0161 814 9315
Critical illness cover pays a tax-free lump sum if you're diagnosed with a serious illness covered by your policy, such as certain cancers, a heart attack or a stroke. It gives you the breathing space to focus on recovery, not finances — covering anything from mortgage payments to private treatment, home adaptations, or simply time off work to recover properly.
What does critical illness cover typically include?
Policies vary between insurers, but most cover a defined list of conditions, commonly including cancer, heart attack, stroke, multiple sclerosis, and organ failure, among others. Some policies also include partial payments for less severe versions of covered conditions, or children's critical illness cover as a built-in benefit. Understanding exactly what's covered — and just as importantly, what isn't — is where proper advice makes a genuine difference. If a pre-existing condition is likely to complicate underwriting, our non-medical underwriting page explains what's available.
Critical illness cover vs income protection
These are often confused but work differently. Critical illness cover pays a single lump sum on diagnosis of a specified condition. Income protection instead pays a regular monthly income if you can't work due to illness or injury, for a much broader range of conditions, but typically doesn't pay a lump sum. Many of our clients choose to combine both for more complete protection.
Who should consider critical illness cover?
- Homeowners who want extra protection beyond life cover alone
- Parents who want to protect their family's financial stability through a serious health event
- Anyone without significant savings who could cover a major, unplanned cost
- Business owners who want to protect against the financial impact of their own serious illness
Why arrange critical illness cover through TLD
- Cover that pays out — we help you answer medical questions correctly so a claim isn't refused later
- Access to leading UK insurers, to help find cover that fits your needs and budget
- 12,800+ plans arranged and £1.07bn+ in cover placed since 2015
- Named Stockport's Three Best Rated Insurance Services, 2022 to 2026
- One point of contact — the same adviser, from quote to claim
Remortgaging soon? Review your critical illness cover too
If your current deal is coming to an end, it's a good moment to check your protection still matches your circumstances. We can review your critical illness cover at the same time as helping with your remortgage, so everything is reassessed together rather than left to chance.