What Does Life Insurance Cover?

At some stage in life, you might need to consider taking out life insurance to give you peace of mind and protect your family and loved ones in the event of your death.

In this article, we look at life insurance, what it covers and some life insurance exclusions you might want to look out for.

What life insurance covers

Life insurance pays out money in a lump sum or in regular payments to your family or nominated beneficiaries to help them cope financially in the event of your death. The money could be used to pay off debts, bills, mortgage payments, or to cover general day-to-day living expenses. Most life insurance policies will only pay out in the event of death.

However, there are some policies which provide cover if you’re diagnosed with a terminal illness in the period you are insured. The exact circumstances of your diagnosis and the type of cover your policy gives you will affect whether your provider will pay out in the event of a claim against a terminal illness.

If you want to be certain you and your family have financial protection in the event of critical illness or disability, you might need additional insurance to provide cover.

What does life assurance cover?

Life assurance covers you from the time you take out the policy to your death, whether that’s weeks or decades after taking out the policy. Life assurance is usually sold as ‘whole of life’ or permanent insurance. It takes many forms and may cost more than a standard life insurance policy since it guarantees a payout at the end of the policy.

Due to the ‘whole of life’ aspect of this insurance product, some insurers will want you to continue making regular payments until your death, but others allow you to cease payments when you reach old age – 85 for example – and still pay out when you die.

If you’re interested in getting life insurance and want to understand if you should consider a life assurance policy instead, talk to one of the expert, independent advisors we work with.

What doesn’t life insurance cover?

When you take out life insurance you need to be aware that there may be circumstances your policy does not cover you for.

Your life insurance may not cover you if:

For example, if you’re diagnosed with cancer and fail to inform your insurer or say you have cancer but don’t disclose it at the time of making your application, the claim may be rejected when you die.

It’s vital you’re completely honest about both your health and your lifestyle when applying for life insurance to avoid complications and ensure your policy will pay out on your death.

Can I get insurance for some of the things life insurance doesn’t cover?

If you want to make sure you’re covered in the event of long term illness, critical illness or disability there are products you should consider alongside your life insurance policy.

• Critical illness insurance – provides financial protection if you are diagnosed with a specific illness, medical condition or disability as specified inside the policy terms.
• Income protection insurance – pays a monthly income to you in the event that you are unable to work due to injury or illness.

Speak to an advisor

Call us on 0808 189 0463 or make a quick online enquiry for a free, no-obligation chat.

We’ll introduce you to one of the expert advisors we work with. They will be happy to answer your questions and ensure you get the right life insurance policy for the best price.

The advisors we work with are independent and have access to insurance providers across the whole UK market.