Life Insurance For Mums With Health Conditions In 2025
One common reason parents assume they won’t qualify for the best life insurance for mums is that they have a chronic, lifelong, or ongoing health condition.
Many believe that this would either make life insurance for mums with health conditions too expensive or not available at all.
The good news is that, as an independent, full-service insurance adviser, Insurance Hero provides access to a range of competitively priced products, with life cover for parents starting from under £5 a month, and many reputable providers who will consider applicants with existing health concerns or diagnoses.
While some types of critical illness cover for mums can be more expensive if you have a condition that makes you riskier from an insurance standpoint, there are multiple options.
Our role is to listen to your needs and circumstances and ensure you get the right financial protection for you and your children.
Mums, A Health Condition Shouldn’t Stop You Getting Cover. Compare Top Insurers. Find Your Cheapest Quote
Can Mums Put Life Insurance in Place if They Have a Known Health Problem?
We often speak with mums via our accessible life insurance chat line, which is open every weekday until the evening and on Saturdays.
Many want to ensure they have cover that would safeguard their children’s futures, education, housing, and lifestyle if the worst were to happen.
There are too many misconceptions about life insurance to mention, but some of the prevalent confusions include:
- Presumptions that no respected, high-quality life insurance provider will offer an affordable premium to an applicant with a health concern
- Believing that life insurance is only suited to couples or that life cover for single mums or dads isn’t available
- Guessing that low-cost life insurance, which is manageable on a tight budget, is only offered to younger adults or those in excellent health
As we’ve indicated, there is some truth to the fact that life insurance and additional critical illness cover may be more expensive for those with health conditions, but this is a generalisation.
For example, a chronic condition that does not impact your ability to work or live a healthy, active lifestyle and doesn’t represent a risk for an insurer might have a minimal effect on your quoted premiums.
Types of Life Insurance Policies for Mums with Health Conditions
It’s great to know that there are policies in place specifically for mothers, even those with health issues. Understanding how each type of life assurance or critical illness insurance works helps you choose what suits your family’s needs best.
Level term life insurance
Level term life insurance offers mums with pre-existing conditions a fair and straightforward option. You pick the cover amount, like £100,000 for 20 years, to protect your loved ones if you pass away within that time.
For example, monthly payments cost around £4.56 at age 20; by age 40, this rises to about £9.87; and at age 50, it reaches roughly £17.18 per month.
Joint policies can also help keep costs down for couples or civil partners looking into life assurance options. Choosing joint cover over two single plans could lower premiums by about 25%-30%.
At age 50, a joint policy for the same terms costs approximately £31.53 each month compared to two singles costing together around £34.36 per month.
Critical illness cover
Critical illness cover provides mums with extra security, paying a tax-free lump sum if you’re diagnosed with any of 52 serious illnesses listed in your policy.
For example, the monthly cost for a typical mum aged 30 is around £23.26 per month for £100,000 worth of cover; this compares to just £5.82 each month without critical illness added on.
Terminal illness protection comes as standard and allows any policyholder to make early insurance claims if doctors give you less than 12 months to live, providing financial help at the most challenging times.
Challenges Mums Might Face Getting Life Insurance with Health Conditions
Applying for life insurance for mums with health conditions can feel daunting. Insurers may occasionally raise additional questions or request additional health checks.
Mums might face higher insurance premiums and stricter conditions, based on their health details and lifestyle choices like smoking or vaping.
Impact of pre-existing medical conditions
Pre-existing medical conditions can push up the cost of life insurance premiums for mums in the UK.
Conditions such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, epilepsy or high blood pressure make insurers take a closer look at your health and lifestyle.
For instance, being a smoker drives up monthly costs; £100,000 cover over 20 years could cost just £3.61 per month for non-smokers aged 20, but rises to £5.02 if you smoke.
Insurers often ask mothers with existing illnesses to undergo detailed medical exams, such as BMI checks, urine tests, and blood pressure measurements, before finalising their quotes.
Policies for higher amounts may even need extra tests during medical underwriting; examples include heart condition assessments or more thorough health screenings if you’ve had mini-strokes or breathing problems before applying.
