Who are the 10 best life insurance companies?

In this best life insurance companies guide, we’ve reviewed the products and services offered by UK providers alongside independent reviews and ratings.

Our top 10 best life insurance companies shortlist for 2025 is:

  1. Smart insurance
  2. Vitality
  3. Aviva
  4. Royal London
  5. Legal & General
  6. Scottish Widows
  7. LV=
  8. Zurich
  9. HSBC
  10. Nationwide

Read here how we calculated our top 10 term life insurance list displayed above.

You can also view our comprehensive best life insurance FAQs for more detailed information.

Alternatively, keep reading to find out more about these insurers, as well as discover the best whole of life insurance providers.

Compare Our Best Life Insurance Quotes »

1. Smart insurance

Established in 2013, Smart insurance are now an award-winning insurer. Having won awards such as the '10 Years of Excellence Trusted Service Award' and the 'Platinum Trusted Service Award' from Feefo in 2024.

In previous years Smart insurance have also won 'Best Life Insurer 2023' (The Times Money Mentor) and, in the same year, they topped Fairer Finance’s customer experience ratings list.

1. Smart insurance best life insurance

Please note, you can only purchase Smart insurance policies directly through them and not through an intermediary.

Smart insurance key points:

  • Cover is available to UK residents aged 18 - 64
  • Prices start from £14.77 per month
  • Policy options include Family life insurance (term based cover with either level or age-based premiums), guaranteed life insurance, critical illness cover
  • In 2023, 99% of all life insurance claims were paid out
  • Cover could include additional benefits such as health & wellness benefit and 10% cashback of your first years premiums
  • Across all services, Smart insurance are rated as ‘Excellent’ (4.9 out of 5 stars) on Trustpilot
  • 7,446 Trustpilot reviews
  • New customers taking out a Family life insurance directly through Smart insurance could receive a £125 gift card after 6 monthly premiums have been paid
  • Website: https://www.smartinsurance.co.uk/
  • Trustpilot: uk.trustpilot.com/smartinsurance.co.uk

2. Vitality

Vitality have been providing life and health insurance since 2007 (previously a joint venture between Discovery and Prudential). They take a different approach to insurance by encouraging their members to lead a healthy lifestyle.

Vitality have won many awards. This includes 'Protection Provider of the Year 2022' (Scottish Mortgage Awards), 'Protection & Pension Providers Winner 2021' (FT Advisor Service Awards), 'Best Critical Illness Cover Provider 2020 - 2021' (Moneyfacts Awards) and 'Outstanding Promotion of Protection 2021' (Cover Excellence Awards) to name a few.

2. Vitality best life insurance

Vitality key points:

  • Cover is available to UK residents aged 17 - 75
  • Prices start from £5 per month
  • Policy options include term life insurance (level and decreasing), critical illness cover, whole of life insurance, over 50 life insurance
  • In 2023, £83.5 million in life insurance claims were paid out, with a pay out rate of 99.7%
  • Cover could include additional extras such as a range of discounts from household names (Virgin Active gyms), free mortgage cover, guaranteed insurability
  • Across all services Vitality are rated as ‘Excellent’ (4.4 out of 5 stars) on Trustpilot
  • 50,898 Trustpilot reviews
  • Vitality members could earn an Apple Watch by leading a healthy lifestyle. You’ll need to pay an upfront fee and sign up to a 0% consumer credit agreement, but the monthly payments could be free depending on your activity levels
  • Website: http://www.vitality.co.uk/
  • Trustpilot: uk.trustpilot.com/vitality.co.uk

3. Aviva

Aviva are the UK’s biggest insurer, with a 23% share of the UK life insurance market[1].

They have 320 years of experience and over 28.7 million customers across the UK, Ireland and Canada.

Aviva have won 'General insurer of the Year' (British Insurance Awards) 11 years in a row. This year they also picked up the award for 'General Insurer of the Decade'.

3. Aviva best life insurance

As well as awards for their insurance products, Aviva have also won various other awards, such as Gold (2021) and Silver (2022) for 'Climate Action' and 'Race to Net Zero' in the Global Good Awards.

