UK Critical Illness Cover Calculator

A tax-free lump sum on diagnosis of a defined serious condition — typically including cancer (specific types/stages), heart attack, stroke, multiple sclerosis, kidney failure, major organ transplant, and usually 40-90+ other conditions depending on insurer. Quality varies hugely by provider — always compare against the ABI Statement of Best Practice and the insurer's own definitions (Aviva, Vitality, Royal London, AIG publish full condition lists).

Rule of thumb: 2-3× gross annual income plus any outstanding non-mortgage debts. Bump to 4-5× if you have young children or no income protection in place. The cover is for the financial shock — lost income during treatment, home adaptations, private treatment top-ups, clearing debt while recovering. Do not double-count if you already have robust IP and mortgage life cover.

If you can only afford one, IP. IP pays for any illness or injury that stops you working, for the full term (potentially to retirement), so covers far more eventualities. CI pays only on specific listed diagnoses and pays once. That said, CI pays a lump sum (covering medical bills/home adaptation) while IP pays a monthly income — they are complementary, not substitutes. Many advisers recommend IP first, then CI if budget allows.

Combined (life + critical illness, accelerated) is cheaper but the policy ends on the first claim — if you claim on CI, the life cover dies with it. Standalone CI keeps the two separate (pays CI and life cover independently) at 10-30% higher total cost. For a single person with dependants, standalone is usually worth the premium; for a couple where each partner has adequate separate cover, combined can be fine.

Most UK CI policies include free children's cover (typically 50% of your sum insured up to £25k-£100k) for children aged 30 days to 18-21 years. Covers a defined list of childhood-relevant conditions including childhood cancers, congenital conditions, and specific diseases. Treat it as a bonus rather than a primary reason to buy — you're insuring your own earnings risk first.

"ABI+" conditions go beyond the ABI minimum Statement of Best Practice — e.g., earlier-stage cancers, less-severe heart attacks, lower-grade brain tumours. These trigger proportionate payouts (10%-50% of sum insured). Policies from Vitality, Royal London, Guardian, AIG offer the strongest ABI+ breadth; cheaper policies may only cover the ABI minimum. Read the policy wording or ask for a definitions comparison before buying.

Yes — most underwriters ask about first-degree relatives (parents, siblings) having specific hereditary conditions (certain cancers, MS, heart disease, Huntington's) diagnosed under age 60-65. Misrepresentation can void the policy. Honest disclosure may trigger a modest rate-up or exclusion, but that is far better than a denied claim 15 years later.