Life insurance for women explained
Life insurance isn’t one-size-fits-all, and women can often have unique priorities when choosing a policy. Take a look at some of the key factors to have in mind when finding the right fit for your needs.
|
This guide contains general information about the insurance market and related topics. Some content may not reflect Vitality’s specific products, features, or processes. |
What is life insurance for women?
Women’s life insurance is cover for women that pays out if the worst should happen. If you were to pass away your loved ones would receive a lump sum, subject to policy terms and conditions. This money could be used for funeral expenses, to help pay off a mortgage, or to clear other debts.
Why do women need life insurance?
There are many reasons to take out life insurance as a female. Primarily it means your dependants would be financially protected if you passed away. Receiving a lump sum payout that could help cover living expenses.
If you work, your family may depend on your income and if that income disappeared, they might struggle to pay bills such as mortgage or rent payments. Life insurance for women could help ease the financial burden caused by a sudden loss of income.
Women often hold a unique role in the home. Beyond paid work, women continue to shoulder most of the domestic and childcare duties¹. These contributions within a home have significant emotional importance – and financial value². Life insurance is designed to help cover these contributions, giving your family support if you’re no longer there.
However, studies have shown that women hold lower sums assured in life policies on average, compared to men³. Combined with a substantial gender pension gap in later life, women may have less financial security in retirement4. Getting life insurance can offer a safety net for your dependants when it matters most.
Life insurance policies can be tailored to your circumstances. Say you have children, you could choose a policy that would put the payout into a trust. Then you could decide how the money is used. For example, your children could be given a monthly payment until they turned 18 or you could set it up so the payment would clear your mortgage. They’d then be able to stay in the family home.
Learn more: Is it worth having life insurance?
What life insurance products are available to women?
Women’s life insurance policies are the same as those available to men. But, depending on your circumstances, you might choose a different type of cover.
Whole of life insurance
This kind of plan lasts your whole life. It will pay out whenever you pass away. It’s a good consideration for women who are working. And especially if you’re the main income earner.
Find out more: Whole of life insurance explained
Get whole of life insuranceTerm life insurance
This plan lasts for a set number of years. If you passed away during that time, your loved ones would receive a payout.
This is a life insurance policy often chosen by people with young families who just want cover until their children have grown up, or to cover a mortgage. Term insurance policy premiums often cost less.
Learn more: Term life insurance explained
Get term life insuranceJoint life insurance
This is a type of insurance available to anyone in a relationship. You pay the premiums for the policy together. If one of you passes away, the other one receives the payout. Overall, a joint life policy can be more cost-effective than taking out two separate policies.
This might be a suitable life insurance policy if you are in a long-term relationship, civil partnership or marriage.
Individual life insurance policies let you amend your beneficiaries over time. If you separate from a life partner, you’d be able to change the beneficiary so the money goes to your children, family members, friends, or someone else.
Learn more: Joint vs single life insurance explained
Get joint life insuranceHow much life cover do women need?
Deciding how much life insurance you need depends on your circumstances and current financial situation. When applying for insurance, you’ll be asked to choose the amount of cover you want. The more cover you ask for, the higher your monthly premiums.
To work out how much cover you need, spend some time looking at your finances. This includes your debts (such as your mortgage). It also includes your average living costs. For example, food, bills, rent and other life expenses. You might also want to set aside money to cover your funeral.
If you’re in a relationship, consider your partner’s income. If you were no longer around, how much money would they need to maintain their current standard of living?
If you have children, you might find it useful to calculate your yearly costs, then multiply this by the number of years till they turn 18. Doing this can be helpful when deciding on the level of cover you’d want for supporting them, until they can financially support themselves.
When should women invest in life insurance?
Life insurance costs less the younger you are when you take it out. Younger people tend to be in better health and less susceptible to certain illnesses, so insurers charge less.
Having a child may make you start to think about life insurance. Life insurance could give you the peace of mind that your family would have financial cover if the worst happens.
If you are the primary source of income in your household, it’s also worth thinking about life insurance. This means your surviving partner could continue being supported financially.
Does life insurance change once you have children?
Having children doesn’t change women’s life insurance plans. The premiums you pay depend on factors about you as an individual. Like where you live, your general health and your job. If you ask for more cover, you’ll pay a higher premium. Having children doesn’t affect how the insurer calculates your premium.
If you already have a plan, insurers won’t charge you higher premiums when you have children. You’ll keep paying the rate that was set when you began the plan.
But having children is a big life change and may prompt you to review how much life insurance cover you need.
What you choose depends on your circumstances. Many women move from full-time work to part-time work or take time out of employment after having children5, which can affect household income. When circumstances change, it's worth reviewing your life insurance cover to ensure it still meets your needs.
Whether working in paid employment or managing the household, a parent's contribution to their family carries significant economic and personal value2. For women who spend time running the home, factoring in the replacement cost of childcare, home maintenance and administration can help ensure a life cover policy reflects the family's needs.
Learn more: Life insurance for parents explained
Sources:
1. NatCen Social Research, 2023
2. Office for National Statistics, 2023
3. Analysing life insurance statistics and trends in the UK, Confused.com, 2025
4. Pensions Policy Institute, 2024
5. Employment pathways and occupational change after childbirth, Summary report, GOV.UK, 2019
Vitality life insurance
Want to know more about life insurance or thinking about taking out a policy? Here are some of the benefits of taking out life insurance with Vitality:
- A brand you can trust - In 2024, we paid out 98.9% of all Life Cover claims.*
- Get a lower monthly premium upfront when you add Optimiser to your plan. Keep your premiums low when you stay active.
- Access to Vitality partner discounts and rewards.
- Get free no-obligation advice. Our advisers offer expert advice to help you make the right decisions.
You're not alone in choosing Vitality. Over 2 million lives in the UK are now covered by our insurance, and we’re here to support you too.
Ready to take the next step? Getting a quote is simple and takes just a few minutes.
*VitalityLife Claims and Shared Value Report 2025
