Your guide to life insurance and cancer

Standard life insurers will not offer you life insurance if you have just been diagnosed with cancer or are currently undergoing treatment. If you are waiting for investigations or treatment, any life insurance application that you make will be postponed.

Insurers cannot offer terms until your initial treatment has been successfully completed, and even then, there is typically an additional waiting period during which you must show no signs of cancer.

Some specialist life insurance policies that may be available if you have cancer, but they won’t pay out if you pass away due to cancer.

The one exception is over 50s life insurance, a type of life policy that offers guaranteed acceptance, so you don’t need to answer any medical questions. As long as you meet the age requirements, this could be an option if you currently have cancer or have had cancer in the past. However, cover levels are usually much lower than those for standard life insurance (typically up to £20,000).

It is possible to get standard life insurance if your cancer is in remission.

The longer it has been since there has been no sign of cancer after you have finished treatment, the more likely it is that your cancer won’t return. So if you can wait the agreed time set by insurance companies, they should be more willing to offer you a life insurance policy. Where life cover is offered, you are likely to pay a higher premium for it.

In many cases, a cancer disclosure means insurers will add a temporary premium loading to the policy, with the amount depending on the type of cancer and the date of your last treatment. If there is no recurrence after a specified period, the life cover may revert to standard rates.

You must be upfront and completely honest about your cancer diagnosis. Minimising its severity or failing to mention a family history of the disease could risk you invalidating the policy, leaving your loved ones with no financial support after your death. 

Find out about remission thresholds

It's important to understand that you will usually have to wait a specified period after finishing treatment and your cancer is in remission before an insurer will accept your life insurance application.

As there are so many types of cancer, at different stages and grades, and with various treatment options, insurers will assess cancer survivors on a case-by-case basis. Trying to get life insurance too soon after treatment could mean your application is declined or that the premiums are higher.

With a one-off early-stage, highly treatable skin cancer, such as a basal cell carcinoma, for example, you may even be able to get standard cover. However, you may have to wait for five to 10 years after getting the all-clear for more aggressive cancers, and it will vary between insurers.

Typically, you will have to wait between two and five years to buy a standard life insurance policy after you have finished cancer treatment, so use the time wisely to improve your health – for example, giving up smoking, cutting alcohol consumption or keeping fit.

Insurers generally want to know what type of cancer you had, where it was located, whether it had spread, and how long it has been since treatment ended.

To determine whether they can offer you a policy, and on what terms, insurance underwriters will review several factors, including the following:

Cancer type

There are more than 200 types of cancer, with the most common being cancers of the breast, bowel, prostate and lungs. The type of cancer you were diagnosed with will be a key factor underwriters will consider.  

Cancer staging

Many cancers are categorised according to four stages which indicate the size of the cancer and whether it has spread. These range from stage 1 to stage 4:

• Stage 1: when the cancer is localised and has not spread
• Stages 2 and 3: where cancer has spread regionally beyond the original organ – to the lymph nodes, for example
• Stage 4: where there is a secondary cancer or ‘metastasis’ and the cancer has spread to other organs. 

Cancer grading

A cancer grade helps determine how abnormal the cancer cells are compared to healthy cells, which will give some indication of how fast the cancer will grow.

Cancer treatment

Insurers will look at the treatment clinicians provided, such as surgery to remove the cancer, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, immunotherapy and hormone therapy, and when the treatment ended.

Time since your cancer treatment ended

Insurers will be unwilling to provide life insurance until your cancer treatment has successfully finished and it is in remission. The times set out by insurers for patients to show no signs of cancer vary from two to five years, or even 10 years after finishing treatment, depending on the cancer. 

What questions will an insurer ask if I apply for life insurance after cancer?

Below is a list of questions insurers may ask about your cancer history, in addition to their standard health and lifestyle questions: 

• How long has it been since you were diagnosed with cancer?
• Which type of cancer did you have?
• What stage and grading was the cancer – has it spread to lymph nodes or other parts of the body?
• What type of treatment did you receive (chemotherapy, radiotherapy, surgery)?
• Has there been any recurrence?
• When was treatment completed?
• What are the results of your latest scans and medical tests?
• Are you continuing to take any medication?
• Are any follow-up appointments planned?

Insurers need this information during the underwriting process to help them assess the level of risk if they offer you life insurance, including your life expectancy and the likelihood that you’ll make a claim. 

All the above, along with your age, your general health and how well you responded to treatment, will help insurers to assess your likely recovery from cancer. 

Generally speaking, the lower the grade of cancer and the longer the time that has passed since treatment finished, the more favourable the insurer's underwriting decision is likely to be. If the cancer has spread beyond its original organ, most life insurance applications will be declined.

Will a life insurance provider need medical evidence if I apply after cancer?

To get a complete picture of your cancer history, a life insurance company will often require a medical report from your GP. They will need to get your permission before they can access your medical records. Any letters or test results from your consultant could also help speed up the application process. 

A vital piece of information that insurers use when deciding what terms to offer someone who has had cancer is the cancer classification. The classification is often included in your hospital discharge letter.

A family history of cancer shouldn’t stop you from getting life insurance, but it may mean that you have to pay more as insurers can see you as a higher risk.

Insurers recognise that family history can be a significant factor in helping them identify how susceptible an individual may be to certain medical conditions.

