In life insurance, underwriting means the insurer's assessment of the risk you present, which decides whether it offers you cover, on what terms and at what price. Legal & General's leaflet Underwriting explained (W10188 09/25) puts the job in one sentence: "Through this, we determine whether you’re eligible for insurance cover, and how much your premium will cost."
The assessment starts with the answers you give on the application, and some applications are decided on those answers alone. To hear from an FCA-authorised broker about how your own details might be weighed, send the free enquiry form on this page and expect a phone call; the rest of this guide explains what happens and when.
What does a life insurance underwriter actually do?
An underwriter weighs the information on your application against the insurer's view of risk and decides the terms. Legal & General's page on medical information (dated 12 August 2026) describes the sequence: the application form asks lifestyle and medical questions, and the insurer then assesses whether cover can be offered, how much it will cost and whether any restrictions will apply.
Not every application needs a person to read it. Aviva's wording shows the two routes: "If you apply for our Life Insurance Plan and we can’t make an instant decision about if we can offer you cover, we’ll refer your application to our underwriters, so they can look at it in more detail." So at Aviva some applications get an instant decision, and underwriters step in when one cannot be made.
Each insurer sets its own thresholds for when more is asked of you; non-medical limits in life insurance covers those, and who stands behind a brand.
What do underwriters look at: health, lifestyle, job and amount of cover?
In broad terms, Royal London (in a guide published 10 June 2026) describes insurers carefully evaluating the risk they would take on, looking at your health, your lifestyle habits and other personal factors. Legal & General's leaflet breaks that down into a list: age, health, build, family history, job and activities, alcohol consumption, smoking and non-prescription drug use, and where you live and travel.
The leaflet also says a decision is sometimes based on one factor but may come from a combination, giving the example that being overweight or smoking may aggravate some medical conditions. So the items are not always judged one by one.
The amount you ask for matters as well as who you are. Aviva says that your age and how much cover you apply for "are key factors" in whether you will be asked to complete a medical.
The detail sits on other pages: height, weight and BMI, family medical history, alcohol, smoking and hobbies such as extreme sports.
A broker can check how your particular mix of details is likely to be looked at by the insurers they work with; the enquiry form here sends them your request at no cost, and going ahead afterwards is your choice.
What happens after you apply, and when is more evidence asked for?
You answer the application questions first. Legal & General suggests having to hand the dates and dosage of any medication, up-to-date height and weight, and your immediate family's medical history. The questions a life insurance application asks are covered separately, as are the rules on telling the insurer the truth.
If the insurer needs more, Aviva sets out what a referral to its underwriters might involve, and it is not always a medical: more information from you about a condition you mentioned; a report from your doctor, requested with your permission; a mini screening, "a simple screening done by a nurse at your home or workplace"; or a medical examination, usually a few detailed questions from a doctor and a full examination, for which it covers the cost and makes the arrangements.
At Legal & General a full medical is the exception. In its words (page dated 28 May 2026), "in most cases, a medical is not necessary", and in 2025 "around 7.5% of people who applied for life insurance were asked to attend a medical". It adds that life insurers do not always need to check medical records with a doctor. Whether your own age, cover amount and history would bring any of it in is something the broker can talk through when they call you back. How a GP report works and what rights you have over it are in the page on non-medical limits, and there are routes with no health questions at all in life insurance without a medical.
What are the possible outcomes of underwriting?
The labels below are the ones in Legal & General's leaflet. Another insurer's letter may word its decision differently, so ask what yours means if it is unclear.
| Outcome | What it means | Read more |
|---|---|---|
| Standard terms | The insurer sees no extra risk and offers the cover you applied for. | |
| Loading (increased premium) | Cover is offered, but at more than the standard premium. With a higher premium, L&G may be unable to offer some optional extras, such as Waiver of Premium. | What a loading is |
| Exclusion | A specified condition, event or hazardous activity is left out of the cover. These are likely for past conditions that may come back, such as back problems. | Cover with medical conditions |
| Postponement | Cover may not be offered yet, for example soon after a heart attack or cancer, during medical investigations or before an operation. L&G then lets you know when you can apply again. | If you are postponed or declined |
| Decline | Cover is refused because the risk is judged too high and expected to stay that way. L&G usually keeps this for serious health problems you have now or had recently, though other risk factors can lead to it too. | If you are postponed or declined |
The leaflet also describes an alternative offer, where the benefits differ from what you applied for. Its example is life cover being accepted with critical illness cover removed.
A loading, an exclusion or changed benefits is still an offer of cover, not a refusal. Aviva points out that insurers have different application requirements, and if the first answer is not the one you hoped for, the pages linked in the table explain what you can do next.
How long does life insurance underwriting take?
It depends partly on whether anything needs checking. Aviva's guide says that for a fully underwritten policy the process from application through approval or denial "typically takes several weeks", adding that "timelines can vary among financial organisations, and delays in reports from physicians and other parties can slow down the process further." For its own life insurance, Legal & General notes that every applicant's circumstances differ, but "we will let you know within a matter of days or weeks whether we require additional medical information".
Aviva also offers interim cover while you wait. Its Protection Promise, described on the same page, covers an applicant free of charge for the amount requested, up to £500,000, while it decides; that lasts until the decision is made, the application is withdrawn, or up to 90 days after the promise cover has been confirmed as started. This is one insurer's arrangement, so check the terms sent with any quote you receive.
If you want a sense of how long your own application might take, ask a broker, who will ring after you send the enquiry form; that call costs nothing.
Frequently asked questions
Does being asked for a medical mean I will be declined?
No. Aviva says a medical is requested so that the insurer can learn more while assessing your application, and that being asked for one does not automatically mean the application will not be accepted.
Do I need to tell the insurer if something changes after I apply?
Yes. Legal & General's leaflet says you must tell it of any change to the information on your application between the date you apply and the day the policy starts. What follows if you do not is set out in what you must tell a life insurer.
What is the difference between an underwriter and an insurer?
The insurer is the company that would pay a claim; the underwriter is whoever assesses the application for it, which can be a person on its underwriting team, as in Aviva's referral process above. The policy documents name the insurer.
To have a broker look at your own application, send the enquiry form here; the call you get back from the broker is free. More guides are in health and underwriting.
Sources
- Legal & General, Underwriting explained (W10188 09/25), read 21 October 2026. legalandgeneral.com
- Aviva, Do you need a medical to get life insurance? (last updated 2 July 2025), read 21 October 2026. aviva.co.uk
- Legal & General, How do life insurance companies obtain your medical information? (12 August 2026), read 21 October 2026. legalandgeneral.com
- Legal & General, Does life insurance with no medical exist? (28 May 2026), read 21 October 2026. legalandgeneral.com
- Royal London, What factors affect the cost of life insurance? (10 June 2026), read 21 October 2026. royallondon.com