5 star defaqto rated critical illness cover with L&G

Critical Illness Cover

Take care of yourself – and your family

  • Extra cover to help your recovery​
  • A range of specified illnesses covered​​
  • Children's critical illness cover included  
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Our life insurance product has an ‘Excellent’ star label with ratings of 4.3 stars out of 5. Read reviews from customers like you.

Reviewed by Lisa Redman on 29th January 2026.

What is Critical Illness Cover?

Critical Illness Cover offers you and your loved ones financial protection if you find yourself being diagnosed with a critical illness. It could help with childcare costs, household bills or to help maintain your standard of living if you're forced to take time off work to recover. Our Critical Illness Cover can be added for an extra cost when taking out Life Insurance or Decreasing Life Insurance.

Get a Life Insurance and Critical Illness Cover quote

Or call us on 0800 316 5591
8.30am to 8pm Monday to Friday
9am to 1pm Saturday

We may record and monitor calls

Critical Illness Cover - uncovered

If you experience a serious illness, Critical Illness Cover can protect you and your loved ones. In this video Barry breaks down the key differences between Critical Illness Cover and Terminal Illness Cover.

For further in-depth information about Critical Illness Cover you can read our Critical Illness Cover details. You may also wish to explore what critical illness conditions we cover.

What is Critical Illness Cover video thumbnail

How does Critical Illness Cover work?

  • Life insurance with critical illness. When taking out Life Insurance or Decreasing Life Insurance you'll have the option to add Critical Illness Cover for an extra cost. You choose the amount of cover you need and how long you need it for.

  • Cash sum payout. You and your loved ones could receive a cash sum if you’re diagnosed with - or undergo a medical procedure for - one of the specified critical illnesses that we cover during the length of your policy, and you survive for 14 days from diagnosis.

  • Supporting benefits. You'll also get access to our Wellbeing Support service to support your mental health and wellbeing. Plus Care Concierge, a personal service to help with adult care.

Critical Illness Cover details

What's covered

  • You'll be covered if you're diagnosed with or undergo a medical procedure for one of the critical illnesses we cover and you survive for 14 days from diagnosis.
  • We'll pay out your cover amount in full. Your policy will then come to an end.
  • The list of illnesses we cover includes many types of cancer, heart attack and stroke. See the full list of illnesses covered.
  • Children’s Critical Illness Cover is automatically included.
  • You may be able to increase the amount of cover without answering further medical questions. Read more about changing your policy.

Additional cover

We also provide additional cover for the following:

  • Carcinoma in situ of the breast – treated by surgery.
  • Low grade prostate cancer – requiring treatment.

Claims paid under additional cover will not reduce your amount of cover or change your premiums. We'll pay out once for each 'Additional Cover', if you have a joint life policy, each person can claim once per condition. Terms and conditions apply.

If you are an existing customer please refer to your policy documents for details of your cover.

Things you need to know

  • If you die then the cover will end for a single life policy. If you have a joint policy, when the first person dies and makes a valid claim, you may be able to continue with your Critical Illness Cover policy.
  • We won't pay out if you’re diagnosed with or undergo a medical procedure for a critical illness that doesn't meet our definition or if death occurs within 14 days of diagnosis of one of the critical illnesses we cover.
  • If some elements of cover are restricted based on the information you give us, you'll be informed of any exclusions during your application process.
  • Some types of cancer are not included and you need to have permanent symptoms to make a claim for some illnesses.
  • This is not a savings or investment product and has no cash value unless a valid claim is made.

Please read the key documents before you apply. If you are an existing customer please refer to your policy documents for details of your cover.

Why choose Critical Illness Cover?

Quick and easy

Get a free quote online in 2 minutes. You could be covered in just 20.

We're there when you need

We're proud of our high payout rates. In fact, we paid out £303 million in Critical Illness Cover claims in 2024, helping thousands of people and their families.

Cover for your children

Children’s Critical Illness Cover will be automatically included on your policy.

Do I need Critical Illness Cover?

Would your loved ones manage financially if you were critically ill? Critical Illness Cover could provide a financial lifeline when you need it most.