Aviva key points:

  • Cover is available to UK residents aged 18 - 77
  • Prices start from £1.16 per week
  • Policy options include term life insurance (level, decreasing and increasing), critical illness cover, whole of life insurance (through a financial advisor) and over 50 life insurance
  • In 2024, £1.89 billion in protection claims were paid out, with a pay out rate of 97.1%
  • Cover could include extras such as Aviva Digicare+ app, house purchase cover, separation benefit
  • Across all services Aviva are rated as ‘Excellent’ (4.3 out of 5 stars) on Trustpilot
  • 45,404 Trustpilot reviews
  • Currently no free gift being offered
  • Website: https://www.aviva.co.uk/
  • Trustpilot: uk.trustpilot.com/aviva.co.uk
Compare Our Best Life Insurance Quotes »

4. Royal London

Royal London was founded in 1861, in London, as a friendly society. Now, a mutual society, they are one of the UK’s leading insurers.

In 2023, they were awarded 5 stars for their protection service for the 10th year running, as well as winning 'Company of the Year' (Financial Advisor Service Awards).

In the same year they also won 'Best insurer for protecting hard to cover clients', 'Best insurer for protecting business owners' and 'Best Rehabilitation Support Service' (Protection Guru Awards).

4. Royal London best life insurance

Royal London key points:

  • Cover is available to UK residents aged 18 - 70
  • Prices start from £7 per month
  • Policy options include term life insurance (level and decreasing) diabetes life cover, critical illness cover, whole of life insurance
  • In 2024, £751 million in protection claims were paid out, with a pay out rate of 98.7%
  • Cover could include additional extras such as Helping Hand wellbeing support, increase cover option, separation benefit
  • Across all services Royal London are rated as ‘Excellent’ (4.3 out of 5 stars) on Trustpilot
  • 2,969 Trustpilot reviews
  • Currently no free gift being offered
  • Website: https://www.royallondon.com/
  • Trustpilot: uk.trustpilot.com/royallondon.com

6. Scottish Widows

Scottish Widows have been around since 1815, originally set up to protect women and children who lost their husbands, fathers and brothers in the Napoleonic wars.

Today, they have over 6 million customers across the UK.

Please note, you can only purchase Scottish Widows policies through a financial advisor.

6. Scottish Widows best life insurance

In 2024, Scottish Widows were awarded a 'Platinum Platform Rating' from Adviser Asset. In 2023, they won the 'Reader’s Choice Award' (FT Advisor Awards). In the same year they won 'Best Personal Pension Provider' (Moneyfacts Awards) and became a WealthTech 100 company for the fifth year running.

Scottish Widows key points:

  • Cover is available to UK residents aged 18 - 79
  • No price point stated on website
  • Policy options include term life insurance (level, decreasing and increasing) and critical illness cover
  • In 2023, £243 million in protection claims were paid out, with a pay out rate of 98%
  • Cover could include additional benefits such as Scottish Widows Care, FREE accidental death and mortgage cover, separation benefit, premium protection
  • Across all services Scottish Widows are rated as ‘Excellent’ (4.4 out of 5 stars) on Trustpilot
  • 7,232 Trustpilot reviews
  • Currently no free gift being offered
  • Website: https://www.scottishwidows.co.uk/
  • Trustpilot: uk.trustpilot.com/scottishwidows.co.uk

7. LV=

LV= (Liverpool Victoria) have recently celebrated 180 years as a leading UK insurer, serving over 1 million members across the UK.

LV= have won many awards, some recent wins include 'Outstanding Insurer of the Year 2023' (LifeSearch Awards).

In the same awards they also won Best Income Protection Provider and Business Protection Hero.

7. LV= (Liverpool Victoria) best life insurance

In 2022, they were named as one of the 'Best Life Insurance Companies' in Forbes Advisor’s Best of 2022 Awards.

LV= key points:

  • Cover is available to UK residents aged 17 - 84
  • Prices start from £5 per month
  • Policy options include term life insurance (level and decreasing), family income benefit, life insurance with critical illness cover
  • In 2023, £87 million in life insurance claims were paid out, with a pay out rate of 97%
  • Cover could include additional extras, such as LV= doctors services, guaranteed insurability, member benefits
  • Across all services LV= are rated as ‘Excellent’ (4.5 out of 5 stars) on Trustpilot
  • 77,974 Trustpilot reviews
  • New customers taking out life insurance (with or without critical illness cover) directly through LV= could receive a gift card up to the value of £250 after 6 monthly premiums have been paid
  • Website: https://www.lv.com/
  • Trustpilot: uk.trustpilot.com/lv.com
Compare Our Best Life Insurance Quotes »

8. Zurich

Zurich are one of the world’s leading insurers, with its headquarters based in Switzerland.

