What is specialist life insurance?

Specialist life insurance is type of policy that’s designed to provide cover for people who are deemed as ‘high-risk’ or ‘non-standard’ because of their health, occupation or lifestyle.

For example, it’s often suitable for those who’ve been declined life insurance in the past due to:

  • A serious pre-existing medical condition
  • A hazardous occupation
  • A dangerous hobby or extreme sport
  • A high BMI (overweight)
  • Alcohol or drug misuse
  • Travel to high-risk countries

You can buy specialist life insurance directly through a specialist provider or through a broker. A broker can gather quotes from various providers to help you find the right policy at the right price.

If you’re unsure whether you need specialist cover or a traditional life insurance policy, then get in touch with Reassured - a leading UK life insurance broker.

We offer a fee-free and award-winning comparison service that’s dedicated to helping people from all walks of life find some form of protection for their loved ones.

Speak to one of our life insurance specialists today and receive your free, no-obligation quotes.

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Specialist life insurance providers UK

What does a specialist life insurance provider do?

A specialist life insurance provider offers a bespoke service that helps non-standard (high-risk) applicants secure protection for their families - most commonly for those who’ve found it difficult to get suitable cover through a mainstream insurer.

Specialist providers are well equipped to assess more complex applications and take the time to understand all the details of your situation before deciding if they can offer you a policy.

There are various specialist life insurance companies and brokers in the UK, each with their own specialisms.

We list some of the most well-known in the table below:

Provider / brokerAbout / specialisms
Pulse Insurance Specialist life insurance provider that helps find cover for people with certain medical conditions, hazardous occupations, or dangerous hobbies. They may also cater for those who need a particularly large sum assured, frequently travel overseas, or require gift inter vivos policies (for inheritance tax).
The Exeter Specialist life insurance provider that offers specialist policies for people living with serious or multiple medical conditions, alcohol dependency, obesity or mental health conditions.
Your Life Protected Specialist life insurance broker that helps find cover from a panel of insurance providers for people with pre-existing medical conditions.
Cura Specialist life insurance broker providing an advisory service that helps find cover for people with pre-existing conditions, hazardous occupations, and dangerous hobbies, as well as those who frequently travel overseas or visit high-risk countries.
The Insurance Surgery Specialist life insurance broker that helps find life insurance for high-risk applicants, mainly those with pre-existing conditions, hazardous jobs and dangerous hobbies/extreme sports.

Please note, Reassured may not be able to provide quotes from all specialist providers listed

Comparing quotes from different insurers can help you to find the right policy at the right price.

At Reassured, we offer a specialist advised service that’s dedicated to helping applicants from all walks of life (including those who’ve been declined previously) find some form of cover by comparing options from a panel of top UK insurance providers.

We use our expertise to identify insurers from our panel who are most likely to accept your application and provide you with our best quotes based on your circumstances.

Simply fill in our short form or give us a call to speak to an expert today.

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Do I need specialist life insurance?

Whether you need specialist life insurance will depend on your personal circumstances.

Typically, if you have dependents and/or a mortgage and you’ve been refused cover by mainstream insurers (or you’re unable to secure the right amount of cover to suit your needs), then your best option may be a specialist policy.

Making sure you have a form of life insurance in place offers peace of mind and a financial safety net for your loved ones should the worst happen.

What does specialist life insurance cover?

Like standard life insurance, specialist life insurance will cover you in the event you pass away or become terminally ill during the policy term.

Typically, it doesn’t exclude certain causes of death (except for suicide within the first 12 months).

The pay out from a policy could help your loved ones with essential costs such as:

  • Mortgage or rent costs
  • Outstanding debts
  • Family living costs such as bills, transport & childcare
  • Funeral expenses
  • An inheritance

The length of time that you’re covered for, and the potential pay out amount is determined when you apply for your policy.

Types of specialist life insurance

Specialist life insurance is usually only available in the form of a term-based policy (a policy that provides cover for a specified term and pays out if you pass away during this time).

There are two main types of term life insurance:

Level term - Provides a sum assured (potential pay out amount) that stays the same throughout the term of the policy.

Decreasing term - Provides a sum assured that reduces in line with the outstanding balance of a repayment mortgage.

Typically, the policy term can last between 2 and 40 years depending on the insurer, as well as your needs and circumstances.

Some specialist insurers may have shorter term lengths (for example, a maximum of 10 years).

Specialist life insurance for pre-existing conditions

With 30% of the UK population currently living with one or more medical conditions[1], specialist life insurance most commonly covers applicants with a history of poor health.

If you’ve been diagnosed with a serious medical condition (or multiple conditions), then a specialist insurer may be able to provide cover when a standard insurer may not.

