What’s the best life insurance policy for smokers?

The best life insurance policy for smokers will be the policy that meets your needs and is at an affordable price for your budget. As a smoker, you’ll have the same policy options available to you as those who don’t smoke. These include: Policy type Policy description Best used for? Is it suitable for smokers? Level term Level term life insurance provides cover for an agreed period (known as the policy term). A pay out will be made if you pass away during the policy term. The cover amount (sum assured) will remain the same (level). It’s commonly used to help cover large expenses due to the fixed pay out. This could be an interest only mortgage, other debts and/or family living costs. You’ll need to provide your smoking status during the application. As term life insurance is a cheaper policy type, it could be possible to secure affordable premiums as a smoker. Decreasing term Decreasing term life insurance provides cover for an agreed period. A pay out will be made if you pass away during the policy term. The cover amount decreases overtime, typically at the same rate as a repayment mortgage. As the cover amount decreases over time, it’s most commonly used to help protect a repayment mortgage. You’ll need to provide your smoking status during the application. As decreasing term life insurance is the cheapest form of cover it could be possible to secure affordable premiums as a smoker. Whole of life insurance Whole of life insurance provides cover for the rest of your life. It pays out when you pass away, rather than if you pass away during a specified period. Your cover amount is fixed so it won’t change over time. As cover lasts for life, it’s often used to help with estate planning (when written in trust), funeral costs or providing an inheritance. You’ll need to provide your smoking status during the application. As cover lasts for life, you’ll need to pay premiums for the rest of your life. This is something to consider if you’re paying higher premiums due to being a smoker. You could end up paying more in premiums than the policy pays out. Over 50s life insurance Over 50s life insurance provides guaranteed acceptance to UK residents aged 50 – 85 (with no medical information required). Cover lasts for life once a policy is in place and a pay out is made whenever you pass away (once a 12 or 24 month waiting period has come to an end). The maximum cover amount is lower with over 50s than over types of cover (often capped at around £20,000). For this reason, it’s typically used to help cover funeral costs and/or provide a small inheritance. Not all insurers will ask for your smoking status during the application. This means, if you’re aged 50 – 85, you could secure a policy without any price increases for poor health or smoking.

Will my life insurance be affected if I am an ex-smoker?

If you’ve quit smoking and have kept it up, you may not be penalised for your old habits. If you’ve been free of cigarettes for a long period of time and have no long-lasting health problems as a result of smoking, you may be able to secure cover on standard terms. However, if you were a smoker for a large portion of your life, insurers may still deem you as high risk as there could be some impact on your health. Ultimately, it will depend on the circumstances of your old habits. Comparing quotes can help you to find the most suitable cover.

Cheap Life Insurance for Smokers [2026 Guide]

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Cheap life insurance for smokers

Cheap life insurance for smokers UK
Can I get life insurance as a smoker?
Do I need to tell insurers that I smoke?
How will smoking affect my life insurance?
What is the best life insurance policy for smokers?
Which insurers offer the cheapest life insurance for smokers?
Smokers vs non-smokers: how much extra do smokers pay for life insurance?
Is vaping or using e-cigarettes classed as smoking for life insurance?
How to reduce life insurance premiums as a smoker [top tips]
Life insurance & smoking FAQs

Life insurance for smokers [key points]

It could be possible to get life insurance as a smoker, but smoking could impact your eligibility for cover and the price you pay
You’ll be classed as a smoker if you use cigarettes, cigars, vapes or e-cigarettes
Always be open and upfront about your smoking status. It could invalidate your policy if you give false details
To be classed as a non-smoker you must be nicotine free (including nicotine replacement products) for at least 12 months (although this can vary between providers)
Comparing quotes can help you to find a good deal on a life insurance policy as a smoker

Cheap life insurance for smokers UK

Finding affordable life insurance as a smoker doesn’t have to be a difficult task.

While the price you pay may be more than a non-smoker, this doesn’t mean you can’t find a good deal on a policy.

At Reassured we can help you to find the best life insurance for smokers from our panel of leading UK insurers.

Our FREE life insurance quote comparison service is FCA (Financial Conduct Authority) regulated and award-winning.

We take your personal circumstances into consideration to present you with our most suitable offers.

Simply get in touch today for your free and no obligation quotes or keep reading to find out everything you need to know about life insurance and smoking…

Find Our Best Quotes for Smokers »

Can I get life insurance as a smoker?

Yes, it’s possible to get life insurance if you’re a smoker.

Around 5.3 million people in the UK currently smoke^[1], meaning insurers are used to handling applications from smokers.

However, the price you pay may be higher than a non-smoker due to the increased likelihood of developing certain medical conditions.

Each insurer has a different underwriting process (the process of assessing eligibility for cover), so one insurer may be more suitable for smokers than another.

