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Critical Illness Cover

Get extra protection and financial peace of mind. Add our optional critical illness cover when you take out Post Office Life Insurance.

  • Up to £200,000 or 100% of your life insurance cover available

  • Add on to a new or existing Post Office Life Insurance policy 

  • Elligible for payout 30 days after diagnosis, with your life insurance cover remaining in place

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Life insurance helps protect your family from the financial hardships that could arise if you were no longer here. However, being diagnosed with a critical illness can also have a big impact. It may affect your ability to work, and you might benefit from some financial breathing room to adapt to your new condition. This is where critical illness cover can help. By paying an additional amount on top of your life insurance monthly premium, you can give yourself and your family some financial breathing room while you focus on your health.

In this guide:

What is critical illness cover?

Critical illness cover is an insurance policy that pays out a tax-free lump sum if you're diagnosed with a serious illness defined in your policy. Unlike life insurance, it pays out while you're still alive, and the money can be used for whatever you need most: paying day-to-day living costs if you need to spend some time off work, private treatment costs or adapting your home to your new needs.

At Post Office, critical illness cover must be added on to a life insurance policy and it comes with an additional cost. This is common for critical illness cover, so one policy encompasses various aspects of protection you want to provide for your family. 

It has helped many people across the UK, and ABI data shows that in 2024, UK insurers paid out £1.3 billion in critical illness claims, with the average payout reaching £67,600.

What conditions does critical illness cover include?

Policies will vary in exactly what their critical illness cover includes, however there are four commonly represented conditions. Post Office critical illness cover includes these four conditions only, and they reflect some of the most common serious illnesses in the UK. 

  • Cancer (except less advanced cases)
  • Coronary artery by-pass grafts (with surgery to divide the breastbone)
  • Heart attack (of specified severity)
  • Stroke (resulting in permanent symptoms)

According to the ABI, cancer is by far and away the most common claim on critical illness cover, representing 62% of all claims in 2024 across insurers. For full definitions and details about what is and isn’t covered, please refer to the terms and conditions.

Do I need critical illness cover?

There’s no easy answer to this question, but a simple way to think of it is this: if you were to become critically ill and were not able to work, would that have a negative financial impact on you and your family? 

As of June 2026, Statutory Sick Pay currently stands at a maximum of £123.25 a week, or 80% of your average weekly earnings (if lower than £123.25) for up to 28 weeks. If you're unable to return to work, you may also be entitled to certain disability benefits, and you can get an estimate as to what this might look like for you through certain free online services. 

Would this cover your current expenses, like rent and bills, if you were off work for months or perhaps even years? Do you have dependants relying on your income? How would they be affected if you needed to take some time away from work? You may perhaps have some savings to fall back on, so it might be a good idea to see how far they would stretch should this happen to you. 

Having a critical illness doesn’t stop you from having a long, fulfilling life, but most would agree that adapting to a new condition takes a bit of time. When you’re going through a period of significant physical and emotional change, having some financial assistance can take a real load off your mind. You can focus more of your attention on adjusting to your illness and recovering, rather than worrying about money.

How does critical illness cover work?

Critical illness cover is straightforward in principle. You choose how much cover you want, a certain amount is added on to your monthly life insurance premium, and if you're diagnosed with a specified condition during the policy term, you receive a tax-free lump sum.

You're free to spend the money however you like. There's no requirement to use it for medical costs, though many people choose to.

Here are some key aspects of Post Office critical illness cover:

  • You can include it when you apply for a life insurance policy or add it on later
  • It provides a minimum of £10,000 cover 
  • The maximum cover at the start date is either 100% of the main policy cash sum or up to £200,000, whichever is lower

A few important things to understand about how policies work:

  • Most policies include a short waiting period at the start, typically three months, during which you can't make a claim. Post Office critical illness cover follows this standard
  • You need to survive for at least 30 days following your diagnosis before a claim can be paid. In other words, you can’t claim on both your critical illness cover and life insurance for a very short illness that results in your passing. If you survive for longer than 30 days but pass away before your life insurance term ends, you would receive both payouts
  • Once a critical illness claim is paid out, that element of your cover ends. Your main life insurance policy continues, and your monthly premium reduces accordingly, as you're no longer paying for the critical illness add-on
  • The payout from your critical illness cover doesn't reduce your life insurance sum. If you later die during the policy term, your full life cover amount remains in place for your loved ones.

