Finding the best Life Insurance can be tricky. There are a range of different insurers and plans available, each with their own unique policy options and levels of cover. This can make the decision-making process overwhelming, and it can be difficult to know where to begin.
Not all policies are equal, and some will align more closely with your own specific needs and circumstances. With this in mind, it’s important to understand how they differ and what the key factors are you need to consider before taking out cover.
What Is Life Insurance?
Although different providers offer different types of cover, at its core, all Life Insurance is the same. In the event of your death, it pays out a previously agreed amount of money to your family, loved ones, or other nominated beneficiaries.
When it comes to finding Life Insurance, here are the need-to-knows:
- The “best” Life cover will differ from person to person – it all depends on your unique situation
- The cheapest policy isn’t always the best one for your needs
- Adjusting aspects of a policy can bring costs down, but a stripped-back policy isn’t often that useful
- Each insurer does things differently, so taking the time to compare policies and quotes is a must.
Compare The Top 8 UK Life Insurance Companies In 2025
The UK has a few major Life Insurance providers to choose from, each with their own unique policy types, pricing structure, and underwriting process.
There’s no one-size-fits-all when it comes to insurance. The “best” Life Insurance for you won’t necessarily be the best for someone else, as it all depends on your unique situation. That’s why it’s important to compare quotes and policies from different providers. And the cheapest quote isn’t always the best.
To help you, we’ve compared the top eight Life Insurance companies, looking at the pros and cons of each, and what their customers say about them:
- Aviva Life Insurance
- Guardian Life Insurance
- Legal & General Life Insurance
- LV= (Liverpool Victoria) Life Insurance
- Royal London Life Insurance
- Scottish Widows Life Insurance
- Vitality Life Insurance
- Zurich Life Insurance.
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As independent protection experts, we live and breathe Life Insurance and personal protection products, working closely with insurers every day. All our advisers are Cert CII qualified, and commit to Continued Professional Development in order to stay up to date with the latest products. Safe to say, we know the market inside out.
Aviva Life Insurance
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Aviva is one of the UK’s leading insurance providers, offering a wide range of financial services such as insurance, investments, pensions, and retirement planning.
Aviva offers flexible life insurance options tailored to your needs. You can choose from level, decreasing, or increasing cover, and there’s an option to add Critical Illness cover for an additional cost. Policies are available for anyone aged 18 to 77 and must end before your 91st birthday.
Pros And Cons Of Aviva Life Insurance
What Aviva Customers Say
With its high payout rate and generous free benefits, Aviva is a trusted provider of Life Insurance in the UK. Aviva currently has over 39,000 reviews on Trustpilot (72% of them giving 5⭐), giving them an average “great” score of 4.1/5 stars. Though it’s important to note that this is for the business as a whole, not just the Life Insurance offering.
Read our expert review of Aviva Life Insurance, or get a quote online in 60 seconds.
Guardian Life Insurance
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Guardian (or Guardian 1821) is making waves in the UK insurance market with its modern approach to protecting families and homes. Although the company’s roots go back over 200 years, it was relaunched in 2018 with a fresh focus on innovation and customer benefits.
Guardian offers two main options: Life Protection (includes level term, increasing, and decreasing cover with no standard exclusions), and Life Essentials (a more affordable option with similar benefits).
Both are available to UK residents aged 18 and over, with pricing based on factors like age, smoker status, and BMI.
Pros And Cons Of Guardian Life Insurance
What Guardian Customers Say
With its dual life cover and broad terminal illness protection, Guardian is popular with those looking for comprehensive coverage. However, Guardian currently has only three reviews on Trustpilot, giving them an “Average” score of 3.5/5 stars. This very small sample size makes it hard to gain an accurate picture of the customer experience.
Read our expert review of Guardian Life Insurance, or get a quote online in 60 seconds.
Legal & General Life Insurance
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Founded in 1836, Legal & General is the UK’s top Life Insurance provider with over 180 years of experience.
Known for affordable premiums and excellent customer service, it’s a trusted choice for protecting what matters most. Monthly premiums start as low as £5, making it accessible to nearly everyone.
Pros And Cons Of Legal & General Life Insurance
What Legal & General Customers Say
With its established reputation and high payout rate, Legal & General is a trusted choice for Life Insurance in the UK. Legal & General currently has over 17,000 reviews on Trustpilot (50% of them giving 5⭐), giving them an average “Great” score of 4.1/5 stars.