A critical illness can affect anyone at any age and unfortunately, can turn lives upside down. But if you have a back-up plan in place, you can alleviate some of the financial stress of the situation.

Of course, everyone's situation is different. Some people may use their savings to supplement their loss of income, while others may rely on an employment benefit package. But for many, some form of critical illness insurance provides peace of mind.

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£100 gift card after you take out cover

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Get a free quote in a few simple steps

Hear their story

Naturally, a critical illness diagnosis is a shock to the system for any family. Learn how L&G Critical Illness Cover has helped our customers both financially and emotionally at a challenging time.

Jack's Story

Can I get Critical Illness Cover without life insurance?

Mother and daughter hugging in the kitchen

You can’t take out Critical Illness Cover only – it needs to be taken out with a Life Insurance or Decreasing Life Insurance policy.

However, you can choose the amount of Critical Illness Cover you need to suit your needs. Your cover doesn't need to match the amount of Life Insurance or Decreasing Life Insurance you take out – it can be less but it cannot be more.

Am I eligible for Critical Illness Cover?

To be eligible for Critical Illness Cover, you’ll need to be:

  •  A UK resident

  • Aged 67 or younger (min 18)

  • Aged under 75 when the policy ends

The minimum term length is two years, and the maximum length of a policy is 50 years.

Young family with laptop

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.

Defaqto 5 Star Rated

5 Star Defaqto rated cover - the highest rating possible!

There when you need us

In 2024 we paid out £583 million in life claims, helping more than 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.

Supporting benefits

Wellbeing Support service

We know that the pressures of everyday life can sometimes be stressful, and can impact your wellbeing in lots of ways. From day one of your policy you'll have access to our dedicated Wellbeing Support service.

 

  • Dedicated support and help from a dedicated nurse can range from a reassuring chat, information, advice and guidance, to a clinical assessment and organising additional services.
  • Day one support. Support is included as standard from day one of your policy for you or your immediate family living at home.
  • Get the help you need. You don't need to claim on your policy – you can simply get in touch with your nurse directly.

Care Concierge

Care Concierge is personal service to help understand and find adult and later life care. There's a lot to consider when looking for care, and it's important that you or your loved one get the support they need.

 

  • 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. 
  • Available to the policyholder, their partner, children and parents.
  • Tailored 1:1 impartial advice. Our Care Concierge team have extensive knowledge of the care industry and are completely impartial, allowing you to make an informed decision on the care option that is right for you.

Critical Illness Cover FAQs

You must be a UK resident when you apply to be eligible. The maximum age limit for taking out Critical Illness Cover is 67, and the minimum term length is two years. What’s more, your policy must end before you turn 75, and the maximum length of your policy is 50 years.

Depending on your medical history, some conditions may be excluded from your policy but each application is looked at on an individual basis. You'll be informed of any exclusions during your application process.

For more information, please refer to our Policy Summary PDF. If you are an existing customer please refer to your policy documents for details of your cover.

L&G’s Critical Illness Cover covers a range of specified critical illnesses. This includes various cancers, excluding less advanced cases.

The list of illnesses we cover includes many types of cancer, heart attack and stroke. However, some types of cancer are not included and you need to have permanent symptoms to make a claim for some illnesses.

For more information on Critical Illness Cover, list of the illnesses we cover

You can still apply for Critical Illness Cover after you’ve been diagnosed with a health condition. Each application is considered on an individual basis, but some conditions may be excluded from your Critical Illness Cover (you’ll be informed of any exclusions during the application) and in some circumstances we wouldn't be able to offer cover at all. Read more on our Policy Summary PDF.  If you are an existing customer please refer to your policy documents for details of your cover.

The main difference between Critical Illness Cover and Terminal Illness Cover is that Critical Illness Cover is designed to payout if you are diagnosed with one of the specified critical illnesses that we cover. Terminal Illness Cover pays out if you are diagnosed with a terminal illness (when life expectancy is less than 12 months).

What’s more, whether you’re taking out Life Insurance to protect your family’s overall finances, or Decreasing Life Insurance to cover a repayment mortgage, Critical Illness Cover is added at an extra cost. In contrast, Terminal Illness Cover is automatically included with these policies at no extra cost.

