Critical illness cover pays a tax-free lump sum if you're diagnosed with a serious condition listed in the policy — such as cancer, heart attack or stroke. You choose the amount and how you spend it. We'll match you with a specialist adviser who compares a broad panel of providers.
Who should consider critical illness cover?
Critical illness cover is worth considering if a serious diagnosis would cause financial hardship — whether that's struggling to meet financial commitments during treatment, needing to fund private care or home adaptations, or wanting a financial buffer alongside income protection.
- Homeowners who'd struggle with financial commitments during a long illness
- Parents who want to ensure their family is financially secure
- Self-employed workers without employer sick pay
- People with a family history of conditions like cancer or heart disease
- Anyone who wants a financial buffer alongside income protection
How it works
You choose a lump sum amount and a policy term. If you're diagnosed with a covered condition during the term — and it meets the policy's definition — the full amount is paid out tax-free. There's no restriction on how you spend it. Policies typically cover cancer, heart attack, stroke, kidney failure, major organ transplant, multiple sclerosis and many more.
Standalone versus combined cover
- Standalone critical illness — a separate policy with its own sum assured. If you claim, your life insurance remains unaffected.
- Combined with life insurance — critical illness added to an existing life policy. More affordable, but the sum assured is shared — a critical illness claim would reduce or end the life cover.
What you might need to hand
- Your outstanding financial commitments
- Details of any existing cover
- Family medical history (if known)
- Information about your health, lifestyle and occupation