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What is over 50s life insurance?

Over 50s life insurance is designed for people later in life who want to leave a guaranteed sum behind to their loved ones. It comes with a 100% acceptance rate, with no medical questions or health checks required. You choose the amount of cover you’d like, up to £10,000 depending on age, and pay a monthly premium from that point onwards. When you die, your loved ones recieve the money.

It's often used to help cover the cost of a funeral, leave a small gift for family or settle any outstanding bills. Finances are the last thing people want to be thinking about at a time of loss. An over 50s life insurance policy enables your family to focus on celebrating your life when your time comes.

Why choose our over 50s life insurance?

a blue shield on a pink and red heart icon

Guaranteed acceptance, guaranteed payout

If you’re a UK resident between 50 and 80, you’re guaranteed a policy regardless of your health picture. You can feel comfortable you’re leaving something behind, as we paid out 100% of claims in 20251

Up to £250 discount with Co-op Funeralcare

If you’re looking to cover your funeral, your family can get an additional £250 off with Co-op Funeralcare at no extra cost. The discount levels are £250 for Tailored, £100 for Essential or £50 for Direct to cremation

an icon of a stack of currency

Double payout for accidental death

Accidental death is a particularly sudden shock, so we give your family double your payout to help them cover the unexpected costs of your passing

We're an award-winning provider3 of Over 50s life insurance and trusted by over 140,000 UK customers3

A highly-rated, award-winning provider

We've won Your Money awards for 15 years, including Best Over 50s Life Cover in 2023 and 20263. We also have a 4.5-star rating from insurance industry specialists Tribe.

           

          

Free health and wellbeing support

Cut out the long waiting lines and doctors’ surgeries with 24/7 access to a UK GP online or over the phone. This service is available to you, your partner and any children up to the age of 21.

You can also get advice from nutritionists, fitness experts and mental health professionals. Your family can also access bereavement support after you’ve gone.

This is a free service that we've been offering to all over 50s life insurance customers since February 2022 in partnership with MediPartner. However, it doesn't form part of your policy contract, so it may be withdrawn at any time.

How does our over 50s life insurance work?
 

Getting covered is straightforward. Here's how the process works from start to finish.

  1. 1

    1. Get a quote

    Provide us with a few details and choose how much you want to leave behind. We’ll give you a quick call to give you your quote and check you’re happy with the policy, then you’re covered.

  2. 2

    2. Pay monthly premiums

    If you die due to medical reasons or natural causes within the first 12 months, we’ll send your family 1.5x the premiums you’ve paid. After the first 12 months, your policy is in full force. If you die in an accident at any time, we’ll pay out twice your cover.

  3. 3

    3. Stop paying at 95

    If you reach the age of 95, you’ll no longer have to pay monthly premiums but your cover will continue. If you need to stop paying before then, your family could still be entitled to half of your payout, provided you’ve made enough payments.

  4. 4

    4. Your family makes a claim

    When the time comes, your named beneficiary contacts us, completes a claim form and provides supporting documentation.

How much does over 50s life insurance cost?

The cost depends on your age, whether you smoke and how much cover you would like. That’s it. Your monthly premium is fixed from the start and will never go up, unless you choose an increasing amount of cover.

Below is an illustration of how much monthly premiums cost for non-smokers at different ages, looking for £5,000 of cover. If you want to see exactly how much a certain value would cost each month, or how much cover you can get for a specific monthly cost, get a personalised quote today. 
 

According to the 2025 British Seniors report, the average cost of funerals that UK citizens have helped to arrange over the past five years is £5,212.

Age

Monthly premium for £5,000 cover

50

£18.99

60

£25.20

70

£39.69

80

£76.63

50

50

£18.99

60

60

£25.20

70

70

£39.69

80

80

£76.63

Comparing Over 50s life insurance

Here's how our offering stacks up against other providers. Competitor information correct as of June 2026 checked using publicly available provider information. Product features may change.

Post Office

24/7 GP access 

Included

Optional funeral benefit add-on 

Included

Protected payout benefit 

Included

Double payout for accidental death 

Included

Legal & General

24/7 GP access 

Not Included

Optional funeral benefit add-on 

Included

Protected payout benefit 

Not Included

Double payout for accidental death 

Not Included

Aviva

24/7 GP access 

Included

Optional funeral benefit add-on 

Not Included

Protected payout benefit 

Not Included

Double payout for accidental death 

Not Included

Sunlife

24/7 GP access 

Not Included

Optional funeral benefit add-on 

Not Included

Protected payout benefit 

Not Included

Double payout for accidental death 

Not Included

24/7 GP access 

24/7 GP access 

Included

24/7 GP access 

Not Included

24/7 GP access 

Included

24/7 GP access 

Not Included

Optional funeral benefit add-on 

Optional funeral benefit add-on 

Included

Optional funeral benefit add-on 

Included

Optional funeral benefit add-on 

Not Included

Optional funeral benefit add-on 

Not Included

Protected payout benefit 

Protected payout benefit 

Included

Protected payout benefit 

Not Included

Protected payout benefit 

Not Included

Protected payout benefit 

Not Included

Double payout for accidental death 

Double payout for accidental death 

Included

Double payout for accidental death 

Not Included

Double payout for accidental death 

Not Included

Double payout for accidental death 

Not Included

Get life cover and a reward of your choice

When you buy Post Office Over 50s Life Insurance, you’ll also get a special reward. Choose a gift card from a choice of retailers or an unforgettable experience.

