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Help and support Life Cover Options

Here you can find answers to common questions about our Over 50s Life Cover and Life insurance. You can also find out how to make a claim, if you have lost a loved one or been diagnosed with a terminal illness.  How to get in touch with us.

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Common life insurance questions

Life insurance

Post Office Life Insurance is a life assurance policy that pays an amount of money (cash sum) if, during your chosen policy term, you die or are diagnosed with a terminal illness that meets the definition, as per the terms and conditions. 

If we pay your cash sum your policy will end. If you're still alive at the end of your policy term and haven't been diagnosed with a terminal illness, your policy will end and you won't receive a pay-out.

Is your partner the main income earner? Would they need to continue working if you died? Life insurance could help them pay someone to do tasks you currently do around the house or elsewhere. Housework, preparing meals, looking after your children and so on.

Yes, you can. Joint life insurance protects two people under one policy with one monthly premium payment, but only pays out once if a policy holder dies within the term. Two single policies protect each policyholder separately but will mean paying two premiums each month. Which option is right for you?

You can choose to add critical illness cover to your Post Office Life Insurance policy, at additional cost, when you apply. Find out more about critical illness cover.

Yes, like critical illness cover, you can add the optional children's cover, at additional cost, when you apply for your Post Office Life Insurance policy. Find out more about children's cover.

What you pay depends not only on the amount of cover and your term, but also to an extent on you. Your age, medical history and lifestyle will be taken into account when calculating your monthly payments.

Life insurance costs more the older you get. That's because statistically you’re more likely to die as you advance in years. Because the insurer only pays out if you die, the younger and healthier you are the less life insurance costs. Smokers and people who lead unhealthy lifestyles or have an existing medical condition will find life insurance more expensive too or may be unable to obtain cover.

If you're applying for Post Office Life Insurance, we'll only ask you the questions we need to get your price.

Please be honest when answering any questions we ask, though. Giving incorrect or inaccurate information may reduce your payout in the event of a claim or, worst case, your policy may be cancelled and any claim refused.

Your monthly payments will continue until the earliest of these:

If you make a claim after being diagnosed with a terminal illness, please don't stop paying your monthly payments until we've confirmed your terminal illness meets our definition, as per the terms and conditions.

A cash sum payment will be made if you die or are diagnosed with a terminal illness, within the term of the policy. We'll pay it out early if you're diagnosed with a terminal illness that meets the definition as per the terms and conditions with a life expectancy of less than 12 months. We only pay out for terminal illness once, and the policy will end once we do. The policy is not guaranteed to pay off your loan or mortgage (if this is the purpose of the policy). The policy has no cash-in value. The policy ends if you stop making monthly payments during the payment term. Your cash sum is dependent on your age, smoker status, length and type of cover your personal circumstances.

When you apply it is important that you answer our application questions honestly and accurately, as proving incorrect answers could mean that a claim is not paid.

The sum assured reduces each month in line with the amount owed on a repayment mortgage with a fixed interest rate of 8%.

Your sum assured will increase annually in line with retail price index, up to a maximum of 10%.

Even if you don't have a mortgage, life insurance could help your family cover the cost of everyday living and maintain their lifestyle. Things like rent, private or university education costs, birthdays, weddings. Even domestic tasks if whoever's left behind works and has to pay someone to do them after you're gone.

In some circumstances, yes. Trusts come with important legal implications, and should only be entered into after thorough discussion with an impartial legal or financial consultant. Once you have placed your policy in trust, it is very difficult to undo this, so being certain of what you are doing beforehand is crucial.  There are several kinds of trust available, so it is also important to think long-term about how you want your money to be handled when considering this path. Get unbiased help contacting professionals such as IFAs and solicitors.   

Over 50s life cover

You choose how much cover you'd like to take out to leave behind for your loved ones when you're gone. You're guaranteed to be accepted if you're aged 50-80 and a UK resident. You're also not required to complete a health check, applying for cover is simple and straightforward.