Read our expert review of Legal & General Life Insurance, or get a quote online in 60 seconds.
LV= (Liverpool Victoria) Life Insurance
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LV= (Liverpool Victoria) is a trusted name in UK insurance, serving over 6.5 million customers. Life insurance is one of their standout offerings, known for its flexibility and value.
Their products and services are highly-acclaimed, recently winning Outstanding Insurer of the Year 2023 and 5 Star Critical Illness Cover at the 2023 Lifesearch Awards and 2023 Moneyfacts Awards respectively.
Pros And Cons Of LV=Life Insurance
What LV= Customers Say
With its established reputation and excellent customer reviews, LV= is a trusted provider of Life Insurance in the UK. LV= currently has over 75,000 reviews on Trustpilot (80% of them giving 5⭐), giving them an average “Excellent” score of 4.5/5 stars.
Read our expert review of LV= Life Insurance, or get a quote online in 60 seconds.
EXPERT TIP 🤓
When looking for the best Life Insurance UK, there isn’t a single provider that’s “better than the rest”, but there will be a provider that’s best for your individual needs. It’s a good idea to get independent advice from an expert before taking out a policy. Call us on 02084327333 or email
help@drewberry.co.uk to chat through your options.
Royal London Life Insurance
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Royal London is the UK’s largest mutual insurance and pensions provider, trusted by over 8.6 million customers.
Since 1861, they’ve been protecting families, homes, and businesses with a wide range of customisable Life Insurance options, including specialist cover for people with conditions like diabetes.
Pros And Cons Of Royal London Life Insurance
With an established reputation and tailored cover, Royal London is a solid provider of Life Insurance in the UK. Royal London currently has over 2,400 reviews on Trustpilot (68% of them giving 5⭐), giving them an average “Great” score of 4.2/5 stars.
Read our expert review of Royal London Life Insurance, or get a quote online in 60 seconds.
Scottish Widows Life Insurance
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Scottish Widows is one of the UK’s top Life Insurance providers, with nearly six million customers and a legacy of over 200 years.
Known for their flexible policies and customer-first approach, they continue to be a popular choice for families and individuals seeking financial protection.
Pros And Cons Of Scottish Widows Life Insurance
What Scottish Widows Customers Say
With its established presence and excellent payout rates, Scottish Widows is a trusted name in the UK Life Insurance market. Scottish Widows currently has over 5,600 reviews on Trustpilot (63% of them giving 5⭐), giving them an average “Excellent” score of 4.3/5 stars.
Read our expert review of Scottish Widows Life Insurance, or get a quote online in 60 seconds.
Vitality Life Insurance
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Vitality Life Insurance is a standout choice for many UK customers, combining comprehensive cover with innovative benefits.
With over 1 million members, it offers more than just financial protection—it helps you live a healthier, more rewarding life.
Pros And Cons Of Vitality Life Insurance
What Vitality Customers Say
With its unique rewards and savings system, Vitality is popular for the tech-savvy and those looking to improve their lifestyle. Vitality currently has over 46,000 reviews on Trustpilot (69% of them giving 5⭐), giving them an average “Excellent” score of 4.3/5 stars.
Read our expert review of Vitality Life Insurance, or get a quote online in 60 seconds.
Zurich Life Insurance
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Zurich is a well-established global insurer, recognised for its strong presence in over 215 countries.
They offer a variety of insurance products, and is known for offering flexible and comprehensive policies that can be tailored to your specific needs.
Pros And Cons Of Zurich Life Insurance
What Zurich Customers Say
With a global reputation and flexible coverage, Zurich is an established presence in the UK Life Insurance market. Zurich currently has almost 3,000 reviews on Trustpilot (62% of them giving 5⭐), giving them an average “Great” score of 4.0/5 stars.
Read our expert review of Zurich Life Insurance, or get a quote online in 60 seconds.
Our expert in-depth review of each of the UK's leading providers
Do Life Insurance Providers Actually Pay Out?
There’s often a stigma around insurers and the idea that they’ll do anything to get out of paying. But the evidence shows quite the opposite.
When it comes to Life Insurance providers, the Association of British Insurers (ABI) found that UK insurers paid out a record total of £7.34 billion to claimants in 2023 – a 14% total increase compared to 2022.
The ABI also states the most common reason for denied claims being policyholders failing to disclose existing medical conditions when they took out the policy – so it’s crucial to be as open and honest as possible about your existing health conditions or hazardous hobbies.
