How does life insurance work in UK?
11 min
Securing life insurance doesn’t have to be confusing. Read…
In this best life insurance companies guide, we’ve reviewed the products and services offered by UK providers alongside independent reviews and ratings.
Our top 10 best life insurance companies shortlist for 2024 is:
Read here how we calculated our top 10 term life insurance list displayed above.
You can also view our comprehensive best life insurance FAQs for more detailed information.
Alternatively, keep reading to find out more about these insurers, as well as discover the best whole of life insurance providers.
Established in 2013, Smart insurance are now an award-winning insurer. Having won awards such as the '10 Years of Excellence Trusted Service Award' and the 'Platinum Trusted Service Award' from Feefo in 2024.
In previous years Smart insurance have also won 'Best Life Insurer 2023' (The Times Money Mentor) and, in the same year, they topped Fairer Finance’s customer experience ratings list.
Please note, you can only purchase Smart insurance policies directly through them and not through an intermediary.
Smart insurance key points:
Vitality have been providing life and health insurance since 2007 (previously a joint venture between Discovery and Prudential). They take a different approach to insurance by encouraging their members to lead a healthy lifestyle.
Vitality have won many awards. This includes 'Protection Provider of the Year 2022' (Scottish Mortgage Awards), 'Protection & Pension Providers Winner 2021' (FT Advisor Service Awards), 'Best Critical Illness Cover Provider 2020 - 2021' (Moneyfacts Awards) and 'Outstanding Promotion of Protection 2021' (Cover Excellence Awards) to name a few.
Vitality key points:
Aviva are the UK’s biggest insurer, with a 23% share of the UK life insurance market[1].
They have 320 years of experience and over 28.7 million customers across the UK, Ireland and Canada.
Aviva have won 'General insurer of the Year' (British Insurance Awards) 11 years in a row. This year they also picked up the award for 'General Insurer of the Decade'.
As well as awards for their insurance products, Aviva have also won various other awards, such as Gold (2021) and Silver (2022) for 'Climate Action' and 'Race to Net Zero' in the Global Good Awards.
Aviva key points:
Royal London was founded in 1861, in London, as a friendly society. Now, a mutual society, they are one of the UK’s leading insurers.
In 2023, they were awarded 5 stars for their protection service for the 10th year running, as well as winning 'Company of the Year' (Financial Advisor Service Awards).
In the same year they also won 'Best insurer for protecting hard to cover clients', 'Best insurer for protecting business owners' and 'Best Rehabilitation Support Service' (Protection Guru Awards).
Royal London key points:
Legal & General have been providing financial protection since 1836 and are the UK’s number one life insurance provider.
Legal & General have won a number of awards, most recently being awarded 'Life Insurance Provider of the Year 2024 - Direct' (Moneyfacts Consumer Awards).
Other wins include Hall of Fame - 'Outstanding Insurer 2023' (LifeSearch Awards), 'Best Mortgage Protection Provider' in both 2022 and 2023 (Mortgage Strategy Awards), 'Organisation of the Year 2022' (Protection Review Awards), as well as 'Best Overall Protection Provider 2022' (Mortgage Advice Bureau Awards).
Legal & General key points:
Scottish Widows have been around since 1815, originally set up to protect women and children who lost their husbands, fathers and brothers in the Napoleonic wars.
Today, they have over 6 million customers across the UK.
Please note, you can only purchase Scottish Widows policies through a financial advisor.
In 2024, Scottish Widows were awarded a 'Platinum Platform Rating' from Adviser Asset. In 2023, they won the 'Reader’s Choice Award' (FT Advisor Awards). In the same year they won 'Best Personal Pension Provider' (Moneyfacts Awards) and became a WealthTech 100 company for the fifth year running.
Scottish Widows key points:
LV= (Liverpool Victoria) have recently celebrated 180 years as a leading UK insurer, serving over 1 million members across the UK.
LV= have won many awards, some recent wins include 'Outstanding Insurer of the Year 2023' (LifeSearch Awards).
In the same awards they also won Best Income Protection Provider and Business Protection Hero.
In 2022, they were named as one of the 'Best Life Insurance Companies' in Forbes Advisor’s Best of 2022 Awards.
LV= key points:
Zurich are one of the world’s leading insurers, with its headquarters based in Switzerland.
They provide insurance and financial services in more than 200 countries.
In 2022, Zurich won a hat trick at the British Insurance Awards, taking home titles for 'Risk and Resilience', 'Customer Experience' and 'General Insurer of the Year'.
More recently, they won 'Best Insurer 2024' (Insurance CX Awards), 'Organisation of the Year 2023' (Protection Review Awards), '10 Years of Excellent Award' (Feefo), as well as 'Best Individual Protection Provider 2023' (The UK Health and Protection Awards 2023).
