the wording of each policy tells you which you have.
Who tends to choose standalone cover
- People who already have life insurance — through a mortgage, a personal policy or death-in-service at work — and want illness cover without disturbing it.
- Single people with no dependants, for whom a death pay-out matters less than protecting their own finances during an illness.
- People who want a different amount or term for illness cover than for life cover.
- Self-employed people with no sick pay, who mainly want money while they are alive and unable to work normally.
For employees, Statutory Sick Pay is £123.25 a week for up to 28 weeks, [4] and the self-employed receive nothing. That gap is usually what people are trying to fill, whichever form of cover they choose.
Is standalone critical illness cover more expensive?
Prices depend on your age, health, smoking status, the lump sum, the term and whether premiums are guaranteed. Because standalone critical illness and combined cover insure different events, their prices are not directly comparable, and we do not publish averages. The only reliable comparison is a set of quotes for the same lump sum and term, based on your own details.
One fair point to weigh: if you need both life and critical illness cover, two separate policies may cost more in total than one combined policy, but they can pay out twice — once on illness and once on death. A combined policy usually pays once. Whether the extra protection is worth any extra cost is a personal decision.
| Question | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Do I already have life cover, and how much? | Decides whether combined cover would duplicate it |
| Who would need money if I died? | If no one, life cover may add little |
| How much would a serious illness cost my household? | Sets the lump sum you are pricing |
| How long do I need cover for? | Often matched to a mortgage or working life |
| Do I want guaranteed premiums? | Affects long-term affordability |
What to check in a standalone policy
Whether standalone or combined, the value of critical illness cover lives in the definitions. The ABI’s minimum standards set out baseline wording for the most commonly claimed conditions, [2] but policies vary in how many conditions they list, whether they pay partial amounts for less severe conditions, and whether children are included.
- The full list of conditions and the definition for each one that matters to you.
- Any survival period — the number of days you must survive after diagnosis before the claim is paid.
- Partial-payment conditions and whether they reduce the main sum.
- Children’s cover, and its limits.
- Any personal exclusions added because of your medical history.
Our guide what critical illness cover pays out for explains each of these.
If you already have life insurance
If you already have life insurance, it is worth finding out whether it already includes critical illness cover before buying more. Mortgage-linked policies sometimes do. If it does not, adding a standalone policy leaves your existing life cover untouched. If you have death-in-service through work, remember that it usually ends when you leave that job, and it does not pay on illness.
Cancer Research UK estimates that around half of people born after 1960 will be diagnosed with some form of cancer in their lifetime, [7] which is one reason people look at illness cover separately from life cover. See what critical illness cover is for the wider picture.
Claims and your rights
Your legal protections are the same for standalone and combined policies. The Consumer Insurance (Disclosure and Representations) Act 2012 requires you to take reasonable care when answering application questions, and limits an insurer’s remedies where a mistake was honest. [6] If a claim is declined, you can complain to the insurer and then to the Financial Ombudsman Service, which looks at whether the definition was applied fairly. [5] The Ombudsman publishes yearly complaints data across insurance products. [8]
Insurers paid £8 billion in protection claims in 2024, [9] and £7.84 billion in 2025. [3]
Reviewing your cover over time
Whichever structure you choose, your needs change. A new mortgage, a pay rise, children, a move to self-employment or the end of a debt can all change how much illness cover makes sense and whether separate life cover is still needed. Many people review their protection at each of these points rather than only when a policy ends.
When reviewing, list every policy you hold, including any cover through work, and note for each one what it pays, when it pays, and when it ends. That makes it easier to see overlaps, such as two policies covering the same mortgage, and gaps, such as no illness cover once employer cover stops. It also shows whether a combined policy taken out years ago still matches what you need from life cover and from illness cover separately.
Be cautious about replacing an existing policy. New cover is underwritten on your health at the time you apply, and conditions that have arisen since your original application may be excluded or cost more to cover. Keep the existing policy in force until any replacement has been accepted and has started.
Looking at cover with PremierPMI
PremierPMI is a specialist private medical insurance broker and the publisher of The Health Guide. If you want to talk through what this means for your own cover, you can start there.
Or, if you would rather start here, send an enquiry and PremierPMI will contact you.
Common questions
Can I get critical illness cover without life insurance?
Does a combined policy end after a critical illness claim?
Is standalone critical illness cover more expensive than combined?
Should I keep my life insurance separate from critical illness cover?
Can I add critical illness cover to my existing life policy?
What happens to a standalone critical illness policy after I claim?
Sources and methodology
- [1] Which? Money. “What is critical illness cover?”. View source(opens in a new tab)
- [2] Association of British Insurers. “Guide to Minimum Standards for Critical Illness Cover”. View source(opens in a new tab)Primary source
- [3] Association of British Insurers. “Protection insurers pay out £7.84 billion to help customers safeguard their finances”. View source(opens in a new tab)Primary source
- [4] GOV.UK. “Statutory Sick Pay (SSP)”. View source(opens in a new tab)Primary source
- [5] Financial Ombudsman Service. “Critical illness cover — how we handle complaints”. View source(opens in a new tab)Primary source
- [6] UK Parliament (legislation.gov.uk). “Consumer Insurance (Disclosure and Representations) Act 2012”. View source(opens in a new tab)Primary source
- [7] Cancer Research UK. “Lifetime risk of cancer — all cancers combined”. View source(opens in a new tab)
- [8] Financial Ombudsman Service. “Annual complaints data and insight 2024/25”. View source(opens in a new tab)Primary source
- [9] Association of British Insurers and GRiD (reported by Cover Magazine). “Insurers paid £8bn in protection claims in 2024”. View source(opens in a new tab)Primary source
We cite primary sources wherever possible. Read about our sourcing methodology.
Dior Teshayev
Health Insurance Editor, PremierPMI
- Health insurance editor
- Insurer product and literature research
Dior works alongside senior advisers to research and refine content about private medical insurance, producing articles, guides and updates that reflect the latest market and product changes. He tracks market trends, reviews insurer literature and prepares plain-English summaries for the advisory team.
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Andrew Buscu
PMI Specialist & Copywriter, PremierPMI
- Whole-of-market private medical insurance adviser
- Claims and renewal specialist
Andrew is a member of the private medical insurance advisory team. He gathers detailed client requirements and liaises with insurers to arrange tailored quotes across the whole UK market, guiding clients from first quote through to claims and renewal. In one case he reduced a client renewal premium from £36,000 to £11,520 without reducing cover.
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