Finally, a Terminal Illness Cover payout brings a life insurance policy to an end; in contrast, Critical Illness Cover can pay out separately to your life insurance.

Learn more about the differences between terminal illness cover and critical illness cover.

 

Yes, we will automatically include Children's Critical Illness Cover when you select Critical Illness Cover. If your child is diagnosed with a critical illness that we cover, we could pay out £25,000 or 50% of your cover amount, whichever is lowest. 

There are additional benefits included too such as Childcare Benefit and Family Accommodation Benefit. Learn more about Children's Critical Illness Cover.

Further eligibility criteria and exclusions apply, so please read the Guide to Critical Illness Cover PDF for more information, and the Critical Illness Cover Policy Terms and Conditions PDF to see what is and isn’t covered. If you are an existing customer please refer to your policy documents for details of your cover.

Your premiums are guaranteed to stay the same unless you make any changes to your policy. Compared to some life insurance providers that offer variable premiums, L&G offer fixed premium life insurance policies.

 

We're here to help you make a claim quickly and simply.

If your policy includes Critical Illness Cover, you may be eligible to make a claim. You can check your policy details anytime by logging into My Account.

To start your claim please visit how do I make a claim where there is all the information you'll need to start your claim. 

The easiest way to start your claim is to begin online through My Account, here you can submit your claim, upload documents, and track progress from any device - mobile, tablet or computer. This service is quick, secure and available 24/7.

If you need more help and prefer to speak to someone you can call our claims team, Monday to Friday between 9am and 5pm. The telephone number you need is 0800 068 0789.

You can also use the same telephone number to make a claim under children’s critical illness cover or additional cover for the ‘Carcinoma in situ of the breast’ or 'low grade prostate cancer' definitions.

We understand it can be distressing when you need to make a claim. You have free access to the following services as part of your policy:

Wellbeing support - Whether you need a reassuring chat, some information, or help getting through a challenging time - to name a few, we're here to help.

Care concierge - A free confidential telephone advisory service that can help you understand and find adult care.

How do I make a claim

When you applied for protection, you told us how long you needed cover to last. Your policy will remain live for this length of time as long as your premiums are up to date.

The easiest way to view and manage your policy is to access My Account where you can log in or register. Or use the Policy Documents Request Form to get a policy summary by email. We can only send to the email address that we currently hold on our records. Find out more about our Privacy Policy.

You could also check your bank statements for payments to other insurance companies.

Yes, but we recommend speaking to your financial adviser before cancelling a policy. 

If you cancel your policy within the first 30 days, we’ll refund any premiums paid. After 30 days, no premiums will be refunded. We’ll require authority from each policy holder(s). If you pay annually, you will receive a proportionate refund of your annual premium.

Please call us on 0330 828 3117, we're open 9am to 6pm, Monday to Friday.
We may record and monitor calls. Call charges will vary.

Or you can cancel online.

Related information and products

Young couple drinking coffee

Additional benefits

Our Critical Illness Cover automatically includes a number of additional benefits, such as Children's Critical Illness Cover.

Toddler with parents

Life Insurance

If you're looking for life cover that doesn't decrease over time to help protect your family or  mortgage, take a look at our Life Insurance where the amount of cover stays the same throughout the length of the policy.

Kids running in house

Decreasing Life Insurance

If you're looking for life cover to specifically cover a repayment mortgage, take a look at our Decreasing Life Insurance where the amount of cover reduces roughly in line with the way a repayment mortgage reduces.  

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Our Life Insurance product reviews


As of 29 January 2026, 1,409 customers have rated our life insurance giving the product an average star rating of 4.3 out of 5 on Trustpilot. The score of 4.3 corresponds to the star label ‘Excellent’. It includes reviews from customers who’ve claimed on a policy.

 

Meet our expert
Lisa Redman

Lisa Redman

Senior Propositions Manager, Retail Protection

Lisa works in UK Retail Protection Proposition Development team and is responsible for identifying and assessing new product and proposition enhancements to meet customer needs, with a strong emphasis on regulatory compliance ensuring all required governance is completed.

More about Lisa