Zurich key points:
AIG was founded in 1919, it’s life insurance branch (AIG Life) has roots dating back to 1824.
As of 2023, they had 8 million customers. More recently, in 2024, their protection business has been acquired by Aviva.
In 2022, AIG were ranked by Fortune 500 as the 67th largest public company in the world[2].
They have also won numerous awards for their cover including 'Outstanding Insurer of the Year' and 'Best Critical Illness Provider 2020' (LifeSearch Awards).
AIG key points:
Direct Line started life in 1985 selling car insurance. Today they offer a range of insurance products, including life insurance, to millions of customers across the UK.
Please note, you can only purchase Direct Line policies directly through them and not through an intermediary.
In 2022, Direct Line’s health and wellbeing support service ‘Smart Health’ won 'Best Innovation in Insurance 2021' (The Financial Services Forum). They also won 'Best Preventative Support Service 2021' and 'Best Care & Support Experience 2021' (Protection Review Awards).
Direct Line life insurance is actually provided by AIG Life.
Direct Line key points:
As the UK’s largest life insurance broker * , we’ve done the hard work for you in researching who the best UK life insurance companies are.
From independent ratings, to pay out rates and premium costs, we have carried out extensive research to compile a list of the best providers in 2024.
We have used the following information to determine our top 10 shortlist:
Below is a breakdown of our findings. The information we have gathered is correct as of 31/07/24 but is subject to change at any time:
Insurer | Ranking | Pay out rate % | Premium price | |||
1 | 85% | 4.9 - 'Excellent' (based on all services) | 99.0% (of all life cover claims) | From £14.77 per month | ||
2 | 77% | 4.2 - 'Great' (based on all services) | 99.7% (of all protection claims) | From £5 per month | ||
3 | 82% | 4.0 - 'Great' (based on all services) | 99.3% (of all life cover claims) | From £5 per month | ||
4 | 79% | 4.0 - 'Great' (based on all services) | 99.4% (of all life cover claims) | From £7 per month | ||
5 | 75% | 4.0 - 'Great' (based on all services) | 97.0% (of all life cover claims) | From £5 per month | ||
6 | 72% | 4.2 - 'Great' (based on all services) | 98.0% (of all life cover claims) | Information unavailable | ||
7 | 69% | 4.3 - 'Excellent' (based on all services) | 97.0% (of all life cover claims) | From £5 per month | ||
8 | 65% | 4.0 - 'Great' (based on all services) | 98% (of all life cover claims) | From £5 per month | ||
9 | 75% | 2.7 - 'Poor' (based on all life services) | 99.0% (of all life cover claims) | Information unavailable | ||
10 | 77% | 3.9 - 'Great' (based on all services) | 99.0% (of all life cover claims) | From £5 per month |
At Reassured, our aim is to find you the right cover for your needs at an affordable price, with quotes starting from just 20p-a-day † .
We can’t help you compare quotes from all the companies mentioned in this guide but we do work with a panel of leading providers including Aviva, Legal & General, LV= and more. Please note, Reassured can only offer cover to those who are 18 years old and above.
All quotes are fee-free and without obligation, so why not get in touch?
Our research suggested that the top 8 whole of life insurance companies are:
Below is a breakdown of our top 8 companies selling whole of life insurance policies. The information we have gathered is correct as of 31/07/24 but is subject to change at any time:
Insurer | Ranking | Pay out rate % | |||
1 | 79% | 4.0 - 'Great' (based on all services) | 99.4% (of all life cover claims) | ||
2 | 77% | 4.3 - 'Excellent' (based on all services) | 99.0% (of all protection claims) | ||
3 | 77% | 4.2 - 'Great' (based on all services) | 99.7% (of all life cover claims) | ||
4 | 85% | 4.9 - 'Great' (based on all services) | 99.0% (of all life cover claims) | ||
5 | 82% | 4.0 - 'Excellent' (based on all services) | 99.3% (of all life cover claims) | ||
6 | 75% | 2.6 - 'Poor' (based on all services) | 98.0% (of all life cover claims) | ||
7 | 75% | 4.0 - 'Great' (based on all services) | 97.0% (of all life cover claims) | ||
8 | 65% | 4.0 - 'Great' (based on all services) | 98.0% (of all life cover claims) |
Compare whole of life insurance from some of the UK’s best life insurance companies through Reassured. All our quotes are personalised, fee-free and without obligation.
Interested in protecting your income? Why not check out our best income protection insurance page for more information »
We strive to find you the best life insurance from our panel of providers, but why should you use our service?
The best life insurance policy for you will depend on your personal circumstances, what you’d like to cover and your budget.