a stack of pink and blue gift cards

Gift card reward

As a thanks for getting cover with us, select a £125 gift card† from a top UK retailer

  • Choose a Dining Out, M&S or Amazon.co.uk Gift Card*
  • Flexible and easy to use for everyday shopping
  • Great for groceries, home essentials or just treating yourself

Qualifying period, minimum premiums and terms and conditions apply

pink wheelie suitcase

Experience reward

Celebrate your new peace of mind with an experience worth up to £200 for you and your loved ones

  • Choose a Luxury Night Away or a Family Adventure Day
  • Hundreds of experiences available nationwide
  • Keep it relaxed or do something different with a well-deserved break

 Qualifying period, minimum premiums and terms and conditions apply

Protecting your payout

If later down the line you need to stop paying your monthly premiums, your loved ones will still receive half of your payout, providing you have paid half of your premiums up to the age of 95.

Let us explain, as this can be confusing. When you take out your policy, we automatically count the number of monthly premiums until your 95th birthday. For example, if you take out a policy at age 75, there are 20 years of premiums due before your 95th birthday. Once you’ve paid premiums for 10 years, you’ll have reached the halfway point. If you stop paying after that, we’ll still pay half of your cover amount when you die.

Not sure where to start? We can help with that

Choosing life cover can feel tricky, but we’re here to help. Our tools, guides and friendly team make it easier to explore your options with confidence

  • a customer service representative wearing a red shirt and seated behind an open laptop

    Speak to a UK based specialist by phone4

    Our friendly team’s here to help you understand your options and find the right cover for your needs

    Monday to Friday: 9am - 8pm

    Saturday: 9am - 5pm

    Closed Sundays and bank holidays

  • a red to pink heart with a wavetrace line crossing it

    Life insurance cover

    Aged 18-70 and want to protect your loved ones financially? Our Life Insurance could be the right fit:

    • Up to £750,000 of cover (depending on age)
    • Terminal illness cover from day one
    • Health, wellbeing and bereavement support3

Some common Life Insurance questions

  • This is down to each individual person. Many people choose to take out over 50s life insurance because it gives them peace of mind that they will definitely leave something behind for their loved ones. Other insurance products only cover you for a fixed term, but with over 50s life insurance your payout is guaranteed, as long as you keep paying your monthly premiums. 

    For others, knowing they can be covered regardless of health conditions makes over 50s life insurance a worthwhile purchase. People wanting to cover a larger amount for a fixed period may want to consider term life insurance. This is more expensive in older age and doesn’t have a guaranteed acceptance, but has higher cover limits. 

  • No. Post Office Over 50s Life Insurance has guaranteed acceptance. There are no health questions, no GP reports and no medical examinations. As long as you're a UK resident aged 50-80, you're accepted.

  • No, not unless you choose to have ‘increasing cover’, where both your payout and your premiums increase each year. For all other policies, your monthly premium is fixed at the start of your policy and will never increase. You pay the same amount every month until the policy anniversary after your 95th birthday, after which no further payments are needed, but your cover continues.

  • You can apply for a maximum cash sum of up to £10,000, depending on your age, when applying for cover.

    Age at application date Maximum cover amount
    50-69 £10,000
    70-74 £9,000
    75-80 £6,000
  • Post Office Over 50s Life Insurance is a single-life policy, which means it covers one person per policy. However, both you and your partner can each take out a separate policy, giving you both individual cover.

  • Yes, Post Office Over 50s Life Insurance is available up to the age of 80, as long as you’re a UK resident.

  • If two consecutive monthly payments are missed, your policy will be cancelled. However, if you have paid at least half of the premiums due between your start date and the policy anniversary after you turn 95, a protected benefit applies. We'll contact you to let you know how much will be paid out. There is no cash-in value if you cancel early.

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

About our Over 50s Life Cover​

Post Office Over 50s Life Cover is underwritten by Aviva Life & Pensions UK Limited and jointly administered by Neilson Financial Services Limited and Aviva Life & Pensions UK Limited. If you buy Post Office Over 50s Life Cover in a Post Office branch, it is arranged and sold by Post Office Limited and Post Office Management Services Limited. If you buy Post Office Over 50s Life Cover 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 Over 50s Life Cover 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​

Depending on how long you live, you could pay more in monthly payments than the cash sum we pay out when you die. The cash sum you choose is fixed and inflation (the rising cost of goods and services) will reduce its value over time.​

Footnotes

1 Post Office Over 50s Life Cover is provided by Aviva Life & Pensions UK Limited, who approved and paid 100% of all Post Office claims received in 2025, in accordance with the policy terms and conditions.

2 Data accurate as of March 2026

3 Post Office was named Best Over 50s Life Insurance Provider at the YourMoney.com Awards 2026. In the last 16 consecutive annual YourMoney.com Awards, Post Office were shortlisted for our protection product features and price, before being judged by a panel of readers on the quality of service provided. There was no award in 2020.

4 0330 & 0345: Calls to 03 numbers will cost no more than calling a standard UK number starting with 01 or 02 from your fixed line or mobile and may be included in your call package. Calls may be monitored or recorded for training and compliance purposes.