Guaranteed life insurance
Find out if guaranteed life insurance, also known as over…
7 min
The best life insurance for seniors over 60 will depend on your individual needs, health and budget.
In this guide, we compare the key features, benefits and costs of each type of over 60 life insurance to help you decide which policy could be best for you.
Yes, for many reasons it could be worth getting life insurance over 60.
For example, if you’re still earning an income, paying off a mortgage or supporting any dependents (such as children), life insurance can provide a vital financial safety net.
There are different types of life insurance that could be available to applicants over 60. We outline the key features of each policy below to help you decide which may be the best option for you.
Over 50s life insurance is usually best for people over 60 who have pre-existing medical conditions, as the application has no medical questions or exam. It also provides lifelong cover at an affordable monthly premium.
Policy key features:
Term life insurance for over 60s could be suitable if you’re in good health and want to help protect your mortgage and/or dependents in the event you pass away.
Policy key features:
Whole of life insurance for seniors over 60 provides immediate cover which lasts for the rest of your life. It’s usually best for applicants who are in good health, as the application includes medical questions and premiums could get expensive for those with pre-existing conditions.
Policy key features:
It’s possible to find the best life insurance companies for seniors over 60 by shopping around.
However, we’ve provided a few examples of highly rated providers and premium prices to help you with your search.
If you’re looking for over 50s life insurance, then some of the best UK life insurance companies that specialise in this type of cover include:
SunLife offer the UK’s most popular over 50s plan which is rated 5 out of 5 stars by Defaqto. New customers receive free access to health and wellbeing services provided by RedArc¶ and acceptance is guaranteed if you’re a UK resident aged 50 - 85.
A 60 year old non-smoker could secure £5,000 of cover with SunLife for £22.37 a month through Reassured.
The One Family over 50s plan includes a £300 funeral benefit option and terminal illness cover as standard. It’s rated 5 out of 5 stars by Defaqto and acceptance is guaranteed if you’re a UK resident aged 50 - 80.
A 60 year old non-smoker could secure £5,000 of cover with One Family for just £20.00 a month through Reassured.
We’ve provided a full list of the top UK over 50s life insurance providers in our best life insurance for over 50s guide »
If you’re looking for term life insurance, then the best life insurance companies for over 60s through Reassured include:
Aviva are the UK’s largest insurer, offering a range standard life insurance policies to applicants aged up to 77. Customers receive free access to the Aviva Digicare+ app which provides a range of health and wellbeing benefits.
A 60 year old non-smoker who’s in good health could secure £50,000 of level term life insurance cover over 10 years for £24.75 a month.
Legal & General are the UK’s leading life insurance provider. They offer term-based and whole of life cover to applicants aged up to 77. Policies come with free access to Wellbeing Support provided by RedArc.
A 60 year old non-smoker who’s in good health could secure £50,000 of level term life insurance cover over 10 years for £25.59 a month.
The cost of life insurance over 60 starts from just £5 a month through Reassured + .
However, the exact cost of your policy will depend on a range of factors, including:
The table below shows the four main policy types and the average monthly premium for applicants aged 60 - 69:
Policy | Term | Sum assured | Average monthly premium |
|---|---|---|---|
Decreasing term | 10 years | £50,000 | £16.98 |
Level term | 10 years | £50,000 | £29.20 |
Whole of life | Until you pass away | £40,000 | £93.08 |
Over 50s plan | Until you pass away | £5,000 | £27.33 |
The information in this table is based on policies we’ve sold through Reassured. Quotes are for a non-smoker in good health
The table below shows example over 50s life insurance quotes for applicants in their 60s from two leading insurers, based on a non-smoker taking out £5,000 of cover:
| Age |
|
|
|---|---|---|
| 60 | £22.37 | £20.00 |
| 61 | £23.32 | £21.00 |
| 62 | £24.15 | £22.00 |
| 63 | £25.10 | £24.00 |
| 64 | £26.18 | £24.00 |
| 65 | £27.41 | £25.00 |
| 66 | £28.82 | £27.00 |
| 67 | £30.39 | £29.00 |
| 68 | £32.15 | £31.00 |
| 69 | £34.14 | £33.00 |
With SunLife, your premium payments stop on the policy anniversary date after your 95th birthday. With One Family, your premium payments stop following your 90th birthday.
The table below shows example quotes for term life insurance from UK insurers, based on a non-smoker in good health, taking out £50,000 of cover over 10 years:
Age |
|
|
|
|---|---|---|---|
60 | £20.55 | £22.16 | £22.29 |
61 | £22.22 | £24.80 | £24.86 |
62 | £24.67 | £27.58 | £27.76 |
63 | £27.72 | £30.52 | £31.03 |
64 | £31.14 | £33.63 | £34.71 |
65 | £34.33 | £37.01 | £39.72 |
66 | £38.56 | £41.53 | £43.78 |
67 | £44.32 | £46.29 | £48.27 |
68 | £52.88 | £51.31 | £53.25 |
69 | £58.52 | £56.62 | £58.76 |
The cost of life insurance over 60 varies from insurer to insurer, therefore, comparing quotes is important to find the best price.
