Best over 50s life insurance in the UK 2025

SunLife Guaranteed Over 50 Plan - our expert verdict

If you're aged between 49 and 85 and seeking straightforward life cover without the need to answer medical questions, the SunLife Guaranteed Over 50 Plan could be a strong contender. You can choose a cash payout amount between £500 and £18,000, which is a more generous maximum limit than many other over 50s plans. With monthly premiums starting as low as £4, it should be accessible for most budgets.

The full life cover amount kicks in after just one year. Your premiums are fixed, and you’ll need to keep paying them until the policy anniversary after your 95th birthday, unless you pass away earlier. During the first year, an accidental death benefit applies, which means that if you pass away due to an accident, SunLife will pay the full amount instead of just refunding your premiums.

There’s some built-in flexibility, too. You can reduce your premium once after your policy starts, which is handy if your finances become stretched. SunLife also includes unlimited free access to RedArc’s nurse-led wellbeing services as an extra perk. This covers everything from bereavement counselling to lifestyle advice, not just for you, but also for your partner and any children living at home.

What really makes SunLife stand out is its customer satisfaction. With a 4.8 out of 5 Trustpilot rating from 22,793 reviews (1st December 2025), and 88% of customers giving it the full five stars, it’s clear they’re doing a lot right. It’s a major reason why our experts ranked it as the best over 50s life insurance provider on the market.

OneFamily Over 50s Life Cover - our expert verdict

OneFamily Over 50s Life Cover offers a well-rounded package of benefits with some genuinely distinctive features. While the policy keeps things relatively simple, it also includes thoughtful extras that aren’t commonly found in similar plans.

Cover is available for those aged 50 to 80, and the amount you can apply for depends on your age when you take out the policy. The maximum guaranteed lump sum is £20,000, although this is capped at £10,000 if you’re aged 50 to 59. Monthly premiums start from £10 and go up to £75, with payments ending when you reach 90 years old. It’s worth noting that the full payout only kicks in after the policy has been in place for two years.

A unique aspect of OneFamily’s over 50s life policy is that it includes terminal illness cover as standard. This means if you’re diagnosed with a terminal illness, you can claim the full benefit amount early. Its accidental death benefit during the first two years is also very generous, paying out three times your cover amount, up to a maximum of £48,000. There’s also a degree of flexibility that sets it apart from some of its competitors. If your financial situation changes, you can reduce your premiums as long as you have held your policy for at least four years.

In terms of additional support, a Funeral Funding feature is included, which means OneFamily will make a £300 contribution towards a funeral through Golden Charter. Policyholders and their immediate family can also get free access to RedArc’s personal support service, which offers practical, emotional and health-related help.

Customer feedback is positive, with OneFamily holding a Trustpilot rating of 4.3 out of 5 based on 3,998 reviews (1st December 2025). It's a score that should provide reassurance that most customers are satisfied with the service they have received.

Aviva Over 50s Life Insurance- our expert verdict

Aviva’s over 50s life insurance is easy to understand, with a clear structure. The amount of cover you can get depends on how much you choose to pay each month, which can range between £5 and £100. For example, a non-smoker aged 50 could get as much as £33,401 based on the maximum premium of £100, while someone aged 65 could get £18,257 for the same premium. The high maximum premium available with Aviva means it can offer significantly larger cover amounts than many of its competitors, making it an option for those looking for greater cover levels.

Your cover amount and premiums are fixed, so there are no surprises down the line. You’ll stop paying your premiums after 30 years, or when you reach age 90, whichever happens first. The full life cover is payable if you pass away after 12 months, or suffer an accidental death during the first 12 months of the policy.

Where the Aviva plan falls slightly short is its flexibility. Once your policy is in place, you can’t make changes, and there’s no funeral benefit option, which some other providers offer.

On the plus side, Aviva provides access to an excellent range of health and wellbeing services via its DigiCare+ app. These extras include an annual health check, mental health support, nutrition advice, second medical opinions and access to the Bupa Anytime HealthLine. They’re good perks, even if these benefits can be withdrawn at any time.

Aviva has a Trustpilot customer score of 4.3 out of 5 based on 53,592 reviews (1st December 2025), although you should note that unlike some other providers in this guide, these ratings cover all of its products, not just over 50 life insurance plans.

Shepherds Friendly Over 50s life insurance - our expert verdict

Shepherds Friendly over 50s life insurance is another solid provider with a few helpful touches that make it more flexible than most. Monthly premiums are fixed and range from £10 per month to £50 per month. They are payable for 30 years, or until you reach the age of 90, whichever comes first. As with some other over 50s plans, the full life cover kicks in after two years, unless death is caused by an accident, in which case you're fully covered from day one.

