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What is life insurance?

Life insurance is a policy that pays out a lump sum to your family or loved ones if you die or are diagnosed with a terminal illness during its term.

It's quick and easy to set up. It needn't be expensive. And it can give you welcome reassurance.

Why choose our life insurance?

There’s more to our cover than paying your loved ones a lump sum if you die. We’re here for you all in tough times

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You’re covered for a terminal illness from day one

We'll pay 100% of your lump sum in advance if you're diagnosed with a terminal illness and have less than 12 months to live 

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Includes health support for you and your family

Access a UK-registered GP online or by phone 24/7, plus other health and wellbeing services 4 and compassionate support.

These services are separate from the Post Office Life Insurance policy contract. They are free but may be withdrawn at any time

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Add cover for children or a critical illness

Serious conditions can affect anyone and be expensive. It’s easy to add critical illness and children’s cover. Extra costs apply

What our life insurance covers

Our standard policies offer:

  • Cover for UK residents aged 18-70

  • Terminal illness cover from day one if you have less than 12 months to live

  • A choice of individual or joint cover

  • Up to £750,000 of cover, depending on age

  • Health, wellbeing and bereavement support for you and your family 4

For complete protection, consider adding these optional extras for an additional cost:

  • Critical illness cover. Pays a lump sum if you’re diagnosed with a critical illness, to help financially while you recover

  • Children’s cover. Pays a lump sum for accidental death or medical expenses if your child suffers a serious injury or illness specified in the policy

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Choosing the right life insurance type

We offer different types of life insurance to meet different needs. The cover type you need may depend on what you want to protect and how much you'd like to pay each month

Level cover

Pays your loved ones a fixed lump sum to help maintain their living standards if you die during the term of your policy 

Decreasing cover

Pays out a reducing amount over time, matching what you owe on a mortgage or other debts like loans and credit cards to help loved ones pay them if you die

Increasing cover

Pays out a lump sum that increases with inflation to keep pace with rising prices. Your monthly payments may rise, but so does the lump sum

Life insurance calculator

Work out how much life insurance cover you may need with our easy-to-use calculator

Get a quote online

It’s quick and easy to get a quote for Post Office Life Insurance online

Get a quote by phone (5)

Monday to Friday: 9am - 8pm

Saturday: 9am - 5pm

Closed on Sundays and bank holidays

Need to cover the cost of your funeral?

If you’re a UK resident aged 50-80, leave up to £10,000 as a gift or to cover costs like your funeral. There’s no medical and we guarantee to accept you

Common life insurance questions

  • Life insurance helps to protect your loved ones financially in the event of your death. Post Office Life insurance is designed to pay a lump sum if you die or are diagnosed with a terminal illness and have less than 12 months to live. You choose the amount of cover you need and how long you need it for and pay a regular monthly premium. You can also choose between a joint life or a single life insurance policy. Your premiums are guaranteed to stay the same unless you make changes to your policy. The lump sum from your policy can be used to help pay the mortgage or help protect your family's lifestyle and everyday living expenses.

    For more details on how Post Office Life Insurance works, including the definitions of terminal illnesses we’ll pay out for, please read our terms and conditions.

  • People rarely want to think about life insurance. But certain moments in life may make you look seriously into taking out a policy – like getting married, having children, buying a home and more.

    If you have people who depend on you, like children or a partner, it can be sobering to consider what might happen to them if you pass away unexpectedly.

    A life insurance policy can protect your loved ones against uncertainty. It’s way to make sure your dependants are financially protected if the worst were to happen.

  • There’s no legal requirement to take out life insurance if you’re taking on a mortgage. But many lenders will strongly recommend you get covered if you do. It’s a way to make sure the mortgage debt will be paid off if you die. And that can be welcome reassurance to your loved ones at a tough time, so they’re not at risk of losing their home as well as losing you. 

    Most life insurance providers will offer a decreasing term life cover option. This type of cover will reduce over time, roughly in line with the way a repayment mortgage reduces. If you die while covered, your family will get a lump sum to help cover the remaining mortgage. This means they get to stay in the family home without the worry of mortgage payment.

    Read our guide: mortgage life insurance.

  • Even if you don't have a mortgage, life insurance could help your family cover the cost of everyday living and maintain their lifestyle. Things like rent, private or university education costs, birthdays and weddings all need paying for. You may even need cover to pay for domestic tasks if the person left behind has to pay someone to do them after you're gone.

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  • Critical illness cover pays a cash sum if, during your policy term, you suffer from heart attacks, strokes (depending on the severity), coronary artery or certain types of cancer that meet our definition.

    At such a difficult time, it can ease financial pressures on you, your family or your partner. For instance, it may help pay for a mortgage, rent or everyday living costs. It might also be used for modifications to your home needed as a result of your illness. Find out more about our critical illness benefit, or our guide on family life insurance.

  • Joint life insurance protects two people under one policy with one monthly premium payment. It only pays out once if a policyholder dies within the term.

    Two single policies protect each policyholder separately but will mean paying two premiums each month. Consider which option is right for you.

  • With Post Office Life Insurance, your monthly payments will continue until the earliest of these:

    • The end of the term of your policy
    • Your death
    • Our acceptance of your diagnosis of a terminal illness

    If you make a claim after being diagnosed with a terminal illness, please don't stop paying your monthly payments. We’ll first confirm if your terminal illness meets our terminal illness definition, as per the terms and conditions .

Need some help?

Life cover help and support

To make a claim, find answers to common questions, access bereavement and wellbeing support or contact us for something else:

Visit our life cover support page

About our life insurance

Post Office Life Insurance is underwritten and administered by Scottish Friendly Assurance Society Limited. Neilson Financial Services Limited assist in the administration. If you buy Post Office Life Insurance over the telephone or online via the Post Office website, it is arranged and sold by Neilson Financial Services Limited, following an introduction by Post Office Limited. If you buy Post Office Life Insurance online via a price comparison website, it is arranged and sold by the firm that provides the price comparison website services.

Post Office Limited is an appointed representative of Post Office Management Services Limited which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, FRN 630318. Registered in England and Wales. Registered numbers 2154540 and 08459718 respectively. Registered office: 100 Wood Street, London, EC2V 7ER.

Post Office Life Insurance is for customers who are UK residents aged 18-70 at the start of the policy. The minimum term is 5 years and cover must end before your 90th birthday.

We won’t pay a claim if you don’t keep your payments up to date as you will no longer be covered under the policy. If you don’t tell us something or give us incorrect answers to our application questions that affects your cover, we may reduce the amount we pay for a claim or at worst cancel your cover and not refund your monthly payments.

Things you need to know

1 Based on 31-year-old non-smoker in good health buying £100,000 level cover over a 21-year term.

Post Office Life Insurance is provided by Scottish Friendly. Scottish Friendly paid 99.5% of life insurance claims they received in 2023.

3 180-day qualifying period applies. Premiums paid must exceed the gift card value.

4 These services are separate to and don't form part of the Post Office Life Insurance policy contract. They're available to you for free but may be withdrawn at any time. Health and Wellbeing Services are provided by MediPartner Limited. Here to Help is provided by Red Arc Limited.

(5) Calls to 03 numbers will cost no more than calling a standard UK number starting with 01 or 02 from your fixed line or mobile and may be included in your call package. Calls may be monitored or recorded for training and compliance purposes.