Life and critical illness cover is life insurance with a second trigger added: as well as paying out if you die during the policy term, it can pay out if you are diagnosed with one of the serious illnesses the policy defines. Aviva sells it as one plan and Legal & General as a separate policy alongside the life cover, and the difference matters more than the label.

An FCA-authorised broker can look at how life and critical illness cover would work for you and set several insurers' offers side by side; a few details in the enquiry form on this page will reach one, and asking is free.

What adding critical illness cover to life insurance does

Plain life cover pays one lump sum if the person insured dies during the term (see how term life insurance works). The critical illness part adds a second trigger. The Association of British Insurers (ABI), in its Guide to Minimum Standards (September 2022, updated April 2023), describes critical illness insurance as providing for a payment to the policyholder if they are diagnosed with one of the conditions specified in their policy; the definitions themselves are in our critical illness cover guide.

Aviva's Life Insurance+ policy summary (AL50001, February 2026, from Aviva's adviser document library) puts the choice this way: "With life cover, we’ll pay if you die while you have a policy. With life and critical illness cover, we’ll pay if you die or you’re diagnosed with one of our list of critical illnesses." Both options include terminal illness cover, which is a separate benefit; see terminal illness benefit in life insurance.

The same summary says that on a joint policy "the two people can have different cover. So, one could have life cover and the other could have life and critical illness cover" (more on joint policies). On this plan, life and critical illness cover can be level, decreasing or family income cover, which pays the same amount each month until the policy term ends; the summary says you can only pick one of the three.

Combined or additional: how the cover can be built

MoneySavingExpert's critical illness guide (updated 28 July 2026) sets out the two structures. In its description, combined cover pays out once, on either a diagnosis or a death, while additional cover pays out on both a diagnosis and a death as long as the policy is still active. Those are its descriptions; the next paragraph shows how three insurers describe their own arrangements. Our page on the difference between combined and additional critical illness cover goes further into the two.

Aviva sells life and critical illness cover as one plan: its summary (February 2026) says it will only pay your full cover amount once, and that when it accepts a claim it pays in the way you have chosen and your policy ends. Legal & General (QGI14786, October 2026, direct version) sells critical illness cover as a separate policy alongside the life cover; its terms (QGI14872, October 2026) call this additional or independent critical illness cover and say that after a critical illness claim that critical illness policy ends. Royal London's Life or Critical Illness Cover product page (read October 2026) says it pays out a lump sum or income if you die or are diagnosed with a critical illness covered by your plan, and that you reach it through an independent financial adviser; ask what a claim does to the rest of the cover. Our comparison of life and critical illness cover providers sets the insurers' arrangements side by side.

The same words on a quote can describe different arrangements. In Legal & General's version, critical illness cover is a separate policy, and its summary says you may be able to choose different premium and cover types for each, depending on what is available when you apply. Its product page says critical illness cover cannot be taken out alone and has to go with a Life Insurance or Decreasing Life Insurance policy, and that the amount can be lower than the life cover but not higher. Whether other insurers sell it alone is covered in buying critical illness cover on its own.

A quote may not say which arrangement it is. If you would like a broker to check how an offer pays out, you can ask through the short form here; it takes a few minutes.

What the critical illness part will and will not pay for

The critical illness trigger is narrower than the name suggests. The ABI guide names cancer, heart attack and stroke as the three core conditions every critical illness policy must cover, and its 2023 note adds that "many insurers offer products that go above and beyond the guide". Beyond those three, each insurer chooses its own list; Aviva's summary counts 32 critical illness conditions as standard. The ABI guide adds that the range of conditions covered is among the things a policy's terms and price reflect. See conditions covered and the ABI minimum standards.

Having an illness on the list is not enough on its own. Both insurers say the definition has to be met. Legal & General's summary says "For a claim to pay out, your illness must meet Legal & General's definition as found in the Policy Terms and Conditions". It also says some types of cancer are not covered and that a claim for some illnesses needs permanent symptoms. Aviva's summary says that, depending on the definition, it may pay on diagnosis alone, once the condition has reached a specified severity, or when named treatments or surgeries are performed. When critical illness cover pays out looks at how claims are assessed.