For this reason, it’s important to compare as many quotes as possible to ensure you’re getting the most cost-effective cover for your needs.

How much life insurance do smokers need?

Use our free calculator to estimate how much life insurance you may need to secure. Simply fill in the fields which apply to you.

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Do I need to tell insurers that I smoke?

Yes, if you’re a smoker, you’ll need to declare this during the application.

Insurers need your smoking status to calculate the cost of your monthly life insurance premium.

Typically, it’s posed as a simple yes or no question. For example, ‘have you smoked or used any nicotine replacement products in the last 12 months?’.

If you answer yes, you’ll likely be asked some additional questions:

What do you smoke (cigarettes, cigars, pipe, vape etc)?
How long have you smoked?
How often do you smoke? (for example, per day/week/month)
Have you experienced any health complications as a result of smoking?
When did you quit smoking? (If applicable)

Always be open and honest when applying for life insurance. While you might think it’s harmless to say you don’t smoke when you do or give false details about how often you smoke, it could invalidate your policy when your loved ones need it most.

How will smoking affect my life insurance?

Smoking can impact the price you pay for life insurance due to the increased risk of developing certain medical conditions (such as lung cancer, heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes).

The exact affect your smoking status will have on your application depends on your personal circumstances:

Smoking status	Impact on policy
Occasional smoker	Even if you only have the odd cigar at a celebration or cigarette on a night out, you could still be classed as a smoker. The price you pay will depend on how long you’ve been an occasional smoker and how often you indulge. It could be that there’s just a small increase to your premiums. However, each insurer’s threshold for what they deem as a ‘regular’ smoker will be different, so it’s important to explore multiple options.
Regular smoker	As a regular smoker, the impact your habits have on your life cover will depend on factors such as your age, how long you’ve been smoking and how many cigarettes you smoke each day. For example, a 25 year old who’s been smoking for 3 years and only has a few cigarettes each day is likely to pay less than a 40 year old who’s been smoking for 20 years and smokes 10 cigarettes each day. Insurers will also consider whether smoking has had an impact on your health. If smoking has caused any health complications there could be further implications on your cover.
Using vapes/e-cigarettes	You might be surprised to find out that even if you’ve swapped cigarettes for a vape, you’ll still be classed as a smoker. As with cigarette smoking, the impact that vaping has on your policy will depend on your personal circumstances such as the type of vape you use and how often you use it.
Using nicotine replacements (such as patches and gum)	While using nicotine replacements help to show that you’re taking steps to kick the habit, you’ll still be classed as a smoker if you apply for a policy while using them. You’ll need to have stopped using all replacements for a specified period in order to be classed as a non-smoker.
Ex-smoker	If you’ve quit smoking you could benefit from non-smoker rates. Typically, insurers will need you to have quit smoking (including all replacements) for a minimum of 12 months (but this could be longer depending on the insurer) for you to be classed as a non-smoker. However, you could still experience increased premiums if your smoking habits have caused any health issues or if you smoked for a long period before quitting.

At Reassured we’ll take all the information you provide us into consideration so that we can find you our most suitable quotes.

Our main aim is to help you find the right cover.

Why UK smokers should choose Reassured for their life insurance

We’re the UK’s largest life insurance broker*, but why should you compare quotes through us?

Our service is rated as ‘Excellent’ by our customers on Trustpilot, with over 100,000 reviews
We work with a panel of leading UK insurers (including Aviva, Legal & General, LV= and Scottish Widows)
We also work with specialist insurers (through our advised team) for applicants with complex needs and circumstances
Our broker service is award-winning (Protection Intermediary of the Year 2025) and we’re FCA regulated
We can support you throughout the entire application process and answer any questions you might have along the way
We offer a free trust writing service to help avoid/minimise 40% inheritance tax for your loved ones

What is the best life insurance policy for smokers?

The best life insurance policy for smokers will be the policy which meets your needs and is at an affordable price for your budget.

As a smoker, you’ll have the same policy options available to you as those who don’t smoke. These include:

Policy type	Policy description	Best used for?	Is it suitable for smokers?
Level term	Level term life insurance provides cover for an agreed period (known as the policy term). A pay out will be made if you pass away during this time. The cover amount (sum assured) will remain the same (level).	It’s commonly used to help cover large expenses due to the fixed pay out. This could be an interest only mortgage, other debts and/or family living costs.	You’ll need to provide your smoking status during the application. As term life insurance is a cheaper policy type, it could be possible to secure affordable premiums as a smoker.
Decreasing term	Decreasing term life insurance provides cover for an agreed period. A pay out will be made if you pass away during the policy term. The cover amount decreases overtime, typically at the same rate as a repayment mortgage.	As the cover amount decreases over time, it’s most commonly used to help protect a repayment mortgage.	You’ll need to provide your smoking status during the application. As decreasing term life insurance is the cheapest form of cover it could be possible to secure affordable premiums as a smoker.
Whole of life insurance	Whole of life insurance provides cover for the rest of your life. It pays out when you pass away, rather than if you pass away during a specified period. Your cover amount is fixed so it won’t change over time.	As cover lasts for life, it’s often used to help with estate planning (when written in trust), funeral costs or providing an inheritance.	You’ll need to provide your smoking status during the application. As cover lasts for life, you’ll need to pay premiums for the rest of your life. This is something to consider if you’re paying higher premiums due to being a smoker. You could end up paying more in premiums than the policy pays out.
Over 50s life insurance	Over 50s life insurance provides guaranteed acceptance to UK residents aged 50 – 85 (with no medical information required). Cover lasts for life once a policy is in place and a pay out is made whenever you pass away (once a 12 or 24 month waiting period has come to an end).	The maximum cover amount is lower with over 50s than over types of cover (often capped at around £20,000). For this reason, it’s typically used to help cover funeral costs and/or provide a small inheritance.	Not all insurers will ask for your smoking status during the application. This means, if you’re aged 50 – 85, you could secure a policy without any price increases for poor health or smoking.

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Which insurers offer the cheapest life insurance for smokers?

Through our award-winning broker service, the cheapest life insurance for smokers is offered by Aviva:

Age
25	£6.09	£7.37	£7.58	£8.84
30	£7.62	£9.31	£9.14	£10.71
35	£11.71	£12.49	£12.52	£13.52
40	£19.03	£18.51	£20.85	£19.84
45	£31.06	£30.91	£35.86	£31.96
50	£52.77	£52.31	£61.18	£53.11

The pricing above is based on a smoker, in good health, for a level term life insurance policy with a 20-year term and £100,000 of cover.

While the prices above can help to give an idea of how much you’ll pay for life insurance as a smoker, the exact cost will vary depending on your personal circumstances.

Other factors that influence the price you pay include:

Age
Medical history
BMI
Occupation
Lifestyle (alcohol consumption and hobbies)
Policy details (policy type, length of cover and cover amount)

Smokers vs non-smokers: how much extra do smokers pay for life insurance?

Smokers could pay around £30 more per month than a non-smoker, depending on personal circumstances.

Smoking is a factor that can significantly increase the price you pay for life insurance, particularly the older you get.

The table below shows the cost of life insurance for smokers vs non-smokers. Quotes are based on an applicant in good overall health for a level term life insurance policy with a 20 year term and £100,000 cover amount.

Age	Premium price per month for a smoker	Premium price per month for a non-smoker	Price increase
25	£6.09	£4.10	+49%
30	£7.62	£5.11	+49%
35	£11.71	£6.86	+70%
40	£18.51	£9.63	+92%
45	£30.91	£13.82	+124%
50	£52.31	£22.17	+136%

As a smoker, you can lock in the cheapest premiums by taking out a policy sooner rather than later.

If quitting or cutting back has been on your mind, why not seize the day? You’ll need to have quit for at least 12 months, with most insurers, before you’ll be considered a non-smoker.

Is vaping or using e-cigarettes classed as smoking for life insurance?

Yes, if you use e-cigarettes or vapes you’ll still be classed as a smoker – regardless of whether you use nicotine-based liquids or not.

In recent years, the popularity of vaping has reached record levels (10% of UK adults aged 18 and over use a vape^[2]). As it’s a relatively new phenomenon, the long-term health effects of vaping are unknown.

You’ll need to answer some additional questions during the application process, such as how long you’ve been vaping and how often you vape.

top tips

How to reduce life insurance premiums as a smoker [top tips]

Take out cover while you’re young and in good health - this can help you to lock-in your cheapest premiums
Only take out the cover that you need - you can add up the value of the costs you’d like to protect to avoid overpaying for unnecessary cover
Lead a healthy lifestyle - whilst you may pay more due to smoking, you could reduce costs in other areas such as drinking in moderation and maintaining a healthy weight
Compare as many insurers as possible - having multiple options allows you to find a great deal
Consider using a broker – a broker can do the hard work for you, saving you time and money, by comparing multiple insurers at once and presenting you with suitable options

If quitting or cutting back has been on your mind, this could also help you to save money on a policy. However, you’ll need to have quit for a specified period before you’ll benefit from non-smoker rates.

There are a range of resources you can access for support in your journey, including:

NHS stop smoking services
Action on Smoking and Health
Your council, GP or pharmacy can also provide you with support services

Compare life insurance for smokers

At Reassured we can find you our best life insurance quotes for smokers from our panel top UK insurers.

Our award-winning service can guide you through the application and provide you with all the information you need to make an informed decision.

We’re also on hand to answer any questions you might have about life insurance or the application process.

