Get an illustrative estimate of your monthly insurance premium for life cover, critical illness insurance or income protection. Enter your cover amount, age, health status and cover type to see how these factors combine to influence a typical premium. For a real quote, speak to a regulated broker.
Enter your desired cover amount (the payout the policy would make), your age, your health status, and the type of cover you want to estimate. The calculator applies standard actuarial weighting factors to produce an illustrative monthly premium range.
Life Insurance — pays a lump sum to your beneficiaries if you die during the policy term.
Critical Illness — pays a lump sum if you are diagnosed with a covered serious illness (cancer, heart attack, stroke etc.).
Income Protection — pays a monthly income if you are unable to work due to illness or injury, typically until recovery or retirement.
Accidental Death — pays out only if death occurs as a result of an accident, typically lower-cost than full life cover.
£250,000 life cover, age 35, good health → illustrative monthly premium approximately £15–£25. Critical illness for the same amount and person would typically be approximately £35–£60 per month.
Insurance is one of the most important and least understood areas of personal finance. The core purpose is simple: to replace a financial loss that you could not afford to absorb yourself. For most working-age adults with dependants or a mortgage, the risks most worth insuring against are premature death, serious illness preventing you from working, and temporary inability to work due to accident or illness.
This calculator provides illustrative estimates based on standard actuarial factors. Real insurance premiums are set after full underwriting — a process where the insurer reviews your medical history, lifestyle, occupation and family background in detail. The actual premium may be higher or lower than this estimate depending on your specific circumstances and the insurer's own risk model.
When deciding how much cover to take, a common rule of thumb for life insurance is 10× your annual income, though the right amount depends on your mortgage balance, the number and ages of dependants, and existing savings or employer death-in-service benefits. For income protection, the standard is to insure up to 60–65% of your gross income (most policies cap at this level).
Consider the term carefully. Most mortgages run 25 years, and it is common to match the life insurance term to the mortgage term. Once the mortgage is paid and children are financially independent, the need for life insurance typically reduces significantly.
This tool is for planning and awareness only. Any insurance purchase should be made with the guidance of a Financial Conduct Authority (FCA)-regulated financial adviser or insurance broker. They have a duty to recommend the most suitable product for your circumstances and have access to the whole market rather than a restricted panel of insurers.
If you are declined for insurance or face very high premiums due to medical history, specialist brokers exist who work with high-risk applicants — and in some cases the Zurich Financial Services and other large groups have specialist underwriting teams that can accommodate conditions others cannot.
Common questions about this calculator and how to use it.