Royal London Life Insurance Review 2026
Royal London is the UK’s biggest mutual insurance and pensions provider, with more than 8.6 million life insurance customers* across the country. They offer a wide range of life insurance policies, including specialist products for people with chronic medical conditions like diabetes.
Our most recent research found that Royal London is one of the Top 10 ‘most recommended’ UK life insurance companies, based on their Trustpilot score of 4.6 out of 5.0 Stars. They are also one of the UK’s best High BMI life insurance providers, as they can cover people with a BMI as high as 46.
Top benefits of Royal London life insurance
- Royal London Personal Menu Plan allows you to combine multiple types of cover (e.g. life insurance and income protection) into one policy with one monthly premium.
- HelpingHand support service offers mental well-being support and access to virtual GP services and physiotherapy advice (via the TrackActiveMe app).
- Dual life cover allows joint life insurance customers to have different levels of cover, with cover continuing after the death of the first partner.
- ‘Underwrite Later’ option provides up to 6 months of free life cover while your application is being processed.
- Serious Illness Benefit will pay out up to £350,000 if you (or one of your children) is diagnosed with one of the following conditions: cancer, stroke, heart attack, MS, benign brain tumour or dementia.
In our guide to Royal London life insurance, our insurance experts explain how Royal London policies work, how to apply, and how much your policy might cost. We have included price examples from real Royal London customers, as well as the latest independent ratings from trusted sources like Defaqto and Fairer Finance.
*based on 2023 figures published on the Royal London website.
60 Second Summary – Royal London Life Insurance Review 2026
Royal London has been protecting UK families, homes, and businesses since 1861. They offer a range of life insurance policies to suit different customers, such as family life insurance, mortgage life insurance and whole life insurance.
You can adjust your Royal London policy to fit your budget, and Royal London adds additional benefits for free to ensure that you get good value for money. This includes popular benefits like serious illness benefit and online health support services.
- Royal London life insurance policies start from less than £15 per month, depending on your age, medical history, occupation etc.
- Royal London has won various awards and achieved high industry ratings from independent bodies like Defaqto (5 Stars) and Fairer Finance (Silver rating).
- Royal London is currently rated ‘Great’ on Trustpilot, with a customer review score of 4.0 out of 5.0 Stars.
- You can customise the level of life cover that you have, so that your policy is affordable and provides the right level of protection for your family or mortgage.
- Royal London’s diabetes life insurance policies have been specifically designed to be an affordable option for people with type 1 or type 2 diabetes.
- Royal London critical illness cover pays out to support you if you are diagnosed with 1 of 73 specified serious medical conditions (e.g. cancer, heart attack).
Can I buy life insurance from Royal London?
Royal London offers a range of policies to help protect you and your loved ones against financial difficulties. This includes life insurance, as well as other policies like critical illness cover and income protection insurance. They also provide other services including investments and pensions, and the advert below refers to various Royal London products.
Royal London Mutuality - everyone's business
This advert was produced by Royal London in 2023 to explain to cosumers how Royal London mutual society works to protect it's customers and shareholders.
Their policies work well for a wide range of life insurance customers, and they are often a good option for people who are overweight or have specific medical conditions.
Royal London is one of the best life insurance companies in the UK for applicants with diabetes, having worked hard to develop a specialist diabetes life insurance policy. Their bespoke application process makes it much simpler to get the cover that you need, even with high HBa1c readings or other complications (e.g. neuropathy, retinopathy).
Features of Royal London diabetes life insurance:
- Can cover people with a high HbA1c reading (not always possible with other insurers).
- Can reduce your monthly premiums each year (up to 40% decrease) if your diabetes is well-managed and your condition is improving.
- Need less medical evidence than other insurers and the application can be a far quicker process than with other insurance companies.
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Is Royal London a good life insurance company?
Royal London is highly rated by both their customers and by experts within the life insurance industry. Their policies are currently rated 5 Stars by Defaqto, which is one of the UK’s most trusted quality assessments for financial products. They also have a ‘Silver Ribbon’ rating from Fairer Finance, based on fair claims processing and great customer service.