We’re FCA regulated and our quotes are fee-free so why not get in touch today?

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Life insurance & smoking FAQs

Why do smokers need life insurance?

Life insurance can help to financially protect your loved ones by paying out a lump sum if you pass away during the policy term.

Smoking has been linked to many health complications, highlighting the importance of having the right protection in place should the worst happen.

A life insurance pay out could help with:

Rent or mortgage costs
Household bills
Day-to-day family living costs
Childcare fees
Funeral expenses
An inheritance

How do insurers classify a smoker?

Insurers will classify you as a smoker if you regularly use any nicotine, tobacco or substitutes or have used them in the last 12 months. This includes:

Cigarettes
Cigars
Smoking a pipe
e-cigarettes
Vapes (both nicotine and non-nicotine-based liquids)
Nicotine patches, gum or lozenges

However, this time period can vary between insurers and could be as long as 5 years.

How will life insurance companies know if I smoke?

As standard, you’ll be asked about your smoking status during the life insurance application questionnaire.

Insurers could also ask for a test to confirm your smoking status. This could be through a medical exam or a cotinine test (cotinine is a chemical that’s produced when your body breaks down nicotine, this can be tested through blood urine or saliva.

Insurers could also ask for permission to view your medical records, which could contain information about your smoking status. They can only access your medical records if you give consent for them to do so.

It’s important to know that if you refuse a required test or refuse access to your medical records, your application won’t be able to continue as insurers won’t have the information they need.

What happens if I lie about smoking on my life insurance application?

Lying about smoking on your life insurance application can invalidate your policy.

Withholding information or providing false details is known as ‘non-disclosure’ and this is a form of insurance fraud.

If non-disclosure is discovered it can result in the following outcomes:

Your policy becomes invalid and no pay out will be made to your loved ones upon your passing
A reduced amount is paid out, meaning your loved ones miss out on crucial funds

When it comes to life insurance, honesty is always the best policy. It could still be possible to get cover if you smoke, so always provide accurate information during the application.

Does quitting smoking make life insurance cheaper?

Yes, quitting smoking could make your life insurance cheaper.

Whether you’re looking to buy a policy or you already have cover in place, quitting smoking could be beneficial.

Some insurers will reduce the cost of premiums if you let them know that you’ve quit while your policy is in place.

You’ll need to have quit for a specified period to benefit from non-smoker rates. This is often 12 months but could be up to 5 years with some insurers.

How long do you have to quit smoking to be considered as a non-smoker?

Many insurers will need you to have quit smoking for at least 12 months before you’ll be classed as a non-smoker. However, this could be up to 5 years with some insurers.

Comparing multiple quotes can help you to find an insurer that can offer non-smoker rates after 12 months.

What happens if I start smoking after I’ve taken a policy out?

If you start smoking while you have a policy in place, it won’t impact your cover.

This is because the details of your policy were agreed during the application when you weren’t a smoker.

You legally aren’t obligated to update your insurer on your smoking status during the policy term but it could be a good idea to let them know.

If they know this information it could help to prevent any delays should your loved ones need to claim during the policy term (if they don’t know they may have to investigate to establish when you took up smoking).

Will I need to take a medical exam?

You won’t always be asked to take a medical exam when applying for life insurance but insurers have the right to ask for one if they think it’s necessary in order to obtain the information they need.

For example, if you've been a smoker for a long time, they may want to see if smoking has impacted your health before they offer you a policy.

If you’re asked for a medical exam it will be organised and paid for by the insurer. They will arrange it for a day and location that suits you.

How will a joint policy be affected by smoking?

A joint life insurance policy covers two lives under one policy.

It’s usually used as a way to save money compared to taking out two separate policies.

However, if one of the policyholders is a smoker this would increase the cost of the policy (meaning the non-smoker also has to pay a higher price).

In this scenario, it’s worth comparing joint life insurance with two single policies to establish which option is more cost effective for both partners.

Do cigar smokers pay more life insurance?

Yes, life insurance for cigar smokers will cost more as smoking cigars will be treated the same as smoking cigarettes.

Using any product that contains nicotine or tobacco with class you as a smoker in the eyes of insurers.

What about life insurance for cannabis smokers?

If you’re a regular cannabis smoker, you’ll need to disclose this during the application process.

As well as being asked about your smoking habits, you’ll also be asked about any drug use.

Smoking cannabis shares some of the health effects as smoking cigarettes, so some insurers may offer life insurance on the same terms as cigarette smokers.

This can vary between providers and, ultimately, it will depend on their stance on recreational drug use.

We have a guide on life insurance and drug use if you would like more information.

Does life insurance pay out if you smoke?

Yes, as long as all the information you provided at the point of application was correct, your loved ones should receive a pay out as per the terms and conditions of your policy.