There is also a survival period: Legal & General's summary covers a diagnosis or procedure where you survive 14 days from diagnosis, and Aviva's requires at least 10 days. The critical illness cover guide compares survival periods across insurers.

How much more does the combined plan cost than life cover alone?

It costs more, and how much more depends on your own details and the cover you pick, so the way to see the difference is to ask for quotes with and without critical illness cover on the same terms. Legal & General's product page says its critical illness cover is added at an extra cost, and its comparison of life insurance types lists "Only available for extra cost" among the drawbacks.

Aviva's summary says the premium depends on the type and amount of cover you choose and on your personal circumstances, which can include age, occupation, health, lifestyle and smoking habits. Adding critical illness cover, a longer term or a larger sum usually raises the premium, and MoneySavingExpert says additional cover, because "it has the potential to pay out more than once", tends to be more expensive than combined cover.

Aviva's summary adds that life cover alone has guaranteed premiums, while life and critical illness cover can have guaranteed or reviewable premiums, and under the reviewable option the insurer decides whether they go up, down or stay the same. More on pricing is in critical illness insurance cost and what life insurance costs.

Who life and critical illness cover is for

Legal & General's summary says its policies are "designed for people who want to help protect themselves and their family against the impact of death, terminal illness or critical illness", and that the policy "could be used to help pay your outstanding mortgage". Whether it suits you is your own decision; is critical illness cover worth it sets out the points to weigh.

Some points to weigh before you ask for quotes:

  • Cover you may already have. MoneySavingExpert's guide says: "Check if you’re already covered. Your employer may provide critical illness cover as a workplace benefit, or let you buy it through a company benefits scheme."
  • A different protection. The same guide has a section headed "Consider income protection instead." How income protection, critical illness and life cover differ is one of our critical illness and income guides.
  • Age limits. Legal & General's summary lists 67 as the maximum age for buying critical illness cover and 77 for life insurance, and Aviva's lists 64 for life and critical illness with guaranteed premiums. Each is that insurer's limit, not the market's; see life insurance over 50 for what is open later.
  • Health and what you tell the insurer. Legal & General's summary lists not giving full and accurate answers to its application questions as a reason you are not covered; see disclosure and critical illness cover with pre-existing conditions.

When you are ready to compare real offers, a short enquiry through this page's form leads to a conversation with an FCA-authorised broker about combined and separate set-ups. Nothing is charged for that conversation, and it does not commit you to buy.

Frequently asked questions

Does ordinary life insurance pay out for critical illness?

Not unless critical illness cover has been added. Legal & General's life insurance terms (QGI12849, October 2026) say a Life Insurance policy is designed to cover the life insured against death, or a terminal illness diagnosis, before the policy ends, and its policy summary shows "None" for critical illnesses covered under Life Insurance alone. A terminal illness benefit is a different thing from critical illness cover, as terminal illness benefit in life insurance explains.

Can I add critical illness cover to my life insurance?

Legal & General's product page says you can add critical illness cover, at extra cost, when you take out Life Insurance or Decreasing Life Insurance, and Aviva's summary has you choose life cover or life and critical illness cover when you take out the plan. If you want to add it to a policy you already hold, ask your insurer whether that is possible.

What does MoneySavingExpert say about life and critical illness cover?

MoneySavingExpert's guide (updated 28 July 2026) calls critical illness cover "a common add-on to life insurance, though you can get standalone policies", and says the definition of critical illness "can be a minefield and varies between insurers." The guide is bylined to a senior insurance analyst, not to Martin Lewis.

Can I get life and critical illness cover with a pre-existing condition such as diabetes?

It depends on the condition and the insurer, and each insurer decides on the answers in your application. Those answers matter: Aviva's summary says health questions must be answered "fully, truthfully and accurately", and that if they are not it may change or cancel your policy, or refuse a claim. Our pages on critical illness cover with diabetes and pre-existing conditions cover this.

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