HSBC life insurance is no longer written by HSBC itself: HSBC Life (UK) Limited has been renamed Chesnara Life (UK) Ltd, and HSBC's own pages now send policyholders to the insurer that holds their policy. If you would like HSBC-era cover looked at again, an FCA-authorised broker goes over it with you on a no-cost call; to arrange it, leave your name, phone number and postcode using the form on this page.
Who holds an HSBC life insurance policy now?
It depends on which insurer issued the policy. HSBC's life insurance claims page lists four providers to contact: Chesnara Life, Aviva, Legal & General and Zurich. Chesnara Life's own site says it now looks after the customers who previously took out policies with HSBC Life (UK) Limited.
The change of ownership is recorded in two places. The old HSBC Life website says the company "has been bought by Chesnara plc (a European Life and Pensions company)" and "has been renamed Chesnara Life (UK) Ltd". Chesnara's interim results (25 August 2026) give the date: "On 30 January 2026, the Group completed the acquisition of 100% of the issued share capital of HSBC Life (UK) Limited". HSBC Life policyholders were told by letter or email in December 2025 or January 2026, so that letter is a good place to look first.
HSBC's page adds a point for anyone who bought through one of the bank's protection advisers: "If you bought a policy with another provider through one of our HSBC UK protection advisers, please contact them directly." The insurer on your policy schedule is the one to deal with. For the same kind of change at another insurer, see what happened to AIG Life policies.
How do you make an HSBC life insurance claim?
Contact the insurer that holds the policy, not the bank branch. HSBC's page puts it as "get in touch with your insurance provider to make sure it's handled quickly and sensitively", and the page also mentions help from the bank for people dealing with an estate after a death.
For a policy now with Chesnara Life, its bank policyholders page sets out three steps for life, critical illness and waiver of premium claims. You contact Chesnara Life by phone or email, and "You will be contacted within 3 working days to sign a digital Consent Form, using Adobe Sign." The claims line is 0345 745 6125, open 8am to 6pm Monday to Friday except public holidays, and the claims email is Life.claims@chesnaralife.co.uk. Check both against the letter you were sent about the change of name.
The documents asked for depend on the type of claim:
- Life cover: Chesnara Life asks for a copy of the death certificate and, "If necessary, we may need probate or letters of administration". HSBC's page words it more broadly, as other legal documents.
- Critical illness or terminal illness: HSBC's page says the provider may need letters from your doctor or the hospital about the diagnosis, and for a critical illness claim Chesnara Life says it will also contact your doctor for a medical report.
If a policy is with Aviva, Legal & General or Zurich, HSBC's page links each insurer's own customer pages rather than a claim form. Aviva's claims route has its own guide, making a bereavement claim with Aviva, and published claims statistics show how often valid claims are paid.
What happens to critical illness cover when life cover pays?
This is where HSBC's page is most specific. For a policy with both life cover and critical illness cover, it says a successful critical illness claim ends the critical illness policy while the life cover continues. A life cover claim, or cancelling the life insurance, ends the critical illness cover.
On a policy covering two people, the page says the critical illness cover ends if either person makes a successful life cover or critical illness claim. Your own policy's terms decide how this works in practice. Combined cover in general is explained in life and critical illness cover and mortgage protection with critical illness cover, and the mortgage cover guides go wider. A claim for terminal illness is covered by the terminal illness benefit guide.
Who do you contact to cancel your HSBC life policy?
The same providers handle changes. HSBC's page tells policyholders to contact the providers it lists: Chesnara Life by phone on 0345 745 6125, and Aviva, Legal & General and Zurich through their websites. If you want to cancel life insurance with HSBC, that call or web page is where it starts, and the insurer can tell you whether anything is paid back.
Two points on the HSBC page are worth having in mind first. It warns that "if you cancel your policy, you would no longer be protected if anything were to happen", and it suggests reviewing your cover when circumstances change, such as moving house. If the worry is the monthly cost, it says your insurer may be able to help keep the policy affordable, so ask before you cancel. For how refunds usually work, read the guide to cancelling life insurance and the cancellation period.