To see how different insurers pay out, take a look at our guide: Life Insurance Claim Payout Rates By Insurer.
It can be overwhelming knowing where to start. Give us a call on 02084327333 or email help@drewberry.co.uk to chat to one of our friendly advisers. We love insurance, so you don’t have to.
IMPORTANT❗️
You shouldn’t use payout statistics alone to decide which insurer offers the best Life Insurance. Instead, use them as a rough guide to compare successful Life Insurance claims across the industry as a whole.
Which Life Insurance Company Has The Best Reviews?
An important part of any Life Insurance purchase is getting the lowdown from real customers. Here are the top Life Insurance companies that get the best reviews:
What Does The Best Life Insurance Cover?
Life Insurance pays a lump sum of money to your loved ones or a nominated beneficiary if you pass away during the policy term. You’ll also get a payout if you become terminally ill, where a doctor says you have less than 12 months to live.
The money received can be used for any reason, with many people choosing to:
- Provide financial security to their loved ones after they’re gone
- Repay a mortgage or other debts
- Cover funeral expenses — the average funeral now costs more than £4,000
- Protect against a large inheritance tax bill (a gift inter vivos policy).
Get the rundown on Life Insurance and what to consider before buying a policy in just five minutes 👇
What’s Not Covered By Life Insurance?
Even the top Life Insurance companies won’t pay out in certain situations. These include if the death is:
- Self-inflicted
- Caused by misuse of drugs or alcohol
- Due to involvement in terrorist activity or war
- Caused by reckless activity or gross negligence.
Death by suicide is excluded with most insurers. However, it’s usually only excluded for a set period of time after taking out the policy – typically 12 months.
What About Additional Benefits?
Life Insurance isn’t the most exciting thing to buy, which is why nearly all policies come with a suit of additional services that you can use when you’re not making a claim. It’s a way of giving you a little more value for money, designed with your long-term health and wellbeing in mind.
Each insurer has something different to offer, which is why it’s so important to compare different policies before buying. However, the most common ones include:
Do You Really Need Life Insurance?
Life Insurance provides a financial safety net for your loved ones should you pass away. It’s a lifeline if any of the following situations apply to you.
You Have Children
It’s worth considering Life Insurance to make sure your family is taken care of if you’re not around. Maybe you want it to cover school fees for younger children or university costs for older ones. You can choose coverage that lasts until your child is an adult, usually 18, but this can be extended.
You Have A Mortgage
While Life Insurance isn’t a mandatory requirement for obtaining a mortgage, it’s a smart way to provide a financial safety net. Ask yourself: could your partner continue to pay the mortgage without you? With Life Insurance in place, they could pay off the mortgage should the worst happen.
EXPERT TIP 🤓
In this situation, it’s best to opt for decreasing term Life Insurance, as the payout reduces over time as you chip away at your mortgage.
You’re Married/Civil Partnership Or Live With Your Partner
Think about how your partner would manage financially without you. You can choose a fixed payout insurance (level term) or one that increases over time to keep up with the cost of living (increasing term).
If both you and your partner want insurance, getting two separate policies might be smarter than one joint Life Insurance policy. With separate policies, if something happens to both of you, there would be two payouts instead of just one with a joint policy.
You Want To Handle Inheritance Tax
If you’re worried about a big inheritance tax bill on your estate, you can set up a Life Insurance policy in a trust to cover this tax. This way, your family gets to keep your whole estate without having to sell assets to pay off the tax bill. Read more about writing Life Insurance into trust.
Why Award Winning Blogger Mrs Mummypenny Took Out Cover
Self-employed mummy blogger Mrs Mummypenny took out Life Insurance to ensure financial security and peace of mind. With her policy, she knows her family would be cared for financially if the unexpected were to happen, offering reassurance in an uncertain world.
Which Type Of Life Insurance Is Best?
There are a number of factors you can look at to help you judge the quality of a Life Insurance policy. These include:
- How clearly the policy is worded
- The amount and type of things that are excluded from your cover
- If the premiums are guaranteed to stay the same, or if they’ll go up
- If there are any optional extra areas of cover
- The amount of Life Insurance claims that are actually paid.
And most importantly: you need to think about value for money. Just because a Life Insurance policy is the cheapest, doesn’t make it the best. You’re looking for the right policy at the right price.