Honesty about your medical history helps secure accurate premiums.
| Health Condition | Typically Covered by Life Insurance / Critical Illness Cover? |
|---|---|
| Cancer | One of the most commonly covered conditions |
| Heart Attack | Covered if it meets the definition in the policy |
| Stroke | If it causes lasting symptoms |
| Multiple Sclerosis | With a confirmed diagnosis |
| Kidney Failure | Usually covered if on dialysis or transplant list |
| Major Organ Transplant | For organs like the heart, liver, lungs, and kidneys |
| Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery | If open-heart surgery is required |
| Parkinson’s Disease | If diagnosed, and it causes permanent symptoms |
| Alzheimer’s Disease | Typically, with permanent symptoms |
| Motor Neurone Disease | Covered if due to severe and progressive nature |
| Benign Brain Tumour | Yes, if it requires surgery or causes lasting symptoms |
| Deafness (Permanent) | Yes, if there is a total and irreversible loss of hearing |
| Blindness (Permanent) | Yes, if there is an irreversible loss of sight |
| Loss of Limbs | Yes, if there is a permanent physical loss or inability to use the limb(s) |
| Traumatic Head Injury | If it results in a permanent neurological deficit |
Tips for Securing Affordable life insurance for mums with health conditions
Being clear about your full medical history helps insurers offer the best deal. And checking policies from several UK providers can help mums find affordable life cover for their needs—and budgets.
Be transparent about your medical history
Always give insurers clear details about your medical history. This includes any pre-existing conditions, tests or treatments you’ve had, such as HIV tests and health costs covered by the NHS.
If you hide these facts, insurers might deny claims later. For example, Aviva Life Insurance requires complete honesty, with coverage up to age 77 but no cash-in value for policies.
Free Parent Life Cover from Aviva offers £15,000 per child under four for one year. Being open helps secure similar benefits at affordable rates.
Insurers often check your medical records carefully before approval. Clearly disclose current and past treatments, like critical illness cover issues or ongoing prescriptions.
Full disclosure is essential to avoid problems when claiming life insurance for mothers with pre-existing conditions.
Compare policies from multiple providers
Compare life insurance policies from many providers before you invest. A broker like Insurance Hero helps mums find budget-friendly deals starting at just £0.20 per day, for single or joint cover options and critical illness plans.
With more than 15 years of experience and thousands of families served, Insurance Hero can simplify your search.
Comparing several insurers’ terms ensures affordable premiums if you have health conditions, letting you choose with confidence.
Common questions insurers may ask
- Do you currently smoke, including using e-cigarettes? Being a smoker or vaping can raise rates significantly; quitting smoking may save money on cheaper life insurance premiums.
- Have you had any serious illnesses before, such as a cancer diagnosis or a heart attack? Answers to this question give insurers an idea of possible threats from past health conditions like angina, brain haemorrhage or other diseases.
- Has an insurer turned down your request for a life insurance policy in the past? Providers like Insurance Hero offer guidance even if you’ve been declined previously, so being open about past rejections helps get appropriate financial advice for cover choices.
- Do you drink alcohol regularly? How much per week would you say that amounts to roughly? Alcohol intake affects premiums since heavy drinking is closely linked to chronic illnesses affecting living costs and overall well-being.
- Are you currently pregnant or recently had a child; did complications arise during pregnancy, such as high blood pressure or gestational diabetes? Pregnancy-related issues help insurers predict future maternal health concerns linked to childbirth and childcare responsibilities.
- Do regular check-ups happen yearly at doctors’ clinics, specifically regarding known chronic conditions? For example, asthma monitoring sessions, with results clearly documented, help ensure that national insurance contributions records remain accurate while pension and retirement planning remain secure, even in the face of pre-existing medical conditions.
- What type of unpaid work do you engage in daily? For example, caregiving roles like carer duties can involve stressful activities that impact mental health. Stay-at-home mums performing intense unpaid labour may experience stress factors considered relevant by insurers assessing your application before offering terms suited best for family protection plans, such as level term life insurance.
External resources we feel Mums might find helpful:
- https://www.moneyhelper.org.uk/en/family-and-care/illness-and-disability/buying-insurance-if-youre-ill-or-disabled
- https://www.legalandgeneral.com/insurance/life-insurance/health/pre-existing-conditions
Steve Case is a seasoned professional in the UK financial services and insurance industry, with over twenty years of experience. At Insurance Hero, Steve is known for his ability to simplify complex insurance topics, making them accessible to a broad audience. His focus on clear, practical advice and customer service excellence has established him as a respected leader in the field.
