Thinking about life insurance in your 70s? Here’s what you need to know about your options and how to find cover that works for you.
Post Office Over 50s Life Insurance is designed for people in their later years
Guaranteed acceptance for all UK residents between 50-80. No medical questions asked
Up to £10,000 of cover available, depending on your age
In this guide:
If you’re over 70 and thinking about life insurance for the first time, you’re not alone. Many people find that later life is when questions about financial protection feel most pressing. You might be thinking about funeral costs, wanting to leave something for family, or simply looking for the peace of mind that comes from having something in place.
The good news is that life insurance is available to people in their 70s, and it’s often simpler to get than you might expect.
The most widely available form of life insurance for people in their 70s is whole of life insurance, which is often called Over 50s life insurance. Unlike term life insurance, which runs for a set period and may not always be available to people over 70, whole of life insurance has no fixed end date. It pays out whenever you die, provided you keep up with your premiums.
For most people over 70, this is the most practical and accessible route to life insurance. It’s designed specifically for later life, acceptance is guaranteed within the eligible age range and there are no medical questions to answer.
Post Office Over 50s Life Insurance is a whole of life insurance policy available to UK residents aged 50 to 80. If you’re in your 70s you can get up to £9,000 of cover, depending on your age (this drops to £6,000 if you’re 75 – 80). Your cover is then guaranteed for the rest of your life, as long as your premiums are kept up.
For accidental death you’re covered immediately. In fact, for accidental death, we pay double your cover amount to your loved ones. If you were to take out a policy worth £9,000 and then die in a traffic accident the next day, your loved ones would receive £18,000.
However, for non-accidental death, such as dying due to medical conditions, there’s a 12-month waiting period. This is common with over 50s life insurance policies. If you were to die in the first 12 months of your policy, your loved ones would receive 1.5x the premiums you had already paid up to
that point, so you wouldn’t lose money from passing away in this period.
After that initial 12 months, your full cover amount is in place.
The cash sum paid out when you die can be used for anything your family chooses. There are no restrictions on how the money is spent. That said, people commonly take out Over 50s Life Insurance with a few things in mind.
Funerals are one of the most common reasons people in later life think about life insurance. According to the British Seniors Funeral Report 2025, the average cost of a funeral in the UK is between £3,500 - £4,800. Having a payout in place can take the financial pressure off your family at what is already a difficult time.
Some people use Over 50s Life Insurance as a way of leaving a small inheritance for children, grandchildren or other people who matter to them. The payout amount is fixed and agreed upfront, so there are no surprises.
If you have any outstanding financial commitments like credit card debt, the payout could help cover them after you’ve gone, reducing the burden on the people you leave behind.
2 This service is separate from your contract, so it’s not guaranteed for the entirety of your policy. If we ever remove it, we’ll be sure to let you know.
Not with Post Office Over 50s Life Insurance. There are no medical questions and no health checks. Acceptance is guaranteed for anyone within the eligible age range who is a UK resident.
It depends on your age and how much cover you want. You can select a premium that suits your budget. If you’re interested in getting a quote, you can fill out a few simple details online and one of our team will call you back to outline your options. We give quotes over the phone as we want to ensure you get a policy suited to your needs and the product is fully understood. Sometimes a conversation is easier than lots of reading.
At Post Office we can’t offer term life insurance to anyone over 70, though 70-year-olds in good health can take out a certain amount of cover.
You may be able to get a term life policy from other providers if you’re in your 70s, so it’s worth looking around if that’s what you feel would work best for your situation.
1The discount you get depends on the type of funeral you choose: £250 for Tailored, £100 for Essential, and £50 for Direct to Cremation.
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