Get free personalised quotes through our award-winning comparison service.
For smokers over 60, it’s best to compare quotes from different insurers to find the right cover to suit your needs.
This is because life insurance for smokers is typically more expensive than for non-smokers, and quotes will vary significantly.
In many cases, over 50s life insurance could be the most affordable option, particularly if you're a smoker with pre-existing conditions.
The table below shows example premiums for a smoker taking out an over 50s plan with £5,000 of cover:
Age |
|
|
|---|---|---|
60 | £38.80 | £33.00 |
61 | £40.59 | £34.00 |
62 | £42.11 | £37.00 |
63 | £43.77 | £39.00 |
64 | £45.61 | £42.00 |
65 | £47.65 | £45.00 |
66 | £49.92 | £47.00 |
67 | £52.45 | £49.00 |
68 | £55.30 | £52.00 |
69 | £58.52 | £56.00 |
The best life insurance for parents over 60 will depend on the age of your children and whether they are financially dependent on you.
Your policy could cover you until your children reach an age when they could manage their own living costs, for example 18 or 21, or until the mortgage is paid off to help protect their home.
Term life insurance could also be the most affordable policy for people over 60 with no medical conditions.
If your children are financially independent adults, and you’re looking to help cover funeral costs, leave behind a cash gift or help towards any inheritance tax liability, then you may consider whole of life insurance or an over 50s plan.
When looking for the best over 60 life insurance, comparing quotes could help you find the right policy at the right price.
At Reassured, we can help compare deals from some of the UK’s biggest insurers for various policy options, free of charge.
Our experts are also on hand to provide any information you need to make a fully informed choice and support you through the application process.
In 2022, our award-winning service helped more than 16,000 over 60 year olds secure affordable life insurance to protect their loved ones.
Give yourself peace of mind today by getting in touch.
Can you get over 60 life insurance no medical?
Yes, you can get over 60s life insurance without the need to undergo a medical exam or provide any medical information.
The best life insurance for seniors over 60 with no medical exam is an over 50s plan, which guarantees acceptance to those aged 50 - 85 with no medical questions asked.
You can apply for this type of policy without disclosing any health problems or releasing your medical records to the insurer.
If applying for term or whole of life insurance, then you’ll need to disclose your medical information. A medical exam may be required in some cases, for example, if you have a pre-existing condition.
Can I avoid or minimise inheritance tax with over 60s life cover?
Yes, some over 60s policies can be written in trust to help you avoid or minimise inheritance tax.
Writing your life insurance in trust is a process which detaches your policy from your estate. When you pass away, the funds are placed in a trust and managed by a trustee (chosen by you).
The trustee will be responsible for distributing the pay out according to your wishes.
Benefits of writing a policy in trust:
At Reassured we offer a free online trust writing service with most of the policies we sell.
Our customer service team will be happy to talk you through the process step-by-step, so contact us today.
Can I take out joint over 60 life insurance?
Yes, it can be possible to secure joint over 60 life insurance, but this is only possible with a term or whole of life policy.
It’s not currently possible to secure an over 50s plan on a joint basis.
A joint life insurance policy will cover two lives simultaneously (such you and your partner) for one monthly premium and provides one pay out (usually on the first death).
Is over 60s life insurance guaranteed to pay out?
This depends on the policy you have taken out.
Over 50s life insurance will guarantee to pay out if you pass away after the initial waiting period (either 12 or 24 months depending on the insurer).
Whole of life insurance also pays out when you pass away, not if.
Term life insurance only pays out if you pass away during the specified term, so a pay out isn’t guaranteed.
Can I get life insurance for parents over 60?
Taking out life insurance on behalf of parents is not uncommon, particularly when they’re in their senior years.
Any of the above policy options will be available for you to take out on their behalf.
The policy will remain in their control as they’ll be the main policyholder and they’ll need to be aware of the policy you have taken out for them.
Therefore, determining the beneficiaries and any changes to the policy will require their permission.
If medical questions are required, then the policyholder will have to complete these with one of our consultants.
Do you lose life insurance when you retire?
No, you don’t lose life insurance when you retire.
Your policy will only end when one of the following happens:
However, upon retirement, it’s important to remember that any work-based benefits (such as death in service) will no longer be in place.
This highlights the need to re-evaluate your life insurance needs to ensure you have the right level of cover to meet your new circumstances.
Over 60 life insurance what does Martin Lewis think?
Martin Lewis offers the following steps when taking out an over 50s plan:
Reassured can help you compare quotes from SunLife and OneFamily. Simply get in touch for your free quotes.
[1] https://www.sunlife.co.uk/funeral-costs/
¶RedArc is a support service that isn’t regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. These services aren’t part of the terms and conditions of the SunLife Guaranteed Over 50 Plan and may be amended or withdrawn at any time