Insurers will look at the type of cancer – some cancers, such as bowel, breast and ovarian cancer, have a stronger hereditary link.  

They will review whether a close relative, typically a parent or sibling, has had cancer and how many other family members have also been affected. How young your family member was when they were diagnosed with cancer and whether they recovered from the disease, as well as your age and gender, will also influence their underwriting decision.

Being diagnosed with cancer after taking out a life insurance policy should not affect your existing cover. As long as you answered all the health questions truthfully, didn’t have cancer when you took out the policy, and continue paying your premiums, you will remain insured. 

If you are worried about being unable to pay the premiums if you are too ill to work, it’s worth checking whether your policy includes a waiver on paying the premiums while you are on sick leave. You will usually have to wait a few months before this kicks in.

Does life insurance cover cancer?

Life insurance covers cancer by paying out the death benefit if the person insured dies from cancer. In fact, cancer is the most common reason for life insurance claims, with data from Aviva for 2024 showing that 42.2% of its life insurance and terminal illness payouts were due to cancer-related deaths.

However, claims may be denied if the policyholder withholds their own medical history or their family medical history or fails to disclose a cancer diagnosis before they take out their policy. 

While life insurance pays out if you die from cancer, you’d need critical illness cover to get a payout if you’re diagnosed with certain types of cancer.

Do I need to tell my life insurer about my cancer diagnosis?

If you already have an existing life insurance policy, you don’t need to tell your life insurance about a new cancer diagnosis. However, if your cancer is terminal and your life insurance includes terminal illness cover, you will probably want to inform them to see whether you can get an early payout.

Many policies also include added-value health and wellbeing services and support, such as counselling or virtual GP appointments which may be useful following a cancer diagnosis.

If I have a life policy, will it pay out if my cancer is terminal?

If you are diagnosed with terminal cancer when you already have a life insurance policy in place, you may be able to receive a payout before you die. This can be very helpful in terms of getting your affairs in order. 

Many insurers offer this if doctors predict that your life expectancy is less than 12 months. Policies may include this as standard or may offer terminal illness cover as an add-on, so you’ll need to check your policy documents. If your provider pays out and you live longer than 12 months, you can still keep the payout. There are typically no restrictions on how the money can be used.

What types of life insurance can I consider with a history of cancer?

If you are a cancer patient or survivor considering taking out a life insurance policy now or in the future, you’ll need to decide which of the main types of life cover best suits your personal circumstances and what you aim to achieve for your loved ones.

Whole of life insurance

Offering your family financial protection until the day you die, whole of life cover is designed to pay your beneficiaries a lump sum on your death, whenever it occurs.

Over 50s life insurance

Available to those aged between 50 and 85 years, over 50s life insurance is the only form of life insurance that will offer you guaranteed acceptance, whatever your cancer diagnosis, whether you are in remission or your cancer is terminal. However, payouts are relatively modest, and you need to pass a waiting period of at least one year before the full life insurance cover kicks in.

Term life insurance

This type of life cover provides protection for a set period of time or ‘term’, and your life will no longer be insured once the term ends.

There are four term life insurance options affecting how long the policy will last and how premiums are paid:

• Level term insurance: the level of cover stays the same for the whole term of the policy.
• Decreasing term insurance: the lump sum beneficiaries receive decreases during the length of the policy, making it a popular choice to protect repayment mortgage payments. 
• Increasing term insurance: both premiums and the payout increase during the term of the policy, either by a fixed amount or in line with inflation.
• Family-income benefit: beneficiaries will receive a regular payment instead of a lump sum.

For further information, read our article on the different types of life insurance. 

Critical illness insurance covers some forms of cancer, provided they meets the policy's definition of a covered condition.

Life and critical illness cover are often taken out at the same time. They work well together because – unlike life insurance (with the exception of terminal illness) – critical illness cover provides a lump sum payment during your lifetime. It can cover a wide range of critical illnesses, though the specific cancers included vary between providers.

As patients need to be seriously ill before they will be considered for a payout, cancers will need to be malignant and advanced. Many insurers will therefore exclude early-stage or non-invasive cancers, including some skin cancers.

If you are in remission from cancer, you may be able to take out critical life insurance. But insurers will usually exclude all cancers or the particular cancer you were diagnosed with from your policy, and also charge a higher premium. The remission threshold before you can get critical illness cover can be longer than life insurance, with the exact timescale depending on the type of cancer you had. 

Because of the different attitudes to risk among insurers, consider getting specialist advice from a broker if you are buying critical illness insurance and have had cancer. 

How to buy life insurance after cancer

If you have had cancer and are looking for life insurance, advice from a specialist insurance broker can be invaluable. A broker will have in-depth knowledge of how each life insurer underwrites applicants with a history of cancer, and can save you time and money by steering you towards providers more likely to accept you and for a lower premium. 

Brokers may also know of specialist providers that might prefer not to deal directly with consumers and aren’t listed on price comparison sites.

It helps if you approach your broker armed with relevant information, such as the type, stage and grade of your original cancer, the date of your last treatment, and if and when there was a recurrence of your cancer. They can then review the remission thresholds of various insurers and assess your monthly budget for a life protection plan.

Whether you use a broker or not, it’s essential to shop around as eligibility criteria and remission waiting times vary between providers.

You can get a personalised life insurance quote or speak with a life insurance expert by completing our form.