Royal London life insurance [2023]

Royal London offers a range of flexible life insurance policies to suit a variety of needs.

But do they offer the right policy for you and your family?

In this review, we explore the details of Royal London life insurance to help you answer these questions, looking closely at the features and benefits they provide.

Royal London logo

Royal London life insurance in summary

  • 4.7 out of 5 stars overall rating on Feefo (across all products)
  • 73% Fairer Finance customer experience rating
  • 99.5% claims paid in 2021[1]
  • Choose from direct term and advised term life insurance, whole of life and diabetes life cover
  • Direct term cover can be purchased directly from Royal London, other policies must be purchased via a financial advisor
  • Free Helping Hand wellbeing support service (available with some policies)
  • Premiums from £5 a month for term life insurance

Please note, Royal London life insurance is not available through Reassured. However, we can compare quotes from other major insurers, which could help you to save money on your premiums

Our award-winning service has helped more than 1 million families find affordable protection since 2009. Get in touch to see if we can find you your perfect policy at a great price.

So, is Royal London a good life insurance company? Continue reading to find out all you need to know…

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Who are Royal London?

Royal London is a mutual insurance society company that’s authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).

They offer personal protection and pension products, as well as savings and investment solutions, to customers in the UK.

Since forming in 1861, Royal London has acquired multiple businesses over the years, including protection brands Bright Grey and Scottish Provident.

They are now the largest mutual company in the UK, holding more than 8.7 million life and pension policies valued at £147 billion[2].

Royal London life insurance reviews, ratings and awards

At the time of writing this article (10/05/23), Royal London has been rated above 4 stars overall by their customers across all review sites.

The table below shows their star ratings based on all Royal London products, including life insurance:

Review platformStar rating (out of 5)No. of reviews
Trustpilot logo 4.11,382
Feefo logo 4.7 7,444
Smartmoneypeople logo 4.017


So, is Royal London life insurance good according to the experts?

The table below shows the Defaqto star rating for each life insurance product.

Defaqto provides star ratings for financial products and services based on expert analysis:

ProductStar rating (out of 5)
Direct term life insurance Defaqto 2 stars
Advised term life insurance Defaqto 5 stars
Diabetes life cover Defaqto 3 stars
Whole of life insurance Defaqto 5 stars


Royal London has also been ranked 18th out of 25 insurers by expert ratings provider, Fairer Finance.

This is based on having an overall customer experience score of 73%, which is based on their claims, complaints performance and transparency scores.

The insurer has also been awarded several accolades, including:

  • 5 star winner at Financial Advisor Service Awards 2022
  • Best Protection Provider at Money Marketing Awards 2022
  • Outstanding Insurer of the Year Award LifeSearch Award 2022

At Reassured, our customer service has been ‘Excellent’ on Trustpilot from more than 70,000 customer reviews.

What does Royal London life insurance cover?

Life insurance can help to provide financial protection for your loved ones should you pass away during the policy term.

It can be used to help cover a range of financial commitments and other expenses when you’re no longer around, including:

  • Mortgage or rental payments (average UK mortgage debt is £146,427[3])
  • Household bills, such as council tax, water, gas and electricity
  • Unpaid debts, such as credit cards and personal loans
  • Family lifestyle costs, including transport, clothing, food and drink (average household budget per year is £30,830[4])
  • Childcare or educations costs (average cost of full-time childcare is £285.31[5])
  • An inheritance for loved ones
  • Funeral costs (average UK funeral cost £3,953[6])

Royal London offers various policy types, with different cover options, for you to choose from depending on what you want to protect.

How much life insurance do you need?

Find out how much life insurance may be right for you by using our simple calculator. Fill in the costs you would like your policy to cover.

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£121,687 is the estimated average outstanding mortgage per household in the UK.

Our property is generally the largest financial commitment any of us will make.

Your life insurance should cover this significant debt should you no longer be around.
£
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According to Money Advice Service, full-time childcare in the UK now costs £242 a week.

The loss of a parent could result in the need for additional childcare whilst the surviving parent increases their hours to account for lost income.