Depending on your age, you could leave up to £10,000 cash sum. See below table for maximum cover amounts.

The cash sum you choose will remain fixed throughout the duration of your cover, unless you select the Increasing Cover Option.

Your Post Office Over 50s Life Cover policy continues for the rest of your life.

You just need to keep making monthly payments until whichever of these happens soonest:

Depending on your age at the time of making the application, you can apply for a maximum cash sum of £10,000.

You can have more than one Post Office Over 50s Life Cover policy but the total amount of cover across all of these policies can't be more than the maximum cash sum and maximum payment amount limits. 

If an application takes you above these limits, we'll reduce the cash sum of your most recent policy, or cancel it, to ensure the maximum limits aren't exceeded. We'll write to you to confirm we've done this.

The amount of premium payable will depend on the cover amount you choose; your age, and smoker status, whether you have a single plan or a joint plan; and whether you have selected the Increasing Benefit option. Premiums are payable monthly.

You may pay more in premiums than the cash sum will pay out.

If you select this option, the cash sum you choose will increase automatically by a fixed amount each year on the anniversary of your cover. Your premiums will also increase automatically by a fixed amount each year on the anniversary of your cover. Please refer to Post Office Over 50s Life Cover Terms and Conditions for further information about Increasing Cover Option.

You can however, opt-out of any annual increases, but if you opt-out of 3 increases in a row, the increasing option, the increasing option will be removed and the cover would remain level thereafter i.e. your cash sum remains the same through out the cover term.  

Your Over 50s Life Cover policy comes with a protected benefit which means if you stop paying your monthly premiums, we will still pay-out at least half of the cover amount on your death (as long as you're at least halfway through paying for your cover. The halfway point is calculated from the policy start date and the policy anniversary after you turn 95).

With Post Office Over 50s Life Cover it's a fixed payment term. You pay until the policy anniversary date on or after you turn 95, or until you pass away - whichever comes first.

The total amount you pay overall will depend on your monthly payment and how long you live. You may pay more in total in premiums than the cash sum that the policy will pay out.

If at any time you'd like to increase your cover amount (other than increases under the Increasing Benefit Option), then the cover amount increases will be subject to a new deferred period from the date the change is made. The benefit amount increase will also be subject to the maximum cover amount available based on your age at the time.

If you wish to do so, you can reduce the cover amount at any time, subject to the minimum cover amounts available. If you do reduce the benefit amount, the monthly premium will be reduced accordingly.

If two consecutive premiums are missed before you are at least halfway through your cover, your cover will end. As soon as you miss a premium payment, we will try to contact you to discuss your payment arrangements and may also reattempt to collect your monthly premium from your nominated bank account.

If the policy is assigned, it will pay out to the Assignee. If it's under Trust, it will pay out to the Trustees.

If Funeral Benefit Option has been applied to your policy, we will pay the cash sum to the funeral provider. In all other circumstances we'll pay out the amount to the Life Assureds Personal Representatives.

Yes, if you die as a result of an accident (that meets our definition) in the first 12 months we'll pay two times the cash sum. If you die from natural causes in that time we'll pay one and a half times the payments you've made.

The cash sum paid on death is currently free from personal liability to income tax and capital gains tax.

However, it could form part of your estate so may affect the inheritance tax your family pays, because of this, (and also if you want any benefit to go to a specific person), you could consider writing the policy into trust. However, trusts come with important legal implications, and should only be entered into after thorough discussion with an impartial legal or financial consultant. Once you have placed your policy in trust, it is very difficult to undo this, so being certain of what you are doing beforehand is crucial.

There are several kinds of trust available, so it is also important to think long-term about how you want your money to be handled when considering this path.

Get unbiased help contacting professionals such as IFAs and solicitors.

Losing a loved one is a difficult time. The last thing those you leave behind need is a drawn-out claims process.

