Life insurance for smokers

Can I get life insurance as a smoker?

Yes, being a smoker doesn’t necessarily prevent you from getting life insurance. Different insurers have different policies on smoking, so while some might not be able to offer you cover, others can.

Post Office Life Insurance is available to current and former smokers. Being a smoker will likely increase your premiums, but you’re still able to protect your loved ones in the event of critical illness or death.

It’s important to remember that acceptance isn’t all about smoking. Insurers will look at various health factors and lifestyle choices before calculating whether they can offer you a policy and how much your premiums will be.

How does smoking affect life insurance premiums?

Life insurance premiums are higher for smokers because smoking increases the likelihood of ill health and disease. Claims are therefore more likely for smokers, so premiums go up to cover that additional risk for the insurer.

When it comes to calculating your premium, insurers will also look at your age, medical history, lifestyle and how much cover you want.

Below is an illustration of how much monthly premiums cost for smokers and non-smokers with Post Office Life Insurance. This data is for customers at 30 and 50 years old taking out £100,000 worth of cover over a 25-year term. Both are non-drinkers and all variables other than smoking status are the same.

This is just a mock up, but we can give you a life insurance quote online which is specific to you and your medical situation in a matter of minutes. All you need to do is fill in this form.

Am I classed as a smoker for life insurance?

There’s no universal definition for a smoker. Some insurers will ask about the amount you smoke within a certain time period, but others don’t.

When you get a life insurance quote with Post Office, we only ask one question relating to smoking:

In the last 12 months have you:

• Smoked;
• Used e-cigarettes (including vapes) containing nicotine;
• Used other tobacco or nicotine replacement products?

The two answers you can select are ‘yes to any’ or ‘no to all’. You won’t need to dig through receipts to calculate how many cigarettes you’ve had in the past year.

How do life insurance companies verify your smoking status?

There are usually two times when insurers may look to verify your smoking status: when you take out a policy and when you make a claim.

Taking out a policy

Your insurer will ask about your smoking status when you take out a policy. When that policy is created, you have to confirm that all the details you provided are correct in a legally binding contract. If you’ve provided false information or purposefully left out information, your policy will be cancelled, and any benefit amount will not be paid out.

Some insurers may request blood tests or saliva tests, which can reveal if you’re likely to have smoked in recent weeks or months. They may also ask for previous medical records to confirm that you’ve not had smoking-related illnesses in the past.

At Post Office, we request authorisation to access medical records in a small number of cases, but we don’t ask for biometric tests at any point.

Making a claim

If you become critically ill or pass away, your insurer may need access to your medical records to process your claim. If your records indicate that you’ve smoked and you have a non-smoker policy, your claim will be rejected.

To be clear, while it may be tempting to ‘stretch the truth’ about how much you smoke, it is not a good idea. If your claim is rejected, you’ll have paid monthly premiums for nothing, and your loved ones won’t have the financial security that you wanted to leave behind.

In 2024, 96.5% of new fixed term life insurance claims in the UK were paid out². Insurers don’t try and avoid paying valid claims. However, one of the common reasons claims are rejected is ‘non-disclosure of material information’, such as smoking. Misrepresenting your smoking status could result in your policy being one of the few claims that are rejected. It just isn’t worth the risk.

Scottish Friendly, the underwriter for Post Office Life Insurance, paid 99.1% of claims in 2024. Provided you’re honest and transparent when taking out a policy, you can get peace of mind that your family are supported, whether you’re a smoker or not.

Why choose Post Office for life insurance?

Post Office offers a number of different life insurance policies, none of which disqualify smokers. Below is a quick summary of some of our key features:

• 100% of your lump sum in advance if you’re diagnosed with a terminal illness and have less than 12 months to live
• 24/7 access to a UK-registered GP for you and your family throughout your policy³
• Bereavement support for your loved ones
• Optional add-on for children and critical illness cover
• Up to £750,000 of cover, depending on age
• A choice of individual or joint cover

³ Service separate from the policy contract. It may be withdrawn at any time.