Your life insurance cover should factor in this additional required outgoing.
£
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The average level of debt (minus a mortgage) in the UK is £15,385.

Factoring in any outstanding debts in your name when arranging life insurance ensures this burden is not passed to loved ones.
£
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You may wish to leave your loved ones an inheritance or lump sum gift upon your passing.

Factoring in the gift amount when arranging your cover will ensure the pay out amount will be sufficient to provide your loved ones with this selfless gesture.
£
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According to SunLife, the average cost of a UK funeral is now £4,417, whilst the total cost of dying is £9,493.

This is a 130% increase over the past 16 years and shows no signs of slowing down.

A significant cost which should be factored into the amount of life insurance you secure.
£
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If you are one of the 65% of the UK who are lucky enough to have savings, this could be used as protection if you were to pass away.

Any pay outs from existing life insurance policies and investments can also be used as financial protection for your loved ones if you were no longer around.

Factor this into your required cover amount.
£ -

Your total cover estimate

£ 0

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Royal London term life insurance

Royal London provides two term life insurance options. This is a type of policy that pays out a cash lump sum to your loved ones if you passed away during a set term.

It’s designed to help cover mortgage repayments, household bills and/or family living costs.

Direct term life insurance

Direct term life insurance key features

  • Available to UK residents aged 18 - 70
  • Choose between level or decreasing term cover
  • Pay out up to £750,000 depending on your age
  • Term must end before you turn 80
  • No medical report or exam required
  • Optional serious illness benefit can be included for an additional cost
  • Free terminal illness cover
  • Does not come with optional critical illness cover, income protection or waiver of premium
  • Only available direct from Royal London
Advised term life insurance

Advised term life insurance key features

  • Available to UK residents aged 18 - 89
  • Choose between level, decreasing and increasing cover
  • Can pay out as a cash lump sum or as an income
  • Pay out is unlimited (or up to £5 million for increasing cover)
  • Term must end before you turn 89
  • Medical report or exam may be required
  • Includes access to Helping Hand service
  • Free terminal illness cover
  • Optional critical illness cover, income protection and waiver of premium can be added for an extra cost
  • Only available through a financial advisor

At Reassured, we can help compare quotes for level term or decreasing term life insurance from alternative leading insurers.

Prices start from just 20p-a-day through us, so get in touch today.

Royal London diabetes life cover

Due to the high number of diabetics in the UK, some insurers have made it easier for those suffering with type 1 or type 2 diabetes to get life insurance, including Royal London.

They offer a specialised life insurance policy designed for applicants with diabetes, with a tailored application form and fewer health questions than a standard policy.

People with diabetes can often find it difficult to obtain affordable life insurance due to the higher risk that they pose to insurers.

If you have type 1 or type 2 diabetes, you could take out a Royal London diabetes life insurance policy to protect your loved ones, however you may find cheaper options elsewhere.

The best way to find the lowest available price is to compare quotes from multiple insurers.

For example, at Reassured, we can compare quotes from major insurers as well as smaller specialists, allowing us to help you find the best deal they can offer.

We also have a specialist impaired risk team who have a good track record of finding suitable life cover for applicants with pre-existing medical conditions, including diabetes.

Royal London diabetes life cover key features

  • Designed for applicants with type 1 or type 2 diabetes who are managing their HbA1c levels below 12.0% (108mmol/mol)
  • Available to UK residents aged 18 – 88
  • Pays out if you pass away during a set term
  • Term must end before you turn 90
  • Requires evidence of recent HbA1c test result
  • Medical exam may be required
  • Be rewarded with reduced monthly premiums (up to 40%) if your condition improves
  • Includes access to Helping Hand
  • Free terminal illness cover
  • Only available through a financial advisor

Royal London whole of life insurance

Royal London whole of life insurance, also known as Royal London life assurance, provides you with lifetime cover and guarantees to pay out when you pass away.

It can be used to help your loved ones with paying for your funeral or covering inheritance tax.