They provide insurance and financial services in more than 200 countries.

In 2022, Zurich won a hat trick at the British Insurance Awards, taking home titles for 'Risk and Resilience', 'Customer Experience' and 'General Insurer of the Year'.

8. Zurich best life insurance

More recently, they won 'Best Insurer 2024' (Insurance CX Awards), 'Organisation of the Year 2023' (Protection Review Awards), '10 Years of Excellent Award' (Feefo), as well as 'Best Individual Protection Provider 2023' (The UK Health and Protection Awards 2023).

Zurich key points:

  • Cover is available to UK residents aged 16 - 84
  • Prices start from £5 per month
  • Policy options include term (level, decreasing and increasing), whole of life insurance, critical illness cover
  • In 2022, 98% of all life insurance claims were paid out
  • Cover could include additional benefits such as Zurich support service, multi-fracture cover, protection that plants trees
  • Across all services Zurich are rated as ‘Great’ (3.9 out of 5 stars) on Trustpilot
  • 3,167 Trustpilot reviews
  • New customers taking out life insurance (with or without critical illness cover) directly through Zurich could receive a gift card up to the value of £100 after 6 monthly premiums have been paid
  • Website: https://www.zurich.co.uk/
  • Trustpilot: uk.trustpilot.com/zurich.co.uk

9. HSBC

HSBC is a global financial services group, well known in the UK for their banking, founded in in 1865 to help with trading between Europe and Asia.

As well as a range of banking services, HSBC also provide life insurance.

In 2023, they were shortlisted in the Best Protection Provider category at the MM awards. In 2022, they won the Cover Excellence Award for Outstanding Individual Critical illness.

9. HSBC best life insurance

HSBC key points:

  • Cover is available to UK residents aged 17 - 70
  • You must be registered for online or mobile banking with HSBC
  • No price point stated on website
  • Policy options include term (level and decreasing) and critical illness cover
  • In 2024, £93 million in life insurance and critical illness claims were paid out, with a pay out rate of 97.5%
  • Cover could include additional benefits such as accidental death cover, interim cover, mortgage/loan protection, free terminal illness cover
  • Across all services HSBC are rated as ‘Average’ (3.6 out of 5 stars) on Trustpilot
  • 11,464 Trustpilot reviews
  • Currently no free gift being offered
  • Website: https://www.hsbc.co.uk/insurance/products/life-cover/
  • Trustpilot: uk.trustpilot.com/hsbc.co.uk
Compare Our Best Life Insurance Quotes »

10. Nationwide

Nationwide is the largest building society and retail bank in the UK. Established in 1884, it offers a wide range of financial services, including life insurance policies.

Please note, that you can’t secure Nationwide life insurance through Reassured; however, we do provide Legal & General policies, which are the source of their life insurance offerings.

Whilst Nationwide doesn’t have any recent life insurance awards, their provider Legal & General have been recognised for their excellence. Notably, in April 2024, Legal & General were awarded for ‘Best life insurance provider’ at the LifeSearch Protection Awards.

10. Nationwide best life insurance

Nationwide key points:

  • Cover is available to UK residents aged 18 - 77 for level term and 18 - 74 for decreasing term
  • Policies start from £5
  • Policy options include term life insurance (level term and decreasing term) and critical illness cover
  • Pay out statistics for Nationwide are currently unavailable, but Legal & General who provide their cover has paid out £921 million in protection claims, with a pay out rate of 97% in 2023
  • Free Terminal illness cover and Free critical illness cover for your children (if you add critical illness cover to your policy)
  • Rated 4 stars and 5 stars from experts at Defaqto
  • When you take life insurance out online through Nationwide, you could receive a £75 M&S or Amazon gift voucher
  • Website: https://www.nationwide.co.uk/insurance/life-insurance/
  • Trustpilot: https://uk.trustpilot.com/nationwide.co.uk

How have we calculated the best life insurance?