Conditions that may require specialist cover include:

In 2024 alone, the specialist team at Reassured helped over 500 people with pre-existing medical conditions find some form of cover through us.

We have written this complete Life insurance with pre-existing conditions guide for more information. This also includes a list of all our articles which explore individual medical conditions.

Specialist life insurance for hazardous occupations

Specialist life insurance isn’t always required for those with dangerous occupations, but if your job is particularly risky on a day-to-day basis then you may have found it difficult to secure standard cover.

For example, you may be considered high-risk to insure by mainstream insurers if you:

  • Regularly work at height (12 metres+)
  • Work in hazardous environments (e.g. a construction site)
  • Work underwater or underground (e.g. commercial diving)
  • Work offshore in the oil, gas or fishing industry
  • Work with explosives, pyrotechnics or dangerous chemicals
  • Operate heavy machinery

In 2023/24,138 UK workers were killed in work-related accidents[2]. Some of the most dangerous professions include roofer, farmer, police officer, fisherman and truck driver.

We have written this dedicated high-risk life insurance article if you’d like to learn more about arranging life insurance with a hazardous occupation.

Or fill in our short form to find out your available options today.

Specialist life insurance for hazardous hobbies

Many people take part in dangerous hobbies and extreme sports in the UK, but certain activities come with a higher risk of fatal accidents or illness, which could affect your life insurance options.

Some of the most dangerous pastimes include:

If you’re a thrill seeker, extreme sport enthusiast or professional athlete, then it’s even more important to compare quotes and shop around to find the right insurer for your circumstances.

Reassured can help you with this process free of charge.

Specialist life insurance for high-risk travel

In some cases, specialist life insurance may be the only option available if you frequently travel overseas to dangerous destinations for work or other reasons.

Examples of countries with the highest travel risk include:

  • Afghanistan
  • Syria
  • Somalia
  • Libya
  • Iraq
  • Ukraine
  • Sudan

You may be declined by standard insurers if your usual travel plans involve visiting areas where there’s ongoing conflict, political unrest, or severe criminal activity.

However, specialist insurers and brokers are familiar with these types of circumstances and may be able to help you find some form of cover even if you’ve been unsuccessful in the past.

Specialist life insurance cost

The cost of specialist life insurance will depend on your exact level of risk (the likelihood of you making a claim on your policy).

Generally, specialist policies cost more than standard policies as specialist insurers are more willing to provide cover in situations where the risk is higher.

However, applications are always considered on a case-by-case basis, using the following key factors:

  • Your age at the point of application
  • Health (medical history & family medical history)
  • Lifestyle (whether you smoke & your alcohol consumption)
  • Weight (Body Mass Index)
  • Hobbies (whether you’re partaking in high-risk activities)
  • Occupation (whether you work in a dangerous job)
  • Policy type, sum assured (cover amount) and term length

You’ll need to provide the details above during the application process so the insurer can assess your level of risk and calculate the cost of your monthly premium.

Like with any insurance policy, it’s important to compare quotes to help you find a price that suits your budget.

You can compare quotes through our specialist advised service today free of charge.

Other types of specialist insurance cover

As well as life insurance, there are other types of specialist protection that you may consider and could arrange depending on your personal circumstances.

These include:

Critical illness cover - Pays out a tax-free lump sum if you’re diagnosed with a specified critical illness during the policy term. Could help cover the mortgage, bills and medical costs. May exclude claims for pre-existing and related conditions.

Income protection - Pays out in tax-free monthly payments if you’re unable to work due to illness or injury. Could help cover your mortgage repayments, bills and other monthly expenses. Choose short-term or long-term cover depending on your needs. May exclude pre-existing and related conditions.

How to find the best specialist life insurance [Benefits of using a broker]

Reassured are a leading FCA-regulated life insurance broker with more than 15 years’ experience arranging financial protection for families across the UK.

Reasons to use us:

  • Dedicated life insurance specialists to help you compare quotes from a range of leading insurers
  • Impaired risk specialist service available for ‘high-risk’ applicants who’ve been declined previously
  • Expertise & knowledge of underwriting processes used by the insurers from our panel
  • Fee-free support for those applying for life insurance with serious pre-existing medical conditions, dangerous occupations, hazardous hobbies & other risk factors
  • Award-winning service rated ‘Excellent’ on Trustpilot with over 80,000 customer reviews

Click through to our online from to receive your FREE, no-obligation quotes.

Speak to a Life Insurance Specialist » Get Quotes

Sources:

[1] https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/explore-mental-health/statistics/people-physical-health-conditions-statistics

[2] https://www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/fatals.htm

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