Like most insurers, Royal London collects their reviews on the independent review site Trustpilot. Here, they currently have a rating of 4.0 out of 5.0 Stars, with 66% of their customers rating them 5.0 out of 5.0 Stars.
| Life Insurance company | Defaqto rating | Fairer Finance rating | Trustpilot rating |
|---|---|---|---|
 | 5 Stars | Gold Ribbon (85.3%) | 4.6 out of 5.0 Stars (Rated ‘Excellent’) |
How does Royal London life insurance work?
Royal London has several types of life insurance to choose from, so you should choose the policy that best fits your situation and the level of cover that you need. You can then apply for your policy either with Royal London directly or through a life insurance broker.
When you apply for Royal London life insurance, you will be asked various questions about your health, medical history, and lifestyle. This helps Royal London to assess how likely you are to claim on your policy (risk) which affects the price that you pay.
What do Royal London policies cover?
| Policy type | Royal London Life Insurance |
|---|---|
| What policies are available? | Family life insurance (Level term) Mortgage life insurance (Decreasing term) Family income benefit Royal London Whole of life insurance Royal London Over 50s life insurance Royal London diabetes life insurance Royal London Direct Life insurance (level or decreasing term) Royal London Advised life cover (level, decreasing or increasing cover) Increasing life insurance (amount of £s you are covered for will increase over time) |
| What are the premium options? | You can have guaranteed premiums (the monthly payments will always stay the same) or reviewable premiums (the monthly payments can increase or decrease). |
| Can you buy joint life insurance from Royal London? | YES – There are couple of options for Royal London joint life insurance. Your policy can pay out on the death of the first partner (first event) or second partner (second event). |
| Is terminal illness benefit included? | YES – Terminal illness benefit included automatically and will pay out if you are diagnosed as having 12 months or less left to live. |
| Can I have Waiver of Premium? | YES – This can be added to your policy for an additional cost. Waiver of Premium will pay your monthly premiums for you if you cannot work due to injury or illness. |
| How does Royal London increasing life insurance work? | The increase in your cover amount (sum assured) is directly linked to any changes in the Retail Price Index (RPI). The other option is to have your sum assured increase by a fixed amount each year (2% – 5%). |
| Are there age limits with Royal London? | Minimum age 18 at policy start. Maximum age 70 at policy start. |
| Is there anything that I can’t claim for (policy exclusions)? | Your claim will not be valid for suicidal death within the first 12 months of your policy. You cannot claim on terminal illness benefit if your diagnosis doesn’t meet the terms and conditions of your policy. |
How much does Royal London life insurance cost?
The price of Royal London life insurance will be based entirely on your age, health, lifestyle, and occupation among other factors. There isn’t a set price, as the price is based on the person who applies and their circumstances.
To show you how much your Royal London policy could cost, our insurance experts have put together the tables below. These display examples of two real Royal London customers to show how pricing can vary from person to person.
Case Study 1: Mrs A.
| Applicant for Case Study | Details of cover |
|---|---|
| Details of applicant | Mrs A. was born in 1978 and is a non-smoker. |
| Health information and details | Mrs A. has anxiety which is treated with medication. |
| Other information | Height: 5’1” / Weight 8st4 |
| Cover requirements | Mrs A. wanted £174,000 of decreasing life insurance to protect her mortgage over the next 25 years. |
| Monthly premiums (£s) | £13.04 per month Guaranteed (fixed) premiums |
Can I buy critical illness cover from Royal London?
Royal London critical illness cover is another popular insurance policy that can be added to your life insurance or bought as a standalone policy. There are several options to choose from including level term, decreasing, or increasing cover.
Other key facts about Royal London critical illness cover are:
- You can buy either single life or joint cover (to protect you and your partner).
- You must be at least 18 years old to apply and can buy a policy up until age 69 years old.
- You can be covered until age 84 at maximum.
- You must be covered for a minimum of 5 years and can be covered for a maximum of 50 years.
- If you have child cover, your child can convert this into their own policy within 6 months of their child cover ending (no medical underwriting needed).
What critical illnesses are covered by Royal London?
Royal London will pay out if you are diagnosed with 1 of 73 specified medical conditions, which includes common conditions like cancer, heart attack and stroke.
