Life insurance
Cover starts from £5 a month.
Top-rated life insurance, tailored to you
Reviewed by Joanne Brooks in June 2026.
Joanne is Protection Specialist and has over 20 years’ experience in financial services, including 16 years with Vitality.
What is life insurance?
Life insurance gives your loved ones a cash lump sum or ‘payout’ when you pass away. It can also pay out if you’re diagnosed with a terminal illness.
A life insurance policy is designed to help the people who depend on you stay financially secure at what would otherwise be a difficult time.
They can use the money to:
- Pay off a mortgage on a home
- Help cover funeral costs
- Cover your inheritance tax bill
- Take care of living expenses, like household bills or childcare
- Repay other debts, such as loans or credit cards
Who is life insurance for?
Life insurance is for anyone whose finances support someone else who they’d like to be protected if they were no longer there.
You might consider it if:
- You have a partner, children, or other dependants
- You share financial commitments, like a mortgage, rent or other debts
- You want to help your family maintain their standard of living
- You’d want help covering future costs, such as education or childcare
Some types of life insurance are designed for longer-term planning, like helping cover funeral costs or leaving money behind for your family.
If you want cover to protect your financial situation if you were sick and unable to work, other types of cover such as Income Protection Insurance or Serious Illness Cover may be more suitable.
These can also be valuable if you do have dependants, but you’re concerned about more than just death, for example, how your household would cope financially if you were sick or injured and were unable to work as a result.
How does life insurance work?
Life Cover is simpler than you might think. We'll guide you at every step.
1. Get a quote online
We’ll ask you a few questions like who you want to cover, for how much and how long. Don’t worry, it only takes a few minutes and we’ll guide you at each step.
2. Build your plan
Our expert team will help you build a life insurance plan that works for you. They can give you tailored advice and discuss your options – for example, cover if you’re diagnosed with a serious illness.
3. Discover your benefits
You’ll also check out benefits you can add to your plan – like saving up to 40% on your monthly premiums, or making sure your cover keeps up with inflation.
4. Start your plan
We'll set up your plan and you'll pay your premium every month, by direct debit.
5. Get discounts and rewards
From day one, you can enjoy discounts and start earning rewards from top brands. You can also use our expert tools, tips and more to help you live healthier.
6. Make a claim
If you pass away during your plan’s term, your loved ones make a claim. When the claim is approved, they’ll receive the payout
Different types of life insurance
Life insurance
What it is
A policy that pays a cash lump sum if you die or are diagnosed with a terminal ill ness where life expectancy is under 12 months.
What it can cover
- Financial support for your partner, family or dependents
- Large commitments like a mortgage or debts
- Longer-term costs like living expenses and childcare
What it doesn’t cover
- Loss of income if you’re unable to work
- Instances of suicide within 12 months of a plan starting, restarting, or the deceased being added to an existing plan
Types of life insurance we offer
- Term life insurance covers you for a defined period (for example while paying off a mortgage or raising a family)
- Whole of life insurance covers you for your entire life and guarantees a payout whenever you die – often used for things like funeral costs or longer-term planning such as inheritance
- Joint life insurance covers two people under one plan, often used for shared financial commitments
Income protection insurance
What it is
A policy that pays a regular monthly income if you’re unable to work due to illness or injury and suffer a loss of income.
What it can cover
- A portion of your income if you’re signed off work (up to 60% of your gross salary)
- Bills, rent or mortgage and everyday living costs
- Longer-term illness, potentially until you return to work or your policy ends
What it doesn’t cover
- Redundancy or job loss
- Situations where you’re still able to work
- Doesn’t provide a lump sum payout
Income Protection provides rehabilitation support from the point of claim and the opportunity to receive up to 20% extra benefit through Vitality Income Boost5.
Serious Illness Cover
What it is
A policy that provides a tax-free payout if you’re diagnosed with a serious condition covered by your plan.
What it can cover
- Financial support during treatment or recovery
- Cover for up to 174 conditions, including 60 unique to Vitality1
What it doesn’t cover
- Every illness or general time off work
- Ongoing monthly income
Serious Illness Cover can pay out for more conditions than typical critical illness cover6, with payments based on the severity of your condition and protection that can continue into later life.
Mortgage protection insurance
What it is
A type of life insurance designed to pay off your mortgage if you die or are diagnosed with a terminal illness.