As the UK’s largest life insurance broker * , we’ve done the hard work for you in researching who the best UK life insurance companies are.

From independent ratings, to pay out rates and premium costs, we have carried out extensive research to compile a list of the best providers in 2025.

We have used the following information to determine our top 10 shortlist:

  1. Defaqto ratings - An independent researcher of financial products who use a star system, with 5 stars being their highest rating
  2. Fairer Finance ratings - A research and ratings agency who assess financial services using a variety of criteria. In our research we have used their ‘customer experience rating’ for term and whole of life insurance, as well as their product score for over 50 life insurance
  3. Trustpilot scores - An online review service which allows customers to write genuine reviews about products and services, with 5 stars (Excellent) being their highest rating
  4. Life insurance pay out rates - Statistics from insurers which detail the percentage of claims paid out. We have used the most recent pay out rates stated on each insurers website
  5. Premium prices - How much an insurer charges for cover. Not all insurers provide this information on their websites

Below is a breakdown of our findings. The information we have gathered is correct as of 04/04/25 but is subject to change at any time:

InsurerRanking defaqto logo Fairer Finance logo Trustpilot logo Pay out rate %Premium price
Smart insurance logo 1 Defaqto 5 stars 86%4.9 - 'Excellent'
(based on all services)		99.0%
(of all life cover claims)		From £14.77 per month
Vitality logo 2 Defaqto 5 stars 81%4.4 - 'Excellent'
(based on all services)		99.7%
(of all protection claims)		From £5 per month
aviva logo 3 Defaqto 5 stars 84%4.3 - 'Excellent'
(based on all services)		97.1%
(of all life cover claims)		From £5 per month
Royal London logo 4 Defaqto 5 stars 81%4.3 - 'Excellent'
(based on all services)		98.7%
(of all life cover claims)		From £7 per month
Legal & General logo 5 Defaqto 5 stars 75%4.2 - 'Great'
(based on all services)		97.0%
(of all life cover claims)		From £5 per month
Scottish Widows logo 6 Defaqto 5 stars 73%4.4 - 'Excellent'
(based on all services)		98.0%
(of all life cover claims)		Information unavailable
LV= logo 7 Defaqto 5 stars 68%4.5 - 'Excellent'
(based on all services)		97.0%
(of all life cover claims)		From £5 per month
Zurich logo 8 Defaqto 5 stars 65%3.9 - 'Great'
(based on all services)		98.0%
(of all life cover claims)		From £5 per month
HSBC logo 9 Defaqto 4 stars 74%3.6 - 'Average'
(based on all life services)		97.5%
(of all life cover claims)		Information unavailable
Nationwide logo 10 Defaqto 4 stars 73%1.9 - 'Poor'
(based on all services)		97.0%
(of all life cover claims)		From £5 per month

At Reassured, our aim is to find you the right cover for your needs at an affordable price, with quotes starting from just 20p-a-day † .

We can’t help you compare quotes from all the companies mentioned in this guide but we do work with a panel of leading providers including Aviva, Legal & General, LV= and more. Please note, Reassured can only offer cover to those who are 18 years old and above.

All quotes are fee-free and without obligation, so why not get in touch?

Discover Our Best Life Insurance Quotes »

Who are the best whole of life insurance providers? [Top 7]

Our research suggested that the top 8 whole of life insurance companies are:

  1. Royal London
  2. NFU Mutual
  3. Vitality
  4. Smart insurance
  5. Aviva
  6. Legal & General
  7. Zurich

Below is a breakdown of our top 7 companies selling whole of life insurance policies. The information we have gathered is correct as of 04/04/25 but is subject to change at any time:

InsurerRanking Defaqto logo Fairer Finance logo Trustpilot logo Pay out rate %
Royal London logo 1 Defaqto 5 stars 81%4.3 - 'Excellent'
(based on all services)		98.7%
(of all life cover claims)
NFU Mutual logo 2 Defaqto 5 stars 76%4.3 - 'Excellent'
(based on all services)		99.0%
(of all protection claims)
Vitality logo 3 Defaqto 5 stars 81%4.4 - 'Excellent'
(based on all services)		99.7%
(of all life cover claims)
Smart insurance logo 4 Defaqto 4 stars 86%4.9 - 'Great'
(based on all services)		99.0%
(of all life cover claims)
Aviva logo 5 Defaqto 4 stars 84%4.3 - 'Excellent'
(based on all services)		97.1%
(of all life cover claims)
Legal & General logo

6

 Defaqto 4 stars 75%4.2 - 'Great'
(based on all services)		97.0%
(of all life cover claims)
Zurich logo

7

 Defaqto 4 stars 65%3.9 - 'Great'
(based on all services)		98.0%
(of all life cover claims)

Compare whole of life insurance from some of the UK’s best life insurance providers through Reassured. All our quotes are personalised, fee-free and without obligation.

