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  1. Life Insurance
  2. Critical illness cover

Critical illness cover

With us you’re more likely to get a payout than any other insurer (Defaqto, 2021).

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What is critical illness cover?

If you're diagnosed with a critical illness like cancer, critical illness cover pays you a lump sum. The payout is tax-free and can help with you and your family's finances while you recover.

But our cover doesn't just recognise critical life-threatening illnesses. We'll also cover you for serious conditions that have just as much impact on your finances. Like if you go blind in one eye. That's why our product is unique, and why we’ve called it serious illness cover.

How is our cover different to critical illness cover?

  • It's the best on the market

    Star icon

    We cover more conditions than any other insurer. This means you’re more likely to get a payout (Defaqto, 2021).

  • Claim more than once

    Financial care icon

    Most critical illness policies pay out once and then your policy ends. With serious illness cover, if your condition gets worse, or you get another, you can claim again. You can do this until you have no cover left.

  • Discounts and rewards

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    To make healthy living easier, you’ll get discounts on popular health and fitness brands. And when you get active, you can earn weekly rewards.

  • You're covered for later life

    older person with walking stick

    You can extend your serious illness cover policy into later life. This will cover for you for illnesses like Dementia and Alzheimer's. There is no extra upfront cost for this.

What conditions are covered?

On average, critical illness insurance policies only cover 75 conditions (Defaqto, 2021). Our serious illness cover plus covers 182.

✓ All heart attacks
✓ All strokes
✓ More cancers than any other insurer (Defaqto, 2021)
✓ All neurological diseases
✓ Breathing and respiratory diseases
✓ Stomach and intestine diseases
✓ Kidney diseases
✓ Connective tissue diseases
✓ Eyesight and hearing conditions
✓ Endocrine gland diseases
✓ Permanent disability.

Important policy documents:
Personal protection plan with serious illness cover summary
Personal protection plan with serious illness cover terms and conditions

Do you need serious or critical illness cover?

Illness can impact our lives at any time. On average, people are £570 worse off each month due to cancer diagnosis (Macmillan Cancer Support Research, 2017). Insurance cover can reduce the financial impact of this. Think about serious or critical illness cover if:
  • You and your family rely on your income
  • You're a single income household, or are the main breadwinner
  • Government benefits wouldn't cover your outgoings, or you're not eligible.

How does serious illness cover work?

For the duration of your plan, you'll pay monthly premiums. These start from £8 a month. If you're diagnosed with one of the conditions we cover and it meets one of our definitions, you'll get a payout.

The payout will be based on the impact the condition has on your lifestyle and will be a percentage of your cover amount. The larger the impact the condition will have on your lifestyle, the higher the percentage that we’ll pay out. This means you could receive a payout at an earlier stage of your illness, even if it’s not life threatening.

If your condition gets worse, or you get another, you can claim again. You can keep doing this until you’ve used up your whole cover amount.
Phil’s story

“There’s not many insurance companies around that will actively look to pay you more money”

Phil was fitter in his forties than he was in his twenties. But out of the blue, he had a serious heart attack. Phil had three blocked arteries and had to have nine stents fitted.

He got 50% of his serious illness cover policy paid out, rather than the 25% he thought he would get. His policy is still in place and he’s covered for a similar illness or any he might develop in the future.
Casper's story

“The money allowed me to take another six months at home with him”

When Casper was five months old, his parent's world turned upside down. He was diagnosed with a rare type of cancer. Emma, his mother, had taken out serious illness cover for her children two months prior. Because of the payout, Emma could take an extra six months out of work while Casper recovered.
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Serious and critical illness cover FAQs

What’s the difference between life insurance and serious illness cover?

Life insurance pays a lump sum to your loved ones if you die or develop a terminal illness.

With serious illness cover, if you’re diagnosed with an illness we cover, the payment goes to you.

Can I add children to my serious illness cover?

Yes, you can choose a cover amount between £15,000 and £100,000 for each child. This means that if your child gets diagnosed with one of the illnesses we cover, you'll get a payout.

Your child can be covered from one month old. If they stay in full-time education, we’ll cover them until they're 23.

What is a good amount of serious illness cover?

There's no 'one size fits all' for what a good amount of cover is. The amount of serious illness cover you will need depends on many variables. Consider things like:
  • How much you and your family need to get by
  • Mortgage payments
  • Any savings you already have
  • Any ongoing debts.

Why am I more likely to get a payout with serious illness cover than with critical illness cover?

It’s because serious illness cover covers more conditions than any other insurer (Defaqto 2021).

We also cover early stages of certain conditions. In some cases, you’ll get a partial payout when you’re diagnosed or placed on an NHS waiting list for treatment. This means you don't need to wait until you have surgery or develop permanent symptoms to get a payout.

What is the difference between critical illness cover and serious illness cover?

Critical illness cover pays out for less conditions. Once the cover has paid out in full, the policy ends.

Serious illness cover pays out an amount based on the severity of the condition. It covers a wider number of illnesses and can pay out earlier than critical illness cover.

Let's take eyesight for example. If you go blind in both eyes, a typical critical illness insurer will pay out 100% of your policy. But if you only went blind in one eye you wouldn't get a payout.

Serious illness cover will pay you earlier on for blindness in one eye. Your payouts could then increase if your condition gets worse.

Helpful guides

  • Serious and critical illness cover

    doctors walking along hospital corridor

    Want to find out more about critical illness cover? Our guide explains how much critical illness cover you might need, the difference between it and other policies, and more.

    Serious and critical illness cover explained

  • Life insurance for cancer patients

    Woman smiling in the sun

    A guide to getting life insurance as a cancer survivor and how to make a claim after a diagnosis.

    Life insurance for cancer patients

  • Life insurance and beneficiaries

    Father and son taking a stroll

    What is a life insurance beneficiary? Find out everything you need to know about beneficiaries, putting life insurance into a trust and more.

    Life insurance and beneficiaries
Sources

3Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics, 2017 Update: A Report from the American Heart Association. 
4State of the Nation Stroke statistics, February 2018. 
5Cancer Research UK, 2017. 

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