Covid-19, vaccines, and your life insurance – here’s everything you need to know

After three long and difficult lockdowns, the vaccine rollout programme is enabling restrictions to be lifted across the world. Many retail, leisure and hospitality businesses have reopened, and much of life is gradually returning to normal.

The successful vaccine rollout in the UK is one of the key reasons that lockdowns have been eased. The vaccines, from the likes of Pfizer, AstraZeneca and Moderna, have been shown to be extremely effective against variants of the Covid-19 virus, and this should help to reduce serious incidences of the disease, hospitalisations and, of course, deaths.

If you’ve had your Covid-19 vaccine, or you will in the next few weeks and months, you may have questions about whether it affects your life insurance. Indeed, there have been some claims made recently which suggest that having the vaccine could affect a payout from a protection policy.

Read on for answers to the main questions you’re asking us about Covid-19, vaccines, life insurance, and Critical Illness cover.

 

Does having the Covid-19 vaccine affect my life insurance?

By the end of 9 June 2021, 40,710,139 people in the UK had received the first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine. 28,540,844 people had received their second vaccine dose.

We’ve recently seen a number of false claims on social media suggesting that having the vaccine will affect your life insurance. 

The original claim seems to have been made in a fake document appearing to come from the insurer Allianz which states:

“If you consent to taking a Covid-19 vaccine your consent is self-inflicted; it was your choice to have the experimental medical procedure and therefore insurance will not cover any damage or death.”

This has led to a range of incorrect claims being made online. This is an example of the type of claim we have seen.

It’s important to understand that these claims are simply not true.

Indeed, the Association of British Insurers (ABI) has also issued a warning about false claims which suggest having the Covid-19 vaccine will void life insurance policies.

The truth is that having the Covid-19 vaccine has no impact on your protection policies. Indeed, the ABI has issued the following statement:

“There are some claims being made that having the Covid-19 vaccine will impact your life insurance cover. This is false.

“Receiving a vaccination against Covid-19 will not impact your insurance cover, be it life insurance, private medical insurance or other forms of insurance.”

Consumer champion Which? contacted leading insurers and all confirmed that life insurance policies will not be affected by you receiving the Covid-19 vaccination. 

Aviva said life and Critical Illness cover plans will not be affected as a result of getting the vaccine. Indeed, the insurer does not even ask if you have had the vaccine when you complete an application form for cover.

Bupa confirmed that health insurance won’t be invalidated “in any way” and that it is “actively trying to combat misinformation about this”.

So, if you have life insurance or other protection in place, you can be assured that you can be vaccinated and that it won’t have an impact on any payout.

 

Will my life insurance pay out if I die of Covid-19?

Yes. All of the UK’s leading insurers have confirmed that they will pay a life insurance claim if the policyholder dies of Covid-19, as long as:

• The premiums are up to date
• All the underwriting questions on the application firm were answered honestly and accurately.

You therefore have the peace of mind that your life insurance will cover you if you were to pass away because of Covid-19.

According to figures released by the ABI, in 2020 there were 11,198 claims received under individual and group life insurance policies for Covid-19. Insurers paid out a total of £202 million, with an average payout on individual policies of £13,100, These payouts included a £250,000 lump sum made the day after notification of death and a £1 million payment to dependants.

Read more about the significant number of claims for Covid-19 paid in 2020.

 

Will my Critical Illness cover pay out if I contract Covid-19?

Critical Illness protection is designed to provide financial support to you and your family if you’re diagnosed with a serious medical condition. These normally include some types of cancer, a serious heart attack or stroke, and conditions such as multiple sclerosis.

As the UK’s leading insurers do not consider Covid-19 a “critical illness”, your policy would typically not pay out if you were diagnosed with coronavirus. You could not make a claim under your policy.

There may, however, be instances where individuals develop complications as a result of contracting Covid-19. For example, you may experience liver, respiratory, or heart failure as a consequence of a coronavirus diagnosis.

In this situation, an insurer will typically pay a Critical Illness claim, if your illness meets the definition in the policy terms and conditions. There may also be some policies which will pay out if you have been in intensive care for an extended period and you required ventilation.

 

Can I get life insurance if I’ve had coronavirus?

Yes. Insurers will consider an application for protection if you have been previously diagnosed with Covid-19. 

If you have had coronavirus, you should declare this on your proposal form and outline how severe your symptoms were. Typical questions that an insurer might ask include:

• Have you received a positive test for Covid-19?
• Have you experienced any symptoms of coronavirus?
• Have you been in contact with anyone who has tested positive, or had Covid-19 symptoms?

If you answer “yes” to one or more of these questions, the insurer might delay making a decision about your cover until you have recovered.

It’s important to remember that many insurers will consider an application if you have previously experienced a range of conditions – not just coronavirus. 

We have wide experience in helping people with a wide range of pre-existing mental and physical conditions to get the protection they need. This can range from minor issues to conditions such as diabetes, irritable bowel syndrome, arthritis, or raised cholesterol.

Get in touch with one of our experts to find out more.

 

Life insurance can provide valuable protection

If you want to ensure your loved ones can maintain their lifestyle if you’re no longer around, it’s vital that you put the right life insurance in place.

You’ll benefit from the peace of mind that a lump sum will be paid to your beneficiaries if you pass away. It allows your family to pay off their mortgage so they can remain in your home, pay important bills and outgoings, and ensure your children are supported.

Many of the people we speak to are surprised by how cost-effective it can be to put the right cover in place. And, insurers have an exceptional record when it comes to paying claims – as you saw above more than £200 million was paid out after deaths from Covid-19 in 2020 alone.

Read more about why life insurance might be cheaper and more reliable than you think.

Getting a quote is easy. Simply compare cheap life insurance quotes online, or get in touch with one of our experts. We’ll scour the market for you and compare prices from dozens of the UK’s leading insurers so you can get the right cover at the right price.