How to make a claim on your critical illness cover

If you're diagnosed with a covered condition, you should notify your insurer as soon as possible and complete a claim form. You'll typically need to provide medical evidence, such as a report from your GP or specialist. 

If you have a Post Office Life Insurance policy from 2022 onwards, this is the number to call to make a claim: 0800 068 8014*. If you have a life insurance policy that was taken out before 2022, visit our help and support page to find the number you need to call. 

Critical illness cover vs income protection: what's the difference?

Critical illness cover is sometimes confused with income protection, but the two products work quite differently. Understanding the distinction can help you decide which is right for your situation, and whether you might benefit from both.

Critical illness cover pays a one-off lump sum if you're diagnosed with a listed condition. Income protection pays a regular monthly income if you're unable to work for any medical reason, covering a much broader range of conditions but in a different way. There are trade-offs on both sides: critical illness cover enables you to make larger payments from the off, while income protection can offer more longer-term comfort.

Question

Critical illness cover

How is the payment made?

One-off lump sum

When do you make a claim?

When diagnosed with a specified condition

How much is the payout?

One sum that you choose when you take out the policy

How long does the policy last?

Policy ends after a successful claim

Can I get it through Post Office Insurance?

Available as an add-on to Post Office Life Insurance

Income protection

How is the payment made?

Regular monthly income

When do you make a claim?

When you're unable to work due to illness or injury

How much is the payout?

Replaces a proportion of your income while you’re off work

How long does the policy last?

Policy continues until you return to work or the policy ends

Can I get it through Post Office Insurance?

Not available from Post Office

How is the payment made?

How is the payment made?

One-off lump sum

How is the payment made?

Regular monthly income

When do you make a claim?

When do you make a claim?

When diagnosed with a specified condition

When do you make a claim?

When you're unable to work due to illness or injury

How much is the payout?

How much is the payout?

One sum that you choose when you take out the policy

How much is the payout?

Replaces a proportion of your income while you’re off work

How long does the policy last?

How long does the policy last?

Policy ends after a successful claim

How long does the policy last?

Policy continues until you return to work or the policy ends

Can I get it through Post Office Insurance?

Can I get it through Post Office Insurance?

Available as an add-on to Post Office Life Insurance

Can I get it through Post Office Insurance?

Not available from Post Office

Some people choose to have both, particularly where they have significant financial commitments and limited employer sick pay. Others may find that one product meets their needs adequately. Post Office offers critical illness cover as an add-on to life insurance. If you're interested in income protection as well, it's worth speaking to an independent financial adviser.

How much does critical illness cover cost?

The cost of critical illness cover depends on a range of factors: your age, health history, whether you smoke, the amount of cover you want and the length of your policy. As an add-on to Post Office Life Insurance, you'll pay extra on top of your existing monthly premium.

To give you an idea of how this works in practice, the table below shows the indicative monthly premium for £100,000 of life insurance with £30,000 of critical illness cover at different ages. 

These illustrative premiums are for non-smokers who practice healthy lifestyle choices and have no pre-existing medical conditions based on a 21-year term with level cover. They’re accurate as of 2026.

Age

Monthly premium (life insurance only)

31

£7.54

41

£15.51

51

£37.88

Monthly premium (life insurance + critical illness cover)

31

£16.33

41

£34.70

51

£80.80

31

31

£7.54

31

£16.33

41

41

£15.51

41

£34.70

51

51

£37.88

51

£80.80

Why choose Post Office for life insurance and critical illness cover?

There’s more to our life cover than just a payout. We’re here for you in tough times

a stack of cash

You’re covered for a terminal illness from day one

We'll pay 100% of your lump sum in advance if you're diagnosed with a terminal illness and have less than 12 months to live 

practitioner icon

Includes health support for you and your family

Access a UK-registered GP online or by phone 24/7, plus other health and wellbeing services and compassionate support.