When the time comes, we'll make it easy for your personal representatives to claim the cash sum from your policy. If you've recently lost someone, find out all the information you need to make a claim.

We'll need to know the policy number and details of the claim.

The person making the claim must send all original documentation to us, showing they are entitled to receive the cash sum, before we will pay any cash sum to them.

This documentation must include any deed of assignment, trust deed, or deed altering the trust.

Full details of the claims procedure can be found in the terms and conditions, which will be sent to you when your policy starts.

You can change your mind and cancel your policy at any time.

If you cancel within 30 days of the date you receive your policy documentation, we'll refund any monthly payments made.

If monthly payments due under the policy stop and you have not paid at least half of the premiums due, your cover will stop and you won't get anything back and you will not be eligible for protected benefit.

Cancel your policy.

No. The plan has no cash-in value at any time.

Yes, Cover is available to anyone who's a permanent UK resident aged 50-80 either under a single plan or a joint plan.

You may be able to avoid inheritance tax by using an appropriate trust. If you require any additional information or are unsure what to do, please speak with a financial advisor or solicitor.

Critical illness and children's cover options with Life Insurance

If you'd like to add critical illness cover, you can do this either when you apply for your Post Office Life Insurance or after your policy has started.

You can increase or reduce the cover amount once the policy has started. Subject to policy terms.

Please refer to terms and conditions for exclusions and limitations.

Children’s cover can be added to your Post Office Life Insurance policy. It’s designed to help cover extra costs that may be incurred for things like medical expenses, adaptations needed to your home or loss of income due to caring duties, if your child suffers an accidental death or a specified serious injury or illness.

Please refer to terms and conditions for exclusions and limitations.

The critical illness cover and children's cover are optional and cost extra each month but in the case of critical illness cover, it pays out an extra cash sum if you suffer a critical illness. The children's cover pays out an extra cash sum if they suffer an accidental death, specified serious injury or illness.

These optional covers are designed to add on to your Post Office Life Insurance policy, to help you financially while dealing with a critical illness, such as paying bills, maintaining your family's lifestyle, taking your child to medical appointments or adapting your home.

There is no maximum number of children you can cover. We can pay one claim per child.

Our critical illness cover includes certain types of cancers, heart attacks, strokes and coronary artery by-pass grafts. You can find out more information on the severity and type of conditions covered in the policy terms and conditions.

Yes. The critical illness cover amount is between £10,000 to £200,000 or no more than 100% of the life insurance policy cash sum.

No. Once we’ve paid a claim for a critical illness your critical illness cover will stop. However, the rest of your policy will continue and future monthly payments will reduce as you won’t be paying for your critical illness cover. As long as you keep paying, your life cover cash sum will stay in place for the duration of your policy.

No. Your critical illness cover is separate and not deducted from your life cover cash sum. Keep making your monthly payments and you'll still get 100% of your life cover cash sum if you die during the life of your policy.

Yes. You can add the Critical Illness Cover after the policy start date.

You can remove, increase or decrease critical illness cover (subject to policy limits) from your Post Office Life Insurance. If you cancel your Post Office Life Insurance, the critical illness cover is also cancelled.

If you take out Post Office Life Insurance, with or without adding critical illness cover, you won’t get a medical consultation.

The cash sum you receive from a critical illness cover or children's cover is currently tax free. Tax rules may change in future.

There is no maximum number of children you can cover. We can pay one claim per child.

I don’t have a mortgage. Why do I need life insurance?

Even if you don't have a mortgage, life insurance could help your family cover the cost of everyday living and maintain their lifestyle. Things like rent, private or university education costs, birthdays, weddings. Even domestic tasks if whoever's left behind works and has to pay someone to do them after you're gone.

Does life insurance increase inheritance tax?

