Choosing the best life insurance
The best life insurance is of course subjective, as everyone has different needs when it comes to their financial protection. But as we’ll explore, there are some independent criteria – from awards to customer feedback – that could give you a sense of each life insurance provider’s offering and reputation.
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How to pick the best life insurance for your needs
Life insurance can provide financial support to your loved ones if you die while covered by a policy. But is there really such a thing as the best life insurance? In reality, your work situations, family dynamics and financial commitments will be different to others.
Which life insurance is right for me?
Just as every household is different, life insurance policies come in various forms, so the ‘best’ policy depends on your needs. To help you decide, here is a brief summary of the types of life insurance policy you may encounter.
Level term life insurance – the payout amount is fixed, regardless of when a claim is made during the policy term.
Decreasing life insurance – the payout reduces over time, roughly in line with how a repayment mortgage reduces
Whole of life insurance – offers lifetime cover, not just a specified amount of time. You would need to speak with a financial adviser for more information on this type of policy.
How to choose the best UK life insurance provider
There are hundreds of life insurance providers in the UK, so to help you choose the best option, here are some factors you might want to consider when you compare life insurance providers.
- Consumer protection. It's sensible to choose a life insurance company that's subject to UK regulations, which is required in order to be financially stable. If the insurer cannot pay its claims, a government backed scheme (FSCS) pays compensation.
- How the policy compares. There is more than one type of life insurance available. Shop around for an insurer that offers the type of policy you need.
- Do they pay out? People buy life insurance to protect their loved ones. It's a good idea to check the insurers’ payout record for peace of mind.
- Reputation. Does the life insurance provider have a track record in the industry and positive customer reviews?
- Additional features. Some insurers provide extra benefits, such as the ability to make changes to your policy, and cover for terminal illnesses and accidental deaths.
Why get life insurance with L&G?
We've been protecting families like yours for over 185 years. You can trust us to provide expert cover and supporting benefits.
There when you need us
In 2025 we paid out over £527 million in life claims, that's an average of £1.4 million every single day. Helping almost 14,000 people and their families.
Wellbeing Support
We've partnered with RedArc Assured Limited to bring you our Wellbeing Support service, offering phone-based services to support your mental health and wellbeing.
Care Concierge
Free access to our team of Care Experts, offering confidential and impartial telephone guidance. This can help you or loved ones understand and find adult and later life care. Find out more.
James Shattock, Managing Director, Protection and Retail Retirement, L&G:
“Protection is more than paying a claim, it’s about supporting individuals and families when they need us most, keeping them protected, and helping them recover afterwards. We’re committed to continuously improving the claims journey by investing in our people, processes and digital solutions, so it’s efficient, transparent and flexible for customers during difficult times. For example, our fully digitised claims journey is already making a positive difference, allowing customers and their loved ones to start, pause and resume a claim whenever they’re ready.”
How does L&G compare?
We’re proud to have a well-earned reputation as being among the best life insurance providers.
Award winning
We were immensely proud to be awarded Moneyfacts Life Insurance Provider of the Year (Direct) at the 2026 annual Consumer Moneyfacts awards for the seventh consecutive year.
Rated 5 star
Our life insurance is 5 Star Defaqto rated - the highest rating possible!
Why you can trust L&G - Barry's story
Trust and reliability are major factors when choosing the best life insurance, but for us it's hearing how our products have really made a difference to our customers lives.
Helpful tools
If you're not sure which of our products might suit your needs, take a look at our useful types of life insurance article which could help you decide the right product for you.
You can also use our life insurance calculator to help you work out how much cover you might need.
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