Different Types Of Cover
Before thinking in any detail about Life Insurance, you need to work out which type of Life Insurance policy you actually need. This depends on what you’re looking to protect, as well as the needs of you and your family.
Term Life Insurance
The most common type of Life Insurance is known as term Life Insurance, where you choose a specific period (the term) during which the policy provides coverage. There are three primary kinds of term Life Insurance:
- Decreasing Term Life Insurance
Decreasing Term Life Insurance is where the lump sum payout decreases over time, reaching zero at its end. It’s a good option for covering repayment mortgages, where the amount you owe decreases over time as you make capital and interest repayments.
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- Level Term Life Insurance
With Level Term Life Insurance, the payout is the same in the first year as in the last. It’s therefore generally better for covering interest-only mortgages. With such mortgages, you only make interest payments so the capital balance you owe doesn’t fall over time. It’s also useful to provide a consistent level of financial protection for your loved ones.
- Increasing Term Life Insurance
Increasing term Life Insurance is where the amount paid out upon death increases over time, either by a set percentage or in line with inflation measures like the Retail Prices Index (RPI) or the Consumer Price Index (CPI). This costs more due to the rising potential payout.
Family Income Benefit
Family Income Benefit provides a regular income to your dependents rather than one lump sum. This offers a more manageable benefit to replace lost income so your loved ones can maintain their lifestyle should you pass away.
Whole Of Life Insurance
Whole of Life Assurance might be the right option if your loved ones will definitely need a lump sum after you’ve gone, possibly to pay funeral costs or meet an inheritance tax bill.
With this type of Life Assurance, there’s no set policy length. It lasts until your death and pays out whenever this might be (providing you keep paying premiums).
Over 50s Life Insurance
This type of Life Insurance is specifically designed for seniors. Life Insurance gets more expensive as you get older, but it can still be a worthwhile investment, especially since many people are buying homes and having kids later in life. If you’re feeling confused, give our experts a call on 02084327333 to get free advice.
How To Get The Best Life Insurance Premiums
To secure the best life insurance rates, it’s essential to understand the factors that influence premium costs. Some factors, like policy details, can be adjusted, while others, such as personal circumstances, are beyond your control.
Policy Factors (Things You Can Change)
Sum Assured
This is how much you want the policy to pay out if you pass away. The larger your sum assured, the higher your Life Insurance premiums will be
Policy Length
How long you want the policy to last. The longer you need Life Insurance, the higher your premiums will be (due to the greater risk of you dying as you get older.
Type Of Cover
Level term Life Insurance cover is more expensive than decreasing term Life Insurance as the benefit is fixed for the policy term. Meanwhile, premiums for increasing cover will rise alongside your benefit.
Personal Factors (Things You Can’t Change)
Age
The older you are when you take out the policy, the more it’ll cost.
Health And Medical History
Insurers look at your health, including factors such as your height and weight. If you have certain medical conditions, the insurer will likely charge more to compensate for the increased risk of passing away.
Smoker Status
Smokers are more likely to die prematurely than non-smokers. Insurers therefore charge them more.
Occupation
If you work in a riskier role, such as on a construction site or at heights, you run a greater risk of death in your daily life than the typical desk worker. Higher risk roles generally therefore mean higher premiums.
Is Life Insurance Expensive?
The average cost of Life Insurance isn’t as expensive as you might think. In fact, looking at the most recent quotes on the market, you could pay as little as £9 a month for a policy, depending on your circumstances.
Though if you’re older, have any health conditions, or smoke you can expect to pay more. And combining Critical Illness Cover with Life Insurance will also raise the price.
Most Life Insurance premiums usually stay the same throughout the duration of your policy, so you don’t have to worry about monthly costs going up. But it’s crucial to do your research and get financial advice to compare different Life Insurance options. It’s typically a long-term commitment that you’ll keep for much of your adult life.
Average Cost Of Life Insurance
To give you an example of what Life Insurance might cost, we’ve provided monthly quotes below based on someone who is:
- A healthy non-smoker
- Employed in a desk-based role
- Seeking £250,000 of Life Insurance to age 65
- Applying for cover as a single individual, not a joint Life Insurance policy.
These premiums are the cheapest available that meet the above criteria. However, the best Life Insurance provider will not necessarily be the cheapest.
One provider might have better additional benefits or a range of other factors that are an improvement over the cheapest option. Get your quotes to compare premiums from the top UK Life Insurance companies.