Whole of life insurance is also available through Reassured from just 27p-a-day ± .

Our free comparison service can help you find quotes for whole of life insurance from other top UK insurers.

Make the most of our award-winning service by getting in touch.

Royal London whole of insurance life key features

  • Available to UK residents aged 18 - 90
  • Pay out is unlimited (or up to £5 million for increasing cover)
  • Choose between level or increasing cover
  • Medical report or exam may be required
  • Includes access to Helping Hand service
  • Optional waiver of premium can be added for an extra cost
  • Only available through a financial advisor

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Policy optional extras and benefits

Royal London offers a range of optional cover options which you can choose to include with your policy for an additional cost.

Optional extraDescription
Serious illness benefitProvides up to £350,000 of cover for you and your children if you’re diagnosed with one of six specified illnesses and survive 30 days after diagnosis. Only available with Royal London level term direct life insurance
Critical illness coverPays out a cash lump sum if you’re diagnosed with a specified critical illness or permanent disability. Only available with policies arranged through a financial advisor
Income protectionCovers a proportion of your income and will pay out in monthly payments if you’re unable to work due to illness or injury. Only available with policies arranged through a financial advisor
Waiver of premium (sickness)If you opt for waiver of premium, and you become too ill or injured to work or you’re diagnosed with a specified terminal illness, you could have a break from paying your premiums. Only available with policies arranged through a financial advisor


Critical illness cover and income protection can also be taken out as standalone policies with Royal London. We explain these in more detail below.

Furthermore, Royal London policies can come with free benefits and cover options. These don’t affect the cover you take out but can be used if you require them:

Optional extraDescription
Helping Hand wellbeing support serviceProvides access to free early care medical services. Only available with policies arranged through a financial advisor
Terminal illness coverAllows you to make an early claim on your life insurance if you’re diagnosed with a terminal illness and expected to pass away within 12 months
Separation benefitIf you take out a joint policy, and you and your partner separate later on, then you’ll be able to split the policy into two separate single policies
Increase cover optionAllows you to increase your cover amount if your circumstances change without providing new medical information. This will also increase the cost of your monthly premium

How much does Royal London life insurance cost?

The cost of Royal London life insurance depends on your personal circumstances and the type of policy you wish to take out.

Royal London advertises their pricing as follows:

  • Direct term life insurance from £7 a month
  • Advised term life insurance from £5 a month
  • Diabetes life insurance from £10 a month

For all policy types, your premiums will be calculated based on your age, health, medical history, smoking status and occupation.

The cover amount, term length and whether you choose a level, decreasing or increasing cover amount will also determine the cost.

For diabetes life cover, your premiums will be calculated based on all the factors mentioned above as well as your HbA1c blood test result.

Royal London haven’t provided a starting price for whole of life insurance. This tends to be the most expensive type of cover due to the guaranteed pay out.

While we can’t provide quotes for Royal London life insurance, Reassured can help provide quotes from alternative insurers, with pricing starting from just £5 a month † .

Royal London life insurance in trust

Like with most UK life insurance providers, Royal London offers the option to write most of their policies in trust.

Writing your life insurance in trust involves naming a person you trust (trustee) to manage your pay out once you have passed away.

After you have passed away your trustee will be responsible for distributing your pay out as per your wishes.

Benefits of writing your policy in trust:

  • Avoid or minimise inheritance tax (40% above the £325,000 threshold)
  • Avoid the probate process for a faster pay out
  • Control over who receives the pay out and when

At Reassured most of the policies we sell can be written in trust and we have a dedicated team who can help you through the process.

Can you get joint Royal London life insurance?

Yes, you can take out any Royal London life insurance policy on a joint or ‘dual’ basis.

Joint life cover

This type of policy covers two lives simultaneously. It involves only one application form, one contract and one monthly premium.

Joint life cover will only pay out once upon the first death. For this reason, it’s usually cheaper than having two separate policies with two potential pay outs.

Dual life over

This type of policy also covers two lives simultaneously, but they have separate cover under the same policy.