There are multiple life insurance policy options, all suited to protecting different aspects of your life. These include:
Below is a breakdown of each policy type and their key characteristics:
Policy type | Pay out remains level | Pay out decreases | Fixed premiums | Commonly used to help protect | Cost |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Level term life insurance | A mortgage and/or family living costs | From 20p-a-day via Reassured † | |||
Decreasing term life insurance | A repayment mortgage | From 20p-a-day via Reassured ¥ | |||
Whole of life insurance | Funeral costs, an inheritance and/or inheritance tax bills | From 27p-a-day via Reassured's advised team ± | |||
Over 50 life insurance | Funeral costs and/or a small inheritance | From 20p-a-day via Reassured + |
Alternatively, a life insurance broker can provide all the information you need to know in order to make a fully informed decision.
Reassured can provide you with quotes for a variety of policies to help you find the best type of life insurance for your needs.
You can use our award-winning quote service completely free of charge.
The cost of life insurance can vary between providers. Therefore, it’s essential to compare multiple quotes.
Each insurer has a different underwriting process (the process of assessing your eligibility for cover), therefore the cost of monthly life insurance premiums could vary significantly.
The table below shows our best life insurance rates from some of the insurers that we use here at Reassured.
Quotes are based on a non-smoker, in good health, for a level term life insurance policy with a term length of 20 years and £150,000 of cover:
Age |
|
| |
---|---|---|---|
20 | £3.81 | £4.42 | £5.65 |
25 | £4.58 | £4.81 | £5.71 |
30 | £5.72 | £5.94 | £6.98 |
35 | £8.26 | £8.07 | £10.38 |
40 | £11.49 | £11.51 | £14.30 |
45 | £17.35 | £17.53 | £20.35 |
50 | £28.35 | £27.88 | £32.66 |
As you can see from the table, the price you pay can vary depending on the insurer, highlighting the importance of comparing multiple quotes.
Life insurance through our award-winning broker service starts from just 20p-a-day.
Below we have complied a list of some of the UK’s most popular life insurance companies:
Hopefully our review has helped to highlight the best UK life insurance companies.
While we have based our ratings on specific criteria, it’s important to note that the best insurer for you will be the one that offers the right cover to meet your needs at a price that fits your budget.
Why not save time and money by using our award-winning service to compare multiple life insurance quotes at once?
We’ll present you with our best deals from our panel of leading UK providers, free of charge.
Alternatively, if you know exactly what you’re looking for, you can use our buy online service to purchase a policy quickly and easily.
Take the first steps in financially protecting your loved ones and start your journey today.
What is life insurance?
Life insurance is a policy which can provide your loved ones with a cash pay out if you pass away during a set period (the policy term).
You’ll be able to choose a policy type to best meet your unique needs, ranging from term-based cover (level or decreasing) to whole of life. The cost of your policy will depend on which policy you choose, the cover amount (sum assured) and your personal circumstances.
Making a claim is a simple process and your loved ones can use the funds to ease the financial impact of your passing.
How does life insurance work?
Life insurance can work as easily as four simple steps:
Please note: if you pass away after your policy has expired, you cancel your policy or you stop paying your premiums, your loved ones won’t be able to claim on your policy.
Why do you need life insurance?
Life insurance can help to protect the financial future of your loved ones. It can be particularly beneficial if you have young children or anyone who would be financially impacted by your passing.
Often, the proceeds of a life insurance policy are used to allow loved ones to continue with their current standard of living if the worst were to happen.
A life insurance pay out could help to cover:
Who is the best life insurance company UK?
In 2024, Legal & General were named 'Life Insurance Provider of the Year (Direct)' at the annual Moneyfacts Consumer Awards[3].
This is the fifth year in a row they have been awarded this title.
The Moneyfacts Consumer Awards aim to recognise organisations such as banks, building societies, insurers and other financial service providers that are the best in their categories.
Over 200,000 consumers shared their views over a 12 month period.
What is the best age to get life insurance?
There’s no right or wrong time to get life insurance.
Often it’s a big life event, such as buying a house or starting a family, that triggers the need to secure financial protection.
We all experience these milestones at different times, so there’s no specific ‘best’ age.
However, the longer you delay securing a policy, the more you could pay for your monthly life insurance premium.
Premium prices tend to be cheapest when you’re young and in good health.
How do I choose the best life insurance cover?
There are a number of steps you can take to ensure the cover you’re securing is right for you:
What is the average cost of life insurance?
According to our internal research here at Reassured, the average cost of life insurance in the UK is £34.43 per month.
We calculated this cost based on 119,244 term life insurance policies sold between 01/01/23 - 31/12/23, with an average cover amount of £162,038.
All information used in this article has been taken from each providers website, Defaqto, Trustpilot and Fairer Finance and is correct as of 31/07/24
[1] https://www.aviva.com/about-us/how-we-are-organised/
[2] https://fortune.com/ranking/global500/2022/
[3] https://www.legalandgeneral.com/insurance/life-insurance/
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