Life insurance with critical illness help and FAQs

Preparing for the worst is not something we want to think about when feeling fit and healthy, but you never know what
life is going to throw at you next. Our life insurance with critical illness cover can offer your loved ones some protection
if you die or become critically ill. Here are some frequently asked questions we've been asked about our life insurance with critical illness cover which you may find helpful before making your decision.

What’s the amount of critical illnesses we paid out in 2012?

In 2012 we paid 91% of critical illness claims to help more families at a difficult time. The total amount of claims paid out was £10.75 million, with just 2.2% of claims declined for non-disclosure. We are very proud of these results. See the types of claims we paid out on.

Find out more about the critical illness claims we paid in 2012

What is Critical Illness cover?

Critical Illness cover provides a one off cash lump sum if you are diagnosed with one of the critical illnesses covered by the policy during the term. You must survive for at least 14 days after the diagnosis. The cash could be used to help pay off a mortgage or make adaptations to your home, such as putting in wheelchair ramps.

Find out more about critical illness cover and the critical illnesses we cover.

Can we get joint cover?

Yes. You and your partner can apply for cover together. The policy will pay out if one of you dies or is diagnosed with a critical illness during the policy term. But joint life cover only pays out once, so once it pays out, the policy ends, and you're no longer covered.

Why might I need life insurance?

It's never easy to cope when someone close to you dies. Grief is a natural reaction and coping with the pain and loss can be even more difficult if there are added financial pressures. Nobody really wants to think about dying but it makes sense to plan for what could happen and help make it easier for those left behind. It won't stop the grief but it can help support your family after you die.

Find out more about why you need life insurance

What are life insurance calculations based on?

When insurers calculate their premiums for life insurance cover, they'll look at how long they expect customers to live based on their age, medical history and other factors that are likely to impact their life expectancy.

Find out more about what insurance calculations are based on

If you have a question which isn't answered above, you might like to search our interactive FAQs.

If you still can't find the answer you're looking for, you can contact us.

Please note that if you question is specific to your plan and not covered above, you may need to refer to your original plan documents or call one of our trained service advisers.