Over 50s life plans aren’t renowned for their flexibility once the policy starts, so Shepherds Friendly stands out by allowing you to reduce your monthly premium at any time, as long as it stays at or above the £10 minimum. This level of built-in adaptability is rare and can be especially useful if your financial situation changes.

You can also add a funeral benefit option, which gives you a £250 discount on the cost of a funeral with Co-op Funeralcare. Another valuable inclusion is access to the National Bereavement Service, a not-for-profit organisation offering emotional support and practical advice for your loved ones after your death.

On the customer service front, Shepherds Friendly holds a Trustpilot score of 4.1 out of 5 based on 868 reviews (1st December 2025). While this isn’t the highest in the sector, it still reflects a good level of satisfaction among policyholders, with many highlighting its ease of setup and helpful customer support.

British Seniors Over 50s Life Insurance – our expert verdict

If you’re after flexibility and more options than the average over 50s life plan, British Seniors could be worth a look. It’s not the most straightforward policy out there, but that’s because it offers more ways to tailor the cover to suit your needs.

British Seniors use a tiered system based on your age at sign-up to determine your maximum life benefit. If you’re aged between 50 and 69 you can select up to £10,000, but for those aged 75 to 80, the maximum cover drops to £6,000. The full life cover amount applies once you’ve held the policy for a year. British Seniors is the only provider in this guide that allows you to increase your benefit amount once your policy has started, although you will face a new deferred period before the full amount applies.

A standout feature is the enhanced accidental death benefit, with British Seniors paying double your cover amount if you die because of an accident, more generous than most other providers. British Seniors is also one of the few insurers that offer joint life policies and an increasing benefit. The latter means your cover amount automatically rises by 3% of your initial benefit amount each year to help keep pace with inflation. However, your premiums will go up by 4.5% of your starting premium annually if you choose this option. There’s also a funeral benefit option, where British Seniors will contribute £300 towards funeral costs with Willowbrook Funeral Services.

On the downside, you’ll need to pay premiums until age 95, which might not suit everyone, especially since some providers stop premiums by the age of 90, or after 30 years of making payments if that is earlier.

There are a few value-adds worth mentioning. You’ll receive a free will kit and gain access to free health and wellbeing services through Medipartner. This includes remote GP appointments, mental health support and nutritional advice.

When it comes to customer service, British Seniors’ Trustpilot rating suggests that you should be in safe hands. It scores an almost perfect 4.9 out of 5, based on 30,425 reviews (1st December 2025), making it the highest customer service rating among the providers in our top 10.

Legal & General Over 50s Fixed Life Insurance - Our expert verdict

You can take out a Legal & General Over 50s Life Insurance plan at any age between 50 and 80. The maximum cash sum of £10,000 is lower than some policies, so it may not be a suitable option if you are looking to maximise the amount of cover that an over 50s policy can provide.

The full cover is payable after one year, or sooner if you pass away due to an accident. Your life policy premiums depend on your age, smoking habits and your level of cover, and can range from £5 to £75 per month. Premiums stop when you reach 90 years of age, and there is some flexibility to reduce your premiums once you’ve had your policy for a year.

You can also add a funeral benefit option, which pays an extra £250 towards your funeral if your cash sum is paid directly to Dignity Funerals. There are a couple of handy extras too, such as access to RedArc for health and wellbeing support for you and your household, plus the Care Concierge service, which offers expert guidance on finding later-life or adult care services.

An attraction of picking Legal & General is its strong reputation for good customer service. It has a Trustpilot score of 4.3 out of 5, based on 26,869 reviews (1st December 2025), and although this is across its full range of financial products rather than just for its over 50s life insurance, it’s still a reassuring sign of a dependable provider.

Post Office Over 50s Life Cover - Our expert verdict

The Post Office is one of the few providers that takes a tiered approach to its Over 50s life cover, with the maximum cover based on your age when you take out the policy. The maximum benefit is £10,000, but that’s only available if you're aged 50 to 69. From age 70 onwards, the maximum payout reduces, dropping to £6,000 for those aged 75–80. It makes it a less appealing option for older applicants who may want a higher level of cover. The other main drawback is that premiums continue until you reach 95, which is longer than some of its rivals.

However, there are lots of positives. For instance, the full benefit comes into force after just one year, and if you die due to an accident during that time, the policy pays double the benefit. There’s also a decent range of options to choose from to tailor your cover. You can select joint life cover, or an increasing benefit which automatically raises your initial benefit by 3% each year, with premiums increasing by 4.5% of the original amount. If your premiums ever feel unaffordable, you can reduce them as long as your cover amount doesn’t go below £1,000.