What it can cover
- Your remaining mortgage balance
- Cover that can reduce over time in line with your loan
- Options to structure cover match your mortgage type (e.g. repayment or interest-only)
What it doesn’t cover
- Day-to-day living costs or household expenses
- Income if you’re unable to work
- Financial support beyond your mortgage
Mortgage protection can help ensure your home loan is paid for if you’re no longer here, but it’s often combined with other cover to protect everything your income supports.
Choosing the right cover
Each type of cover is designed to support you in different situations, which is why many people choose to combine options.
For example:
- Life insurance helps support your family if you’re no longer there
- Income protection helps you keep up with bills if you can’t work due to sickness or injury
- Serious Illness Cover provides financial support if your health changes
In practice, the right approach often depends on your life stage, responsibilities and what you want to protect.
If you’re not sure what’s right for you, our advisers can help you understand your options and build a plan that fits your needs.
What does life insurance cost?
If you’re looking for life insurance quotes in the UK, your quote can depend on:
- How much cover you need e.g. for a term to cover defined expenses like a mortgage
- Your age, health and lifestyle, including previous conditions or smoking
- Whether you have a high-risk job such as a firefighter
Your cover is tailored to your needs, so the cost can vary depending on your situation and the level of protection you choose. Our expert team can help you build a plan, at a price that works for you.
You could also save up to 40% on your monthly premiums with Vitality’s Optimiser, when you keep up healthy habits, like regular exercise.3
See real examples of the Life Insurance cover you could have for £25 a month over 25 years, if you're a non-smoker in good health. These examples are based on typical plans our members chose in 2025.
| Age when cover starts | Life insurance cover amount |
|---|---|
| 20 | £1,772,910 |
| 30 | £1,196,632 |
| 40 | £530,665 |
| 50 | £157,216 |
| 60 | £49,133 |
| 70* | £18,734 |
* If you’re aged 70, the longest term available is 20 years, based on our plan age limits.
Ready to get started?...
Making a life insurance claim
We aim to make the claims process simple and supportive, so you and your family know what to expect.
Make sure your family knows about your cover
Let your loved ones know you have a policy in place, and where to find the details. Keeping documents accessible can make things much easier if a claim is ever needed.
Get in touch with us
You, your family, or a trusted contact can get in touch with us to start a claim. We’ll explain exactly what’s needed and guide you or your loved ones through the process from the start.
Call us on 0345 601 0072*
Email [email protected]
How to make a claim
We assess the claim and pay valid claims
We’ll review the information provided to confirm the claim meets the policy terms. Once everything is in place, we aim to pay claims as quickly as possible, either as a lump sum or ongoing payments – depending on your cover.
*Calls to ‘03’ numbers cost no more than a national rate call to an 01 or 02 number, whether from a mobile or landline. If you get inclusive free calls to local rate numbers with your landline or mobile tariff, calls to ‘03’ numbers will be included.
Call centre opening hours: Monday to Thursday 9am-8pm, Friday 9am-6pm, Saturday 10am-2pm Closed: Sunday and bank holidays.
Helping you live healthier, for longer
We're not just about payouts. We can help you save money, get healthier and enjoy rewards now.
Get healthy with discounts and rewards
Discounted gym membership, spa breaks and weekly coffees
Get up to 40% off premiums3
The healthier you are, the lower your premiums stay
Live with peace of mind
In 2025, we paid £105m in Life Cover claims. That's 99.4% of all life cover claims.1
Live up to 5 years longer
Get active with Vitality and you could add up to 5 years to your life2
Get comprehensive cover for all stages of life, with Vitality
Life insurance isn’t just cover for the end of life. It can cover you through all of life’s big stages.Early working life
Life insurance may not be at the top of your to-do list right now. But you can still:
- Check if your employer offers a lump sum payout to your loved ones, if you pass away while you’re employed with them. This is sometimes called ‘death-in-service’ benefit
- Think about taking out life insurance to pay for your funeral, so your loved ones won’t have to cover the cost
Settling down
You don’t need to be married to take out a joint policy – you could apply with a friend you share a mortgage with. Or you can choose a single policy – both options have their own advantages.
A joint life insurance policy can:
- Help pay off your half of the mortgage
- Provide financial stability for your partner or loved ones
Life insurance for couples explained
Family life
The payout could be used towards important costs such as school fees, further education or other family expenses.
It can also be reassuring to have life insurance in place until your children start work.
Caring responsibilities
Do you have care for a parent or sibling? A life insurance payout could help them with their living costs if something happened to you.