Interested in protecting your income? Why not check out our best income protection insurance page for more information »

Why should you compare life insurance through Reassured?

We strive to find you the best life insurance from our panel of providers, but why should you use our service?

  • We’re the UK’s largest life insurance broker * with over 15 years’ experience
  • We’re one of the best rated life insurance brokers on Trustpilot, with an ‘Excellent’ rating & over 80,000 customer reviews
  • We work with a panel of insurers, including some of the UK’s best providers (Aviva, Legal & General, LV=, Scottish Widows, Zurich & more)
  • We can help you save time & money by comparing multiple quotes at once
  • Our service is award-winning & FCA-regulated
  • All our quotes are personalised, fee-free & without obligation
  • Our expert team can guide you through the entire application process
  • We have a specialist impaired life insurance team who have a good track record of finding some form cover for high-risk applicants
  • We offer a quick & easy buy life insurance online service for customers who know exactly what they’re after
  • Life insurance through us starts from just 20p-a-day

What is the best life insurance policy?

The best life insurance policy for you will depend on your personal circumstances, what you’d like to cover and your budget.

There are multiple life insurance policy options, all suited to protecting different aspects of your life. These include:

There are some simple factors to consider in order to establish which policy is best for your needs:

  • Do you have a mortgage?
  • Do you have children or other dependents?
  • Do you want to guarantee an inheritance or a cash gift to a charity?
  • Have you struggled to secure standard cover in the past due to a pre-existing medical condition?
  • Your age at the point of application (standard life insurance vs an over 50s plan)

Below is a breakdown of each policy type and their key characteristics:

Policy typePay out remains levelPay out decreasesFixed premiumsCommonly used to help protectCost
Level term life insurance Icon green tick Icon ruby cross Icon green tick A mortgage and/or family living costsFrom 20p-a-day via Reassured †
Decreasing term life insurance Icon ruby cross Icon green tick Icon green tick A repayment mortgageFrom 20p-a-day via Reassured ¥
Whole of life insurance Icon green tick Icon ruby cross Icon green tick Funeral costs, an inheritance and/or inheritance tax billsFrom 27p-a-day via Reassured's advised team ±
Over 50 life insurance Icon green tick Icon ruby cross Icon green tick Funeral costs and/or a small inheritanceFrom 20p-a-day via Reassured +

Alternatively, a life insurance broker can provide all the information you need to know in order to make a fully informed decision.

Reassured can provide you with quotes for a variety of policies to help you find the best type of life insurance for your needs.

You can use our award-winning quote service completely free of charge.

How much life insurance do you need?

In order to secure the best life insurance to meet your needs, it’s essential to understand how much cover you may need. Simply fill in the fields which apply to you for an instant calculation.

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£137,934 is the estimated mortgage debt per household in the UK.

The purchase of a home is likely to be the largest financial commitment any of us will make in our lifetime. Your life insurance should cover your remaining mortgage balance to allow your loved ones to stay in the family home should anything happen to you.

Source: Moneynerd.co.uk
£
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The average monthly household budget in the UK is £2,548 (that’s £30,576 per year), which is spent on transport, food & drink, utilities (gas, electricity, water etc), clothing, council tax and leisure activities.

With energy prices hitting a record high and the cost of living rising sharply in the UK, you may wish to factor in utility bills and family living expenses into your cover.

Source: Nimblefins.co.uk
£
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The average personal debt of UK adults has risen to £34,566 (not including mortgage debt), with credit cards, personal loans and overdrafts being the most common forms of debt.

Factoring in any debts into your life insurance cover means that, if they need to be paid back from your estate after your passing, your loved ones won’t miss out financially.