- 46 conditions will pay out 100% of the amount you are covered for (sum assured).
- 27 conditions will pay out 50% of the amount you are covered for (sum assured), up to £30,000 at most.
- Children’s cover will pay out for the same conditions and you can add on ‘enhanced cover’ which would pay out for a further 13 child-specific conditions.
Rated "Excellent" 5 out of 5
"This company went above & beyond to get me cover even though I have MS, I am very happy I managed to get cover, Amazing staff, Dean went above & beyond, I highly rate this company."
by Elizabeth Turner-Long - 9th August 2023
How do I contact Royal London life insurance?
It’s not always simple to know which number to call when you need to speak to an insurance company, especially a larger insurer like Royal London.
There is a long list of Royal London life insurance telephone numbers on their website, so we have put together the list below to make it easier for you.
Royal London Life Insurance Contact Numbers
Royal London customer service (general advice) – Telephone – 0345 602 1885
For Royal London policies bought before 2004 – Telephone – 0345 050 2020
For policies bought from Royal Liver, Refuge Assurance or United Friendly – Telephone – 0345 050 2020
For policies bought through a financial advisor or from Bright Grey – Telephone – 0345 6094 500
For Royal London Over 50s life insurance policies – Telephone – 0345 050 2020
For Royal London Over 50s life insurance policies (bought from the Post Office) – Telephone – 0345 266 1484
For policies from Cooperative Insurance Services (CIS) – Telephone – 0345 605 7777
For policies bought from Santander or Abbey National (now known as Royal London Retail) – Telephone – 0345 741 3002
How do I claim on a Royal London life insurance policy?
There are a few key steps you will need to follow when claiming on a Royal London life insurance policy. You will need to provide the following details to make the claim process as smooth as possible:
- The policyholder’s policy number (if you have it), name, date of birth and address.
- Your name, address, contact number and relationship to the deceased (are you the next of kin?).
- The date that they died and the death certificate/certificate number.
- If there is a Will, Royal London will also want the name of the executor of the Will.
Royal London may also want additional details depending on the claim and the type of policy. For example, if it is a mortgage life insurance policy, they might want to see proof of the remaining mortgage amount before they approve the claim.
Can I cancel Royal London life insurance?
If you aren’t happy with your policy or want to switch to a new insurance company, you will need to contact Royal London to cancel your policy. The process should be simple, and their team will be able to cancel your policy for you.
How to cancel Royal London life insurance:
You can cancel your Royal London life insurance policy at any point during your policy term by calling 0345 600 7788 or by writing to Royal London at the following address:
Royal London House,
Alderley Park,
Congleton Road,
Nether Alderley,
Macclesfield,
SK10 4EL
Note: You will also need to cancel your Direct Debit with your bank or building society to make sure that you don’t get charged again by accident.
Can I complain about Royal London life insurance?
If you have any issues with your Royal London life insurance policy, you are always entitled to submit a complaint. Royal London has processes in place to deal with any customer complaints as quickly as they can, and you can complain online, over the phone or via post.
You can refer your complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service if you feel that your complaint has not been resolved fairly or within an appropriate time frame (e.g. 8 weeks).
Complaints contact details
Royal London Online Complaint Form – CLICK HERE
Telephone – 0345 603 6733
Opening hours – Monday to Friday 8.00am – 6.00pm
Post:
Royal London House,
Alderley Park,
Congleton Road,
Nether Alderley,
Macclesfield,
SK10 4EL
Frequently asked questions about Royal London life insurance
Who owns Royal London life insurance?
Royal London is a ‘mutual’ insurance company which means that the business is entirely owned by its members. There are no shareholders to pay, allowing Royal London to reinvest more easily into improving its services.
What insurance companies did Royal London take over?
Royal London bought two smaller insurers back in 2020, which were Police Mutual and Forces Mutual. Those insurers specialised in life insurance for people working in the police or armed forces.
If you did have a policy with either Police Mutual or Forces Mutual, you will still have cover but it is now provided by Royal London.
How do I compare Royal London life insurance quotes?
To compare Royal London life insurance quotes, you can contact Royal London directly or apply with the help of an experienced life insurance broker.
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