It's part of your estate so may affect the inheritance tax your family pays. By writing your policy in trust the insurance could be paid to them directly and never become part of your estate. That means no inheritance tax to pay. It is possible to write the policy under trust and we can supply a template trust deed. We only offer one template deed; a discretionary trust, which may not always be suitable. We'd suggest seeking advice before you complete it to ensure it is suitable for your circumstances.

Helpful guides

Read more about life insurance with this selection of our guides on the topic.

What is life insurance?

Learn about life insurance and why it may be a good choice for you

Types of life insurance

Discover the difference between the kinds of life insurance available

Cost of life insurance

Learn about what sort of payments you might make with life insurance

Term life insurance

Term life insurance differs from over-50s life insurance – find out how

To make a claim

The contact details for the insurer vary depending on the date the policy was taken out, which you can see on the policy schedule.

For policies bought after 31 January 2022^

Call Neilson Financial Services on: 0800 068 8014

Monday to Friday: 9am - 7pm Closed Saturdays, Sundays and bank holidays

For policies bought between 31 January 2017 and 31 January 2022^

Call Royal London on: 0345 266 1483

Monday to Friday: 8am – 6pm Saturday: 9am – 5pm Closed Sundays, Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year’s Day, Good Friday, Easter Sunday

For policies bought before 31 January 2017

Call Aviva Life & Pensions UK on: 0800 158 3065

Monday to Friday: 8am – 8pm Saturday: 9am – 6pm Sunday: 10am – 4pm Closed bank holidays

Funeral Benefit Option claims

Available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year

For policies bought after 31 January 2022

Call Co-op Funeralcare on: 0800 289 120

For policies bought between 31 January 2017 and 31 January 2022

If you chose the option before 22.02.21 call Dignity on: 0800 022 3229

If you chose the option after 22.02.21 call Co-op Funeralcare on: 0800 289 120

Bereavement and wellbeing support

When you need us most, Post Office and our partners are here to support you.

Bereavement line with Post Office Money Here to help

Available with all policies bought from 31 January 2017 onwards.

Call us on: 01244 625 180

Monday to Friday: 9am – 5pm Closed Saturdays, Sundays and bank holidays

Post Office Health & Wellbeing Services

Available with policies bought from 1 February 2022 onwards.

Call MediPartner Limited on: 0207 118 1143

Monday to Friday: 9:30am – 5:30pm Closed Saturdays, Sundays and bank holidays

Contact us

The contact details for the insurer vary depending on the date that the policy was taken out, which you can see on the policy schedule.

For policies bought after 31 January 2022^

Call Neilson Financial Services on: 0800 068 8014 

Monday to Friday: 9am – 8pm Saturday: 9am – 5pm Closed Sundays and bank holidays

For policies bought between 31 January 2017 and 31 January 2022^

Call Royal London on: 0345 266 1483

Monday to Friday: 8am – 7pm Saturday: 9am – 5pm Closed Sundays, Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year’s Day, Good Friday, Easter Sunday

For policies bought before 31 January 2017

Call Aviva Life & Pensions UK on: 0800 158 3065

Monday to Friday: 8am – 8pm Saturday: 9am – 6pm Sunday: 10am – 4pm Closed bank holidays

Complaints data

^ If you have a Post Office Life Insurance policy, bought via MoneySupermarket between October 2018 and November 2022, it is provided by Scottish Friendly Assurance Society Limited. This can be verified by referring to the policy documents.

For policy enquiries, or to make a claim on a Post Office Life Insurance policy purchased through MoneySupermarket, please call Scottish Friendly on 0333 323 5433

01 or 02: Standard geographic charges apply to calls to numbers starting with 01 or 02 from your fixed line or mobile and may be included in your call package dependent on your service provider. 0800: All calls to 0800 numbers are free of charge whether made from a landline or mobile phone. 0303, 0330 & 0345: Calls to 03 numbers will cost no more than calling a standard geographic number starting with 01 or 02 from your fixed line or mobile and may be included in your call package dependent on your service provider. Calls may be monitored or recorded for training and compliance purposes.

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