Compare over 50 life insurance
A closer look at the plans from the top-selling providers
When buying over 50s life insurance it’s important to feel you’ve made the right choice. We’ve run through some of the things you might want to consider when choosing yours, and compared the 5 most popular active providers in the UK.
What to consider when comparing plans
Over 50s life cover is known as a ‘whole of life’ plan, because unlike most forms of life insurance, over 50s cover offers you protection for your whole life. You pay a little each month, and when you die your payout is guaranteed.
What’s more, there usually aren’t any medical questions, so you’re guaranteed to be accepted.
Providers of over 50s life insurance have different features, for example some offer guaranteed acceptance until aged 85, but others stop at aged 80. These things are worth comparing and considering before you make your choice.
Here are the 5 most popular providers of guaranteed acceptance over 50s life insurance plans in the UK (in order), and the plans we are comparing:
- SunLife’s Guaranteed Over 50 plan (provided by Phoenix Life Limited)
- British Seniors’ Over 50s Life Insurance (provided by Aviva Protection UK Limited)
- Post Office Over 50s Life Cover (provided by Aviva Protection UK Limited)
- One Family's Over 50s Life Cover (provided by One Family)
- Legal and General's Over 50 Life Insurance (provided by Legal and General)
Source: the Swiss Re Term & Health Watch report 2025. The competitor product information below is correct as of June 2025 and is checked every 3 months.
Compare over 50s insurance
See how the most popular over 50s life insurance providers compare. For full features and details, please refer to each provider.
| Provider |  |
British Seniors | Post Office | One Family | Legal & General |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Policies start between | 49-85 years old | 50-80 years old | 50-80 years old | 50-80 years old | 50-80 years old |
| Max cover* | £18,000 | £10,000 | £10,000 | £20,000 | £10,000 |
| Defaqto rating | 5 Star | 3 Star | 4 Star | 5 Star | 5 Star |
| Full life cover available after | 1 year | 1 year | 1 year | 2 years | 1 year |
| Quote and apply online |  |
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Competitor information correct as at June 2025. Checked every 3 months. Provider rankings from Swiss Re Term & Health Watch report 2025. *Maximum cover depends on your age and smoker status, so may be different to the amounts show here. Get a personalised quote to see what's available to you. For more details about all the providers in our comparison table, compare over 50s plans here.
What to consider when comparing over 50s life insurance
How much will be paid out?
Different providers will offer slightly different payouts for the same monthly premiums, so it’s important to check that you’re happy with the amount offered. You may want to talk with your loved ones about how you see the money being used, to help decide how much cover you’d like.
Most providers give you the option to add additional plans in the future to increase your final payout. If this is something you think you’d be interested in, be sure to compare the maximum payouts available.
If you’re planning to use the cash payout towards your funeral costs, it’s worth checking to see if the provider offers a Funeral Benefit Option. This is a bonus contribution towards funeral costs (when you use a specified funeral provider).
| Provider | |
British Seniors | Post Office | One Family | Legal & General |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Max cover | £18,000 | £10,000 | £10,000 | £20,000 | £10,000 |
| Funeral Benefit Option – free contribution towards your funeral | £250 | £300 | £250 | £300 | £250 |
Are there any additional bonuses or welcome gifts?
Many providers offer a welcome gift for new customers. Of course, these incentives should never be the reason for choosing a certain plan. But it still might be worth comparing when making your choice. Welcome gifts are updated regularly and often only become available after a few months of paying premiums.
| Provider | |
British Seniors | Post Office | One Family | Legal & General |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Welcome gift | |
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Making a decision
Choosing over 50s life insurance is a big decision – and you should never feel pressured into making a choice before you’re ready. If you’d like to find out more about SunLife’s Guaranteed Over 50 Plan, you can get a free, no-obligation quote online, or by calling our friendly team.
Or call free on 0800 904 7674 (Mon-Fri: 10am-4pm, Sat-Sun: Closed)