A life insurance policy can also help you:
- Leave a legacy in your will
- Contribute to your funeral costs
- Donate to a charity when you die
Retirement
Doing your estate planning? If you leave more than £325,000 when you die, you may have to pay inheritance tax.
Putting a whole of life insurance policy into trust, can help settle your inheritance tax bill.
Vitality life insurance rewards and benefits
Our rewards programme is here to support you in living healthier.
By encouraging healthier habits, we reduce the long-term risks for our customers. That’s what allows us to offer rewards and lower premiums as part of your plan.
How it works
- You earn points for healthier activities
- These build your Vitality status (from Bronze to Platinum)
- Your status unlocks rewards, discounts and potential premium savings
What you get with your plan
- Up to 40% off your monthly premiums, when you keep healthy3
- Discounts from day one and rewards from top brands
- Expert tips and tools to help you get healthier
Why get life insurance? Things to consider
Start simple, think about: what you’re buying exactly, what’s included in your cover, how much will the plan cost you and if it really suits your needs. You might also want to think about:
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Assessing the cost
Make sure you can afford the premiums for as long as the plan is in place. It’s possible to pay more in to a plan than you get back with some types of insurance.
There’s also no cash value to life insurance. If you don’t die while the plan is in place, you won’t get anything back.
Consider Serious Illness Cover and Income Protection too – you can claim if you become seriously ill or injured and unable to work leading to a loss in income.
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Existing savings
You may not need life insurance if you have substantial savings. Or, if you have no dependants and your partner has enough money coming in to cover their needs.
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Death-in-service
This is a payout to your family if you die while you’re employed. It can often be as much as three or four times your annual salary. Do take this into account when deciding how much life insurance you need.
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Financial priorities
When money is tight you need to make difficult choices about what to spend it on. If you have dependants or debts, life insurance can help ensure these are taken care of.
If your quote looks expensive, you could consider reducing your cover. But make sure you don’t end up underinsured.
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Health and Lifestyle
When you take out your life insurance plan, your insurance company will ask about your health and lifestyle. For example, if you smoke or if you have any health conditions.
Do be open and honest. So your if you or your family need to make a claim – there won’t get any queries on the payout. It’s still possible to get insurance if you have recovered from a serious illness.
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Terms and conditions
Always read the small print. Find out if there are any exclusions that may impact you, such as high-risk occupations.
Important policy documents
In case of emergencies add Accident and Fracture cover
Simply add it on to any Vitality personal life insurance plan and get payouts for fractures, accidents and emergency surgery. Plus, with access to physio*, you’ll soon be back to doing the things you love.
*Up to six physio sessions available per valid claim
What if life insurance could help you live a healthier life?
When Vitality member, Annette, took out Life cover in her 50s, she got more than peace of mind and financial protection. She was inspired to get healthier with our expert tools and rewards.
“I wouldn’t have had this fitness regime if it hadn’t been for the life insurance with Vitality... I think I’m healthier now that I’m nearly 60.” 4
Vitality life insurance could help you live longer too
Yes, up to 5 years longer when you get healthier with Vitality2. Find out how.
Need some advice?
Call us on 0330 678 3328* or
*Calls to ‘03’ numbers cost no more than a national rate call to an 01 or 02 number, whether from a mobile or landline. If you get inclusive free calls to local rate numbers with your landline or mobile tariff, calls to ‘03’ numbers will be included.
Call centre opening hours: Monday to Thursday 9am-8pm, Friday 9am-6pm, Saturday 10am-2pm Closed: Sunday and bank holidays.
Explore our life insurance guides
Want to know more about life insurance? Check out our helpful guides.
Life insurance FAQs
1 VitalityLife Claims and Shared Value Report 2026
2 Based on members who move from 0 to 21+ activity points a week throughout their lifetime, applied to standard UK mortality rates. Vitality study 2024.
3 For plans with a monthly premium above £45 for a single plan, or above £60 for a joint plan - an extra £5.50 is charged for each adult per month to get the full range of rewards. Standard premiums can be reduced up to 40% for Whole of Life Cover (dependent on age) and up to 30% on fixed term cover (dependent on term length).
4 Source: Annette’s story, 30.09.24 https://adviser.vitality.co.uk/insights/annettes-story/
5 Payouts are boosted by up to 20% for the first 6 months of your claim. The booster amount is based on your Vitality status at point of claim.
6 Defaqto verified Serious Illness Cover comparison tool, 2026