This means that if there’s a claim for one person, the surviving person will still be covered.

Joint life insurance is available through Reassured from other providers. Contact our team today to find out if this could be the right solution to suit your needs.

Royal London life insurance claims

To make a claim with Royal London you will need to have the following information to hand:

  1. Name of deceased and their last known address
  2. Date of birth
  3. Plan number
  4. Death certificate (if you have it)
  5. Date of death
  6. If a will has been left and the name of the executor

Whoever is making the claim will also need to provide contact details so they can be notified if any other information is required.

In some cases Royal London will send a claims form which will need to be completed and sent back to them.

You’ll need to head to the ‘Make a claim’ section of their website to find the relevant contact details for the policy you’re claiming for.

Does Royal London pay out?

In 2021, Royal London paid out 99.5% of all protection claims to more than 84,000 families[4].

This means that it’s highly likely that a claim will be successful if the worst were to happen.

Royal London, like other insurers, will not pay out if:

  • Your premiums are not up to date
  • A non-disclosure was found (meaning you weren’t truthful on the application form)
  • The term has ended
  • Your claim doesn’t meet the definitions stated in your plan

Royal London critical illness cover

As well as life insurance, Royal London also provides critical illness cover.

This type of policy pays out a cash lump sum or monthly income if you become critically ill or permanently disabled during a set term.

If a claim is made, the money can be used to help to cover your financial commitments or be used towards medical costs until you’re able to start earning again.

Royal London critical illness cover key features

  • Available to applicants aged 18 - 69
  • Covers 46 critical illnesses including cancer, heart attack and stroke, and total permanent disability of specified severity
  • Also covers 27 additional illnesses with a pay out up to 50% of the cover amount (up to £30,000)
  • Pay out up to £3 million (or £1.2 million for increasing cover)
  • Term must end before you turn 84
  • Includes access to Helping Hand service
  • Optional children’s critical illness cover can be added for an extra cost
  • Optional waiver of premium can be added for an extra cost
  • Only available through a Financial Advisor

Royal London also offers a life or critical illness cover option. This has many of the same features as the policy described above, however, it also provides life cover.

A type of policy that will only pay out once, either if you pass away or are diagnosed with a critical or terminal illness, or total permanent disability, during a set term.

Reassured can provide free quotes for life insurance combined with critical illness cover from alternative insurers, with premiums starting from just 33p-a-day º .

Contact our friendly team or visit our critical illness cover guide to learn more about the critical illness cover we can offer.

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Royal London income protection

A Royal London income protection policy provides you with monthly pay outs if you’re unable to earn an income due to illness, injury or terminal illness.

The monthly pay outs can help you to cover financial commitments such as mortgage repayments, rent, utility bills, childcare and family living costs.

Royal London income protection key features

  • Available to applicants aged 18 - 59
  • Provides cover up to 65% of the first £15,000 of pre-tax earnings and up to 55% of the remainder, up to £250,000 a year
  • Term must end when you turn 70
  • Short and long-term protection options
  • ‘Own occupation’ definition of incapacity is offered (the highest level of cover available)
  • Fixed monthly premiums
  • Includes access to Helping Hand service
  • Includes additional benefits such as fracture cover, hospitalisation payment and back to work payment
  • Available through a comparison site, financial advisor or broker (such as Reassured Advice)

If you’re considering income protection, Reassured Advice can help you to compare quotes from Royal London as well as all other UK providers, to find you the best available deal.

Read our comprehensive income protection guide to learn more about this type of policy and how we could help you to save you money.

Income protection insurance through Reassured Advice starts from just 20p-a-day ‡ .

Royal London life insurance compare

You can only purchase a life insurance policy directly from Royal London or via a financial advisor.

This means we can’t provide Royal London life insurance quotes at Reassured.

However, we can compare multiple quotes from other leading insurers, which could help you save money on your perfect policy.

Reassured has helped to protect over 1,000,000 families across the UK and our award-winning service is completely fee-free to use.

We also help you fill in the application form and explain any industry jargon that you may not understand.