If you are cancelling because you want different cover, it can help to know what is on offer before the old policy ends. Wondering what could replace an HSBC policy? The form on this page fixes a conversation with a broker before you cancel anything.
Where is the HSBC life insurance trust form?
Ask the insurer that holds the policy for its trust form: Chesnara Life, Aviva, Legal & General or Zurich. If you are new to the idea, the trust guide explains the basics and putting a policy in trust walks through the steps. How the trust form works for a Chesnara Life policy is a point the broker can go over with you when they ring, free of charge.
If the policy is with Aviva or Legal & General, those insurers' forms are described in the Aviva trust form guide and the Legal & General trust form guide. If the policy is already in trust, read what cancelling a policy in trust involves before you phone anyone.
Can you still get new life insurance through HSBC?
HSBC's life insurance page describes one route: "If you're a Premier customer and would like to discuss ways to protect what’s important to you, you can talk to one of our financial advisers." The advisers, it says, recommend a policy "from our hand-picked list of providers", so the cover comes from one of those providers.
If you are not a Premier customer, or you want mortgage life cover, the routes are set out in where to buy mortgage protection, and comparing mortgage life insurance quotes shows what to line up side by side.
What if something goes wrong with an HSBC-arranged policy?
Complain to the insurer that holds the policy first. The Financial Ombudsman Service says that for most complaints the business has up to 8 weeks to consider it. If you are unhappy with the final response, you have 6 months from its date to go to the Ombudsman, whose service is free. The Financial Services Compensation Scheme says it covers insurance among other products if a UK-authorised firm fails.
Frequently asked questions
Is HSBC life insurance still sold?
HSBC Life (UK) Limited is now Chesnara Life (UK) Ltd. HSBC's website says its Premier customers can talk to a financial adviser, who recommends a policy from a hand-picked list of providers. Ask on the free call-back what is open to you if you are not a Premier customer.
Who underwrites HSBC life insurance?
Policies issued by HSBC Life (UK) Limited are now with Chesnara Life (UK) Ltd, the same company under its new name. HSBC's claims page also lists Aviva, Legal & General and Zurich, and your policy documents show which one is yours.
Who do I contact about mortgage life cover I took out with HSBC?
The same insurer as for any other HSBC-arranged policy: Chesnara Life, Aviva, Legal & General or Zurich, whichever your policy schedule names. Claims, changes and cancellations all go to that insurer rather than to the bank.
How do I find out if I still have a policy?
Look for the letter or email that HSBC Life policyholders were sent in December 2025 or January 2026, or for your policy schedule. If neither turns up, contact Chesnara Life on 0345 745 6125 with the policy details you have.
Is there a cooling-off period if I just took out a policy?
Your insurer can confirm whether you are still inside the cooling-off window. How the cooling-off window usually works is in the cancellation period guide.
Not sure whether your HSBC-era cover still fits? The form on this page wants only basic contact details, and the follow-up phone call carries no fee.
Sources
- Chesnara Life (formerly HSBC Life (UK) Limited), HSBC Life: we have a new home (undated), read 27 October 2026. life.hsbc.co.uk
- Chesnara plc, Interim 2026 Results (25 August 2026), read 27 October 2026. chesnara.co.uk
- HSBC UK, Life insurance: making a claim and managing your policy (undated), read 27 October 2026. hsbc.co.uk/insurance/life/claims
- HSBC UK, Life insurance (undated), read 27 October 2026. hsbc.co.uk/insurance/life
- Chesnara Life, Bank Policyholders: how to make a claim (undated), read 27 October 2026. chesnaralife.co.uk
- Chesnara Life, home page (undated), read 27 October 2026. chesnaralife.co.uk
- Financial Ombudsman Service, How to complain (undated), read 27 October 2026. financial-ombudsman.org.uk
- Financial Services Compensation Scheme, What we cover (undated), read 27 October 2026. fscs.org.uk