The Best Life Insurance Policy Add-Ons
Many top Life Insurance providers offer a variety of additional benefits alongside their core policy coverage. These extras may be included as standard or available for an additional premium.
Critical Illness Cover Included
Most Life Insurance policies will offer Critical Illness Insurance as an add-on. If you choose this cover, it will increase the price of your premium. However, this is likely to be a better choice in terms of price than taking out Life Insurance plus a separate Critical IIllness Cover policy.
Terminal Illness Cover
Terminal illness cover is usually a standard feature of Life Insurance policies, allowing for a payout to be made before the policyholder’s death if they’re diagnosed with a terminal condition (having less than 12 months to live). This means you have some financial support for you and your loved ones during this difficult time.
Guaranteed Premiums
Guaranteed Life Insurance premiums – where the monthly sum you pay doesn’t change through the life of the policy – are generally seen as “better” than reviewable Life Insurance premiums. This is because the insurer can’t change the amount they charge you.
While reviewable premiums may be cheaper at the outset, they can become significantly more expensive in the long term as insurers are free to raise premiums over time.
Waiver of Premium
Paying a bit more for a waiver of premium means that you can pause your payments while still keeping the Life Insurance policy in place. For example, if you can’t work because you’ve become seriously ill.
Flexible Lifestyle Options
Policies can come with an enormous range of flexible options that can seem great to cope with changing, unpredictable circumstances. But you also need to remember that the more flexibility you build into a product, the more you’re likely to pay in premiums.
Some common options include:
- Guaranteed insurability
Allows you to increase your level of cover without a further medical assessment
- Benefit indexation
The level of your potential payout will increase in line with inflation
- Renewable Term Life Insurance
Gives the option to renew at the end of the policy without a further medical assessment
- Convertible Term Life Insurance
Can be turned into a whole of life policy without a further medical assessment.
What Else Do You Get When Buying Life Insurance?
At their core, all Life Insurance policies pay out money if you pass away. It’s not the most enjoyable thing to spend money on, so insurers differentiate themselves by offering additional benefits as part of your policy.
These benefits commonly include:
- Digital GP services
- An advance from your benefit towards your funeral / probate fees if your benefit is tied up in probate
- Mental health support
- Support with bereavement for your family after a claim
- Access to estate planning / will writing / power of attorney services.
Do I Need Life Insurance For A Mortgage?
No, you don’t need Life Insurance to get a mortgage. It’s not a legal or regulatory requirement. However, it’s worth considering what would happen to that mortgage if you were to pass away before repaying the debt.
Could your family take on the debt and meet the mortgage repayments if they wanted to continue living in the property? If not, would they have to uproot themselves and downsize to something more affordable?
Mortgage Life Insurance will repay the mortgage should you pass away, meaning your loved ones don’t have to worry about how to afford housing costs after you’re gone.
Should I Add Critical Illness Cover To Life Insurance?
Whether you need to add Critical Illness Cover to your Life Insurance policy depends on your circumstances.
Firstly, it’s worth noting whether a critical illness would likely cause financial difficulties. If so, it’s a good idea to cover your mortgage or other expenses with this type of insurance.
Should I Write My Life Insurance Into Trust?
Writing your Life Insurance into trust means the insurer pays your benefit into a trust first, and then passes it to your family. As a result, the payout never becomes part of your estate and is therefore more efficient when it comes to inheritance tax.
While this is available with every insurer, the best Life Insurance providers let you do this easily online. This is opposed to the traditional way with wet signatures and paper forms going back and forth to trustees and the insurer.
If your insurer offers online trusts, your adviser can set up your trust with you when you apply. It’s a much smoother process that’s easier for everyone. Give us a call on 02084327333 or email help@drewberry.co.uk for free advice.
Compare Best Life Insurance Quotes And Get Expert Advice
Finding the best Life Insurance isn’t easy. There are multiple policy options to look at, all of which affect the cost of premiums and the coverage available.
At Drewberry, protecting you and your family is what we get out of bed for. We do this every day, so we’ve got the expertise to find you the right policy at the right price.
For expert help and fee-free advice, give us a call on 02084327333 or email help@drewberry.co.uk.
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We started Drewberry™ because we were tired of being treated like a number.
We all deserve a first class service when it comes to issues as important as protecting our health and our finances. Below are just a few reasons why it makes sense to talk to us.