Get in touch today and get your free, no-obligation quotes within minutes.

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Royal London life insurance FAQs

Is Royal London over 50s life insurance still available?

Royal London no longer sells over 50s life insurance, however, if you’re a UK resident aged 50 - 85 then you’ll be eligible for an over 50s plan from an alternative provider through Reassured.

Over 50s plan key features:

  • Guarantees a cash pay out when you pass away
  • Pay out up to £20,000 depending on your personal circumstances and budget
  • No medical information required
  • Quick and easy application
  • Premiums from just 20p-a-day

Compare over 50 life insurance quotes through Reassured to find our best available deal.

What is the maximum age for Royal London life insurance?

The maximum age for Royal London life insurance varies between each policy.

The below shows the age limits for life insurance arranged through Royal London. This also includes age limits for critical illness cover and income protection.

  • Direct term life insurance: Minimum age 18 - maximum age 70
  • Advised term life insurance: Minimum age 18 - maximum age 89
  • Diabetes life cover: Minimum age 18 - maximum age 88
  • Whole of life insurance: Minimum age 18 - maximum age 90
  • Critical illness cover: Minimum age 18 - maximum age 69
  • Income protection: Minimum age 18 - maximum age 59

Can you cash in a Royal London life insurance?

No. Royal London life insurance has no cash-in value. If you cancel your policy or the policy expires, you won’t get any money back.

Can you still claim a Royal London life insurance free gift?

Yes, you could be eligible for a Royal London free gift if you took out one of their over 50s life insurance policies between 01/01/2022 and 01/07/2022.

In order to claim your free gift you will need to have made at least 8 monthly payments and told Royal London which gift you’d like to receive.

Reassured has a 2023 life insurance with free gift guide which details all the current free gift offers currently available from UK insurers.

What is Royal London mortgage protection?

Royal London mortgage protection is also known as decreasing term life insurance.

It’s designed to help your loved ones pay off the mortgage if you pass away while the policy is active.

The cover amount and policy length can mirror your outstanding mortgage balance and mortgage term.

With Royal London, if you choose to take out decreasing term life insurance to cover your repayment mortgage, your cover amount will reduce over the policy term in line with a mortgage that has an interest rate of 7%.

If you take out a decreasing term policy through a financial advisor, then you could opt for their mortgage repayment guarantee.

This guarantees that your cover amount will pay off your outstanding mortgage if you pass away during the policy term.

How long does Royal London take to pay out?

As soon as Royal London have all the correct documents and the claim has been verified, they will begin to make payment.

Payments usually clear within 3 - 5 working days and will be sent via BACS transfer.

How do I contact Royal London life insurance?

Depending on the type of query you have and which product you’ve taken out, there are various ways to contact Royal London.

The main contact number for their customer service team is 0345 602 1885 (lines are open 08:00 to 18:00, Monday to Friday, excluding bank holidays).

Alternatively, you can get in touch by post or via their online contact form.

For all Royal London life insurance contact details, head to the ‘Contact Us’ page on their website.

How to cancel Royal London life insurance?

If you’re looking to cancel your policy, then you may be able to do this by using one of the contact methods mentioned above found on the ‘Contact Us’ page.

Alternatively, you may be able to cancel your policy by logging into your account and using the online service on their website.

It’s important to bear in mind that if you choose to cancel your life insurance, then any payment you’ve made will be lost and you won’t receive anything back.

It also means that if you decide that you need cover again in the future, it will be more expensive to take out due to your older age.

Sources:

[1] https://www.royallondon.com/insurance/life-insurance/term/

[2] https://www.royallondon.com/about-us/how-we-are-run/our-history/

[3] https://www.finder.com/uk/mortgage-statistics

[4] https://www.nimblefins.co.uk/average-uk-household-budget

[5] https://www.daynurseries.co.uk/advice/childcare-costs-how-much-do-you-pay-in-the-uk/

[6] https://www.sunlife.co.uk/funeral-costs/

[7] https://www.royallondon.com/insurance/our-claims-experience/

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