This service is separate from the policy contract. It’s free but may be withdrawn at any time

A couple with a baby

Add cover for children or a critical illness

Serious conditions can affect anyone and be expensive. It’s easy to add critical illness and children’s cover. Extra costs apply

We're an award-winning provider1 of Life Insurance and trusted by over 140,000 UK customers2

Key takeaways

  • Critical illness cover gives you financial support in the event you’re diagnosed with a defined condition, helping you cover day-to-day costs while you adjust to a new way of living
  • It pays out a tax-free lump sum if you're diagnosed with a specified serious illness, and can be added to Post Office Life Insurance for an additional monthly premium
  • There are four conditions covered by Post Office critical illness cover which represent some of the most common critical illnesses in the UK: cancer, heart attack, stroke and coronary artery bypass grafts
  • Depending on your life insurance policy you can get up to £200,000 of critical illness cover with Post Office Life Insurance
  • The payout doesn't reduce your life insurance sum. Your main policy continues in full after a critical illness claim is paid out

Critical illness cover is another way to protect your loved ones if life sends something unexpected your way. Money doesn’t solve everything, but some financial breathing room can be a huge help when you have a lot going on. You can take out a life insurance policy with Post Office online and add the amount of critical illness cover you’d like in just a few clicks.

Common questions about critical illness cover

  • Post Office critical illness cover must be taken out alongside a Post Office Life Insurance policy. It can't be purchased as a standalone product. That said, the add-on model means you're getting two layers of financial protection in one policy.

  • Yes. The lump sum paid out by a critical illness policy is currently tax-free in the UK. It's paid directly to you and there's no requirement to declare it as income. Tax rules may change in future, so it's worth keeping this in mind if your circumstances change.

  • Yes. You can add critical illness cover to your Post Office Life Insurance after the policy start date. However, you cannot add it after you've already been diagnosed with a critical illness. The condition must occur after your cover starts, and outside the three-month initial exclusion period.

  • Your life insurance continues in full. Once a critical illness claim is paid out, that part of your cover ends and your monthly premium reduces accordingly, but the life insurance cash sum stays in place for the rest of the policy term, as long as you keep making your payments.

Need some help?

Life cover help and support

To make a claim, find answers to common questions, access bereavement and wellbeing support or contact us for something else:

Visit our life cover support page

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About our life insurance

Post Office Life Insurance is underwritten and administered by Scottish Friendly Assurance Society Limited. Neilson Financial Services Limited assist in the administration. If you buy Post Office Life Insurance over the telephone or online via the Post Office website, it is arranged and sold by Neilson Financial Services Limited, following an introduction by Post Office Limited. If you buy Post Office Life Insurance online via a price comparison website, it is arranged and sold by the firm that provides the price comparison website services.

Post Office Limited is an appointed representative of Post Office Management Services Limited which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, FRN 630318. Registered in England and Wales. Registered numbers 2154540 and 08459718 respectively. Registered office: 100 Wood Street, London, EC2V 7ER.

Offer terms and conditions

† Gift card or Experience offer ends 30 April 2027. Minimum premiums and 180-day qualifying period applies.

Terms and conditions

* Restrictions apply, see amazon.co.uk/gc-legal

Things you need to know​

Post Office Life Insurance is for customers who are UK residents aged 18-70 at the start of the policy. The minimum term is 5 years and cover must end before your 90th birthday.

We won’t pay a claim if you don’t keep your payments up to date as you will no longer be covered under the policy. If you don’t tell us something or give us incorrect answers to our application questions that affects your cover, we may reduce the amount we pay for a claim or at worst cancel your cover and not refund your monthly payments.

Footnotes

* Monday to Friday: 9am – 7pm. Closed Saturdays, Sundays and bank holidays

1 Post Office was named Best Life Insurance Provider at the YourMoney.com Awards 2026.

2 Data accurate as of March 2025.