A standout (though slightly complex) feature is the Protected Benefit. If you get halfway through paying for your cover - the date between when you start and your 95th birthday - you can stop paying your premiums, and your loved ones will still receive half the original payout. It’s an option that offers some reassurance if you can’t see the policy through to the end. You also get added value with access to online or phone GP services, plus health and wellbeing support through Medipartner, including emotional and compassionate support.

While the Post Office may not have the strongest reputation for customer service, the policy is run and administered by Aviva, so you’re ultimately backed by a highly reputable insurer.

Unity Mutual Over 50s life insurance - Our expert verdict

Unity Mutual’s Over 50s plan lets you choose a life cover payout of between £1,000 and £10,000, with fixed premiums ranging from £5 to £100. There’s a short qualifying period of 12 months until you are fully insured, though full cover begins immediately for accidental death. You’ll stop paying your premiums once you reach 90, and there’s also a one-time option to reduce your premium if your circumstances change.

A standout feature is the “protected cover amount.” If you cancel your policy or stop paying but have already paid at least half of the total premiums expected by age 90, your loved ones will still receive a reduced payout. It’s a smart layer of protection that ensures you won’t lose everything if you can’t continue with payments later in life.

However, the maximum cover limit of £10,000 is lower than some other providers, and the policy doesn’t come with any extras like funeral funding or health-related support services. This might be a drawback if you’re looking for some extra value benefits.

Unity Mutual’s customer service is tricky to evaluate because it lacks a Trustpilot profile. While its 4.6 out of 5 Feefo rating is positive, it's based on a relatively small number of 68 reviews (1st December 2025), so it only offers a limited insight into how it deals with its customers.

Sainsbury's Bank Over 50s Insurance - Our expert verdict

The maximum level of cover through Sainsbury’s Bank Over 50s life insurance is £10,000, with premiums starting from £5 per month. The full cover amount you select kicks in after just one year. Should the worst happen and you pass away within the first year of your policy, your loved ones won't receive the whole lump sum, but your monthly payments will be refunded. For accidental death, they'll receive the full cover.

If you reach 90 years of age, you'll remain covered, but you won't need to pay any more monthly premiums. There is some flexibility to lower your premiums if you’ve had your plan for a year and your situation has changed.

One of the attractions of Sainsbury’s Bank’s Over 50s life plan is the ability to choose either a fixed or an increasing plan. With the fixed plan, both your premium and payout amount stay the same for the life of the policy. If you opt for the increasing plan, your cash sum is reviewed each year to keep pace with inflation, based on the Retail Prices Index (RPI). Your premium will also rise annually, calculated by multiplying the RPI change by 1.5, with any increase capped at a maximum of 15% per year. 

Extra benefits include access to Legal & General’s wellbeing services, such as mental health support and second medical opinions, and its Care Concierge, which provides help with later life care options.

Sainsbury’s Bank has a Trustpilot rating of 4.3 out of 5 based on 17,137 reviews (1st December 2025), which is deemed to be “excellent”. However, this rating reflects customer feedback across all of its financial products, not specifically its over 50s life insurance.

Scottish Friendly My Mutual Guaranteed Over 50s Plan - Our expert verdict

Scottish Friendly’s Over 50s life plan has a few unique features, but it also comes with some limitations. It has tighter age restrictions than other providers, with eligibility ending at age 74, compared to the age of 80 or 85 with other insurers. However, the maximum cover amount of £20,000 is more generous than many other over 50s life plans.

The plan has a two-year qualifying period before the full benefit is payable. If death occurs due to an accident during this time, the policy will still pay out the full amount. Arguably, the most appealing feature is the reduced cash benefit, which means that if you stop paying your premiums after 5 years your beneficiaries will still receive a proportion of your cover when you pass away. The payout depends on how much you’ve contributed and how long was left until your 90th birthday when payments ceased.

Unlike most providers, which stop premiums at a fixed age or after a set number of years, Scottish Friendly takes a unique approach. A percentage of your monthly premium is paid into its with profits fund, and depending on how it performs, you could reach your full benefit amount sooner - allowing you to stop paying premiums before the originally planned end age of 90. To help you track progress, Scottish Friendly sends out annual statements when you hit 80, showing how much you’ve paid and whether your premium end date has changed.

On the downside, Scottish Friendly doesn’t offer the option to add a funeral benefit, and there are no additional extras like health or wellbeing support. You also can’t adjust your cover or premiums once the policy is in place, so what you start with is what you keep. This lack of flexibility may be a drawback for those seeking a more adaptable policy.

In terms of customer feedback, Scottish Friendly currently has a Trustpilot rating of 3.7 out of 5 based on 3,045 reviews (1st December 2025), which is considered average and is lower than most other providers in our guide