What could Critical Illness cover be used for?

Anything you want. Medical expenses, repaying the mortgage, making your home easier to live in, school fees, general living expenses, but to name a few.

STEP 1 of 2
Type of cover
Life Insurance       Mortgage Life Insurance
 
Cover Level (£)

Number of years
Do you want:  
Critical illness cover
Family income benefit
 

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Is there a waiting period to receive payment on a Critical Illness claim?
All Critical Illness policies require you to survive a specified number of days following diagnosis in order to have a valid claim. The typical survival period is 28 days but some insurance companies have reduced this to 14 days.
Is there a minimum or maximum premium for critical illness cover?
Minimum premiums vary from company to company but they can be as little as £5 per month.
What information do you need to provide to apply for a Critical Illness policy?
The Application form will ask questions regarding your height, weight, age, sex, current state of health, occupation, hobbies etc.
How will a critical illness claim be paid?
If you have a claim a Critical illness policy pays you a tax-free lump sum normally by cheque. Then, as soon as you receive the payment. the policy will terminate.
Can you extend or increase your Critical Illness cover at a later date?
If you have a policy with a renewable option then yes, you can increase, or sometimes extend, your cover. If you do not have a renewable option then you cannot change your cover. These days only a few insurance companies offer policies with a renewable option.
If you fall seriously ill there is a lot to be said for having a financial cushion to make things easier.
Surviving a critical illness can change your life in many ways. You may well have to give up work and this would have a major impact on your lifestyle. You may also have ongoing medical bills. Having extra financial resources available would help you to manage these changes.

Consider some of the benefits extra money would provide:

Medical Expenses
If you need medical services outside the NHS it can be expensive. And serious illnesses often require a long period of medical attention. So the costs keep on mounting up. Critical Illness Insurance can help to provide the extra cash you need.

Repaying your mortgage
Reducing stress would be a big factor in your rehabilitation so being able to repay your mortgage and outstanding debts would be a big help.

Changes to your Lifestyle
Unless you can foresee the future it is impossible to predict exactly how a critical illness would change your lifestyle. But consider just some of the possibilities: you may want to move home or make structural changes to your home, such as widening the doorways, installing a stair lift or making sure that everything is easier for you to reach; your mobility would be important so you may find that adjustments are needed to your car or even a different type of car is required; if you have children and your mobility or energy is affected then having the right level of cover would mean that you could afford to have the childcare you need to support your recovery.

The problem is that everything you think of is almost certainly going to cost extra money, money that could be provided through Critical Illness insurance.

Cash for the future
You may want the financial resources to enable your children to finish their education and go to university. With the right amount of cover, you could even afford a holiday to help recuperate. You want the chance to enjoy yourself while you have the opportunity.

Frequently Asked Questions related to the above topic.
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