Source: Money.co.uk
£
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According to SunLife, the average cost of a funeral in the UK is £3,953 (with the overall cost of dying at £9,200).

Funeral costs have increased by 116% since 2004 and are a significant cost which should be factored into the amount of life insurance you secure.

Source: SunLife.co.uk
£
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When factoring in cover for your children, you may wish to calculate the amount based on how long it is until they reach financial independence.

This could include childcare (£7,000 per year for part-time care), school expenses (£1,519 per school year for uniforms, lunches, stationary etc), as well as an additional sum for further education (this could be a contribution of up to £5,000 per year).

Sources: Daynurseries.co.uk, Primarytimes.co.uk & Savethestudent.org
£
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2 in 5 adults say they are relying on an inheritance to fund their retirement.

Factoring in an inheritance to your sum assured could allow loved ones to live a more financially comfortable life. Alternatively, you could leave a cash gift to a charity of your choosing.

Source: Moneyage.co.uk
£
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If you’re lucky enough to have your own savings or are part of the 30% of UK residents who already have a life insurance policy in place, this can provide financial protection for loved ones.

By entering your current cover, savings or death in service amount you can reduce the sum assured you require.

Source: Scottishbusinessnews.net
£ -

Your total cover estimate

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What are the best life insurance rates?

The cost of life insurance can vary between providers. Therefore, it’s essential to compare multiple quotes.

Each insurer has a different underwriting process (the process of assessing your eligibility for cover), therefore the cost of monthly life insurance premiums could vary significantly.

The table below shows our best life insurance rates from some of the insurers that we use here at Reassured.

Quotes are based on a non-smoker, in good health, for a level term life insurance policy with a term length of 20 years and £150,000 of cover:

Age Aviva Legal & General Scottish Widows
20£3.83£5.88£5.43
25£4.62£5.74£6.09
30£5.76£6.80£6.91
35£8.21£10.11£8.80
40£11.33£13.98£12.18
45£16.74£20.39£18.19
50£27.60£32.26£28.81

As you can see from the table, the price you pay can vary depending on the insurer, highlighting the importance of comparing multiple quotes.

Life insurance through our award-winning broker service starts from just 20p-a-day.

List of UK life insurance companies

Below we have complied a list of some of the UK’s most popular life insurance companies:

  1. Allianz
  2. Aviva
  3. Active Quote
  4. Barclays
  5. Beagle Street
  6. Cavendish
  7. Churchill
  8. Foresters Friendly
  9. Halifax
  10. HSBC
  11. Guardian
  12. Legal & General
  13. LV=
  14. NFU Mutual
  15. Old Mutual
  16. One Family
  17. Post Office
  18. Royal London
  19. Scottish Widows
  20. Shepherd’s Friendly
  21. Smart insurance
  22. SunLife
  23. The Exeter
  24. Vitality
  25. Wesleyan
  26. Zurich

Compare our best life insurance quotes

Hopefully our review has helped to highlight the best UK life insurance companies.

While we have based our ratings on specific criteria, it’s important to note that the best insurer for you will be the one that offers the right cover to meet your needs at a price that fits your budget.

Why not save time and money by using our award-winning service to compare multiple life insurance quotes at once?

We’ll present you with our best deals from our panel of leading UK providers, free of charge.

Alternatively, if you know exactly what you’re looking for, you can use our buy online service to purchase a policy quickly and easily.

Take the first steps in financially protecting your loved ones and start your journey today.

Compare Life Insurance from some of the UK’s Best Insurers »

Best life insurance FAQs:

What is life insurance?

Life insurance is a policy which can provide your loved ones with a cash pay out if you pass away during a set period (the policy term).

You’ll be able to choose a policy type to best meet your unique needs, ranging from term-based cover (level or decreasing) to whole of life. The cost of your policy will depend on which policy you choose, the cover amount (sum assured) and your personal circumstances.

Making a claim is a simple process and your loved ones can use the funds to ease the financial impact of your passing.

How does life insurance work?

