Beginners guide to critical illness cover

There’s so many different types of life insurance available, so sometimes it can feel like a struggle to know when you need a policy and what type of cover you need - that’s where we come in.

At Caspian, we look at your needs, wants and affordability, so that we can match you up with the right cover suited to you and your loved ones. Critical illness cover is one of the top types of life insurance policies that we recommend. But is this type of cover right for you? Let’s take a look at some of the top asked questions about critical illness cover and how we can help.

Start your life insurance journey today


What is critical illness cover?

Critical illness cover is a type of life insurance that can help financially protect you and your loved ones, if you were to be diagnosed with a critical illness as defined within your policy conditions.

The tax-free, cash lump sum from this policy could make all the difference for you and your loved ones, during a time when you need it most.

Don’t just focus on the price

When looking into life insurance, although price is an important factor, if affordability isn’t an issue then it’s best not to fixate on it. There are so many other factors to be considered when searching for the right policy, for example:

  • Does your critical illness cover include any free additional benefits?*
  • If your cover does include benefits, are they suited to your loved ones and circumstances?
  • Getting the best policy length for your lifestyle and circumstances
  • The reputation of your chosen provider
  • Securing the right amount of cover

What conditions does critical illness insurance cover?

The medical conditions that are covered under a critical illness policy differ from provider to provider but the main conditions that tend to be covered are:

  • Cancer
  • Heart attack
  • Loss of limbs
  • Alzheimer’s disease
  • Stroke
  • Loss of sight
  • Organ failure
  • Multiple sclerosis
  • Parkinson’s disease

How much is critical illness cover?

There is no one size fits all with critical illness cover - your policy will always be tailored to your individual circumstances by our team of friendly life insurance experts. There are a lot of different factors that go into calculating how much you’ll be paying for your cover, such as your:

  • Age
  • Smoker status
  • Occupation
  • Family medical history
  • Your health and lifestyle


How do I pay for my critical illness policy?

Once your critical illness policy premium has been calculated using the criteria above, amongst other factors, you will usually be given a price there and then on the day you choose to sort your cover.

This amount will simply come out of your bank account every month as a monthly direct debit. You can stop paying for your policy at any time but if you do then you will no longer be covered by your critical illness policy.

If you ever find yourself struggling to keep up with your monthly payments then we can help. You can always come to our Caspian customer care team for help, where we can look at what we can amend on your cover to help ensure you can keep up with your payments and as a result keep your cover in place.

Not sure still?

If you’re still on the fence about whether or not you want to start your life insurance journey, our critical illness calculator could help. You can find out an estimate of how much you could be paying for your cover in as little as 30 seconds.

All you need to do is pop in your age and how much cover you would be interested in and in just one click, you can find out an estimate of how much you would be paying for your cover each month. Sounds too good to be true, right? Try it for yourself below!

Find out your estimated price


Should I get critical illness insurance?

There are multiple reasons why you may need a critical illness policy, at Caspian, we speak to all sorts of people and everyone’s reason for getting life insurance is always slightly different. Our top 5 reasons for taking out a critical illness policy are:

  1. You’re a parent
  2. You have a mortgage
  3. You don’t have much in savings
  4. You’re the sole earner for your household
  5. You’ve been affected by losing a loved one and want to ensure your family are financially protected

What can I use the pay-out from this cover for?

The great part about having a pay-out from any type of life insurance policy, including critical illness cover, is that you use the money for whatever you want. Some of the most common things people use the lump-sum from their critical illness cover are:

  • Modifications to your home as a result of your diagnosis
  • Mortgage payments
  • Vets bills
  • Travel costs, if specialist treatment isn’t accessible to you
  • Rent payments
  • Childcare costs
  • Petrol
  • The food shopping
  • Little treats, to make life easier for you and your family

Why seek advice?

Without the right cover in place, your loved ones may find themselves struggling financially, if you weren’t able to work due to being diagnosed with a critical illness.

Choosing the right cover can feel difficult which is why seeking advice from specialists is important. At Caspian, our team of UK-based experts are here to look at your circumstances and assess what cover is right for you.

We can create a tailored policy suited specifically to your needs and affordability. Click below to start your life insurance journey today!

Start your free quote



*Free benefits are not contractual and may be changed or withdrawn in future.