Life insurance for smokers
There are now more vapers in the UK than smokers, but is vaping classed as smoking when it comes to life insurance?
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The number of smokers in the UK has decreased over the years, and there are now 5.3 million smokers versus 5.4 million vapers, according to the Office of National Statistics data released in 2024. Understandably, life insurance is becoming a priority for vapers as well as smokers.
Yes, vaping is effectively classed as smoking for life insurance purposes. So whether you smoke or vape, it will influence your monthly premiums in exactly the same way, making them higher than for non-smokers.
While e-cigarettes can help people quit smoking, the exact health impact of vaping is still widely debated. For example, NHS guidance explains that although nicotine vaping is “less harmful than smoking”, it is “not risk-free”.
Until there is more evidence about the health implications of using e-cigarettes, vaping will be judged by insurers in much the same ways as life insurance for smokers.
Insurance companies rely on simple facts and statistics to decide whether they can provide a policy and how much it will cost. When it comes to smokers, the fact is that they're statistically more likely to risk ill health, disease and death at an earlier age. As an insurance company is more likely to receive a life insurance or critical illness cover claim from a smoker, the premium (what you pay each month) is more expensive.
Smoking comes at a cost – not only to your health, but your life insurance premiums. But what might you expect to pay for a life insurance policy as a smoker versus a non-smoker?
What is considered a 'non-smoker' for life insurance?
To be considered a non-smoker when you apply for life insurance, you’ll need to have not smoked any cigarettes, cigars, a pipe (including shisha/hookah), or used vapes, e-cigarettes or nicotine replacements at all in the last 12 months, even if the product used did not contain any nicotine.
If I quit smoking, will this affect my life insurance policy?
If you have a policy with L&G and have stopped smoking, your current policy or premiums would be unaffected, and the policy would still be valid.
However, provided you meet our definition of a non-smoker, you could be eligible to take out cover as a non-smoker after 12 months, which may affect the cost of a new policy. When cover is being replaced, it is normally a good idea to wait until your new cover starts before cancelling existing policies.
What happens if I switch from cigarettes to vaping?
If you have life insurance, switching from cigarettes to vaping won’t automatically have an impact on your policy. Your premiums are fixed when you take out life insurance, and while you might decide to cancel and take out a new policy, it’s worth remembering that vaping and smoking are classed as the same thing when it comes to life insurance.
What about 0mg or nicotine-free vapes?
You will still be classified as a smoker for L&G life insurance purposes even if you use nicotine-free vapes. This is because the long-term health impact of these products remains unclear.
Will occasional smoking affect how much I pay?
If you’re a smoker when you apply for life insurance, you will pay higher premiums versus a non-smoker – leaving aside other considerations such as your age, occupation and family health history.
Whether you get through a few packs a day or just find yourself tempted by the occasional smoke when out with friends, it amounts to the same thing for insurers.
How do life insurance companies know whether you smoke?
While it might be tempting, especially if you’re only an occasional smoker, to be less than fully forthcoming when applying for life insurance, it’s not the wisest course of action. Insurance companies may ask for medical information when an application is made. If you do become ill and need to claim, your medical records could soon make it clear that you’re a smoker.
Is there a life insurance smoking test?
Yes, L&G may ask you to attend a smoking test before your life insurance application can be approved. If you have told us you are a non-smoker, you may be invited to a medical exam, which can also include a blood test to determine any increased risk of death.
What happens to my life insurance if I lie about smoking?
If you put false information about your smoker status on your life insurance application, then once a claim is made on your policy, any cash payout could be reduced, or the policy invalidated altogether.
Help with quitting smoking
No matter how determined you may be, or how much you might want to reduce your premiums, giving up smoking is notoriously difficult for many people. Though help is available – check out the NHS website for practical, quick and simple steps to help you quit. You can also read our guide to kicking the habit.
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