Life insurance can work as easily as four simple steps:

  1. Apply for cover - During the application, you’ll provide details about yourself and your chosen policy. Your eligibility for cover will be assessed and your monthly premium will be calculated
  2. Pay premiums - Once your application has been accepted and your policy is in place, you’ll need to pay a monthly life insurance premium to keep your cover valid
  3. Make a claim - Upon your passing (during the policy term), your loved ones can make a claim on your policy. They’ll typically need to complete a claims form and send proof of your death, often via death certificate
  4. Receive pay out - Upon receipt of a valid claim, your insurer will pay out to your loved ones. Insurers will often try to pay out the funds as quickly as possible but pay out time can vary

Please note: if you pass away after your policy has expired, you cancel your policy or you stop paying your premiums, your loved ones won’t be able to claim on your policy.

Why do you need life insurance?

Life insurance can help to protect the financial future of your loved ones. It can be particularly beneficial if you have young children or anyone who would be financially impacted by your passing.

Often, the proceeds of a life insurance policy are used to allow loved ones to continue with their current standard of living if the worst were to happen.

A life insurance pay out could help to cover:

  • Mortgage or rental costs
  • Household bills and daily living costs
  • Funeral costs
  • Unpaid debts
  • An inheritance to spend as they wish

Who is the best life insurance company UK?

In 2024, Legal & General were named 'Life Insurance Provider of the Year (Direct)' at the annual Moneyfacts Consumer Awards[2].

This is the fifth year in a row they have been awarded this title.

The Moneyfacts Consumer Awards aim to recognise organisations such as banks, building societies, insurers and other financial service providers that are the best in their categories.

Over 200,000 consumers shared their views over a 12 month period.

What is the best age to get life insurance?

There’s no right or wrong time to get life insurance.

Often it’s a big life event, such as buying a house or starting a family, that triggers the need to secure financial protection.

We all experience these milestones at different times, so there’s no specific ‘best’ age.

However, the longer you delay securing a policy, the more you could pay for your monthly life insurance premium.

Premium prices tend to be cheapest when you’re young and in good health.

How do I choose the best life insurance cover?

There are a number of steps you can take to ensure the cover you’re securing is right for you:

  1. Assess your circumstances - Knowing what you’d like to cover and how much cover you may need can help you establish which policy is likely to be the best to meet your needs
  2. Do your research - Finding out about what each insurer is offering means you’re more informed about your options
  3. Factor in any other benefits you receive - If you receive death in service from your employer, this could reduce the amount of personal cover you require
  4. Compare multiple quotes - This allows you to find a great deal on your chosen policy
  5. Consider using an experienced broker - A life insurance broker (like Reassured) can help you save time and money by providing you with all the information you need and comparing multiple quotes at once

What is the average cost of life insurance?

According to our internal research here at Reassured, the average cost of life insurance in the UK is £34.43 per month.

We calculated this cost based on 119,244 term life insurance policies sold between 01/01/23 - 31/12/23, with an average cover amount of £162,038.

Sources:

All information used in this article has been taken from each providers website, Defaqto, Trustpilot and Fairer Finance and is correct as of 04/04/25

[1] https://www.aviva.com/about-us/how-we-are-organised/

[2] https://www.legalandgeneral.com/insurance/life-insurance/

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Our customers love us
Trustpilot Star Rating

Very easy to understand and very quick

Yes very pleased with my choice very helpful easy to understand and very pleasant transaction all good!

Mrs M Rushworth

Very professional and reassuring

Very professional and reassuring. Life insurance sorted in about 10 minutes.

Stephen Davies

very courteous and friendly

very courteous and friendly. Polite professional and empathic.

Stedroy Fenton

Another happy customer

Another happy customer I am. They are very professional and kind. Fully communicative. I recommend.

Piotr Stepien

Really attentive during the call

Really attentive during the call, good clear guidance throughout. Well done.

Michael Reynolds

Amazing service

Amazing service quick fast and easy and Joey was a star on the phone really help me thanks.

Sera Woolley

I made the right choice and now I feel…

I made the right choice and now I feel relieved that I did.

glyn

Really genuine kind and compassionate…

Really genuine kind and compassionate team with great knowledge and friendly approach highly recommend them!

Katelia Merritt

I must say Jake took me through every…

I must say Jake took me through every step and was brilliant, recommend them anytime.

Allan Green

Very happy and everything explained…

Very happy and everything explained well, so glad a took the time to take the call, normally I would say I'm busy. But compared to other company's we save so much more money.

Jenny Berry
We’re rated as 'Excellent' with 85,584 customer reviews