The Exeter life insurance reviews
You may not be familiar with UK insurer The Exeter, but they have one key selling point . They specialise in life insurance for people with medical conditions. If you have ever been declined life insurance due to your health, The Exeter could be a good option for you.
They are a highly rated insurance company (rated 4.4 out of 5.0 stars on TrustPilot. As well as life insurance, The Exeter provides a range of other helpful insurance policies. This includes private health insurance and income protection insurance to protect you and your family.
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
About The Exeter
The Exeter is an award-winning life insurance provider that is a trading name of Exeter Friendly Society Limited. As their name suggests, they are based in Exeter in the South of England.
As a mutual company, there are no shareholders to pay and they are owned by their members (customers). This means all profits go back into improving their products and services for their customers. All customers of The Exeter automatically become members once they buy a policy.
They pride themselves on carefully considering each application on an individual basis. The Exeter states on their website “we’ll often say yes, when other insurers might say no”. This insurer is well known for providing policies to people with medical conditions. This is extremely helpful for people who may otherwise struggle to get the cover they need.
Find out more – The Exeter – You Matter More
More about PRE-EXISTING CONDITIONS LIFE INSURANCE
The Exeter Awards
The Exeter has won a variety of industry awards for their products and services. Below we have a list of some of these awards.
2023
COVER Customer Care Awards – Outstanding Business Development Team
2022
LifeSearch Awards – Best Income Protection Provider
COVER Excellence Awards – Outstanding Protection Product Innovation
COVER Customer Care Awards – Best Health & Wellness Offering
Protection Guru Awards – Best Insurer for Protecting the Income of People with Higher Risk Occupations
2021
Personal Finance Awards – Best Income Protection Insurance
More information – The Exeter – Awards
Why choose The Exeter life insurance?
The Exeter is one of the best insurers in the UK for people who have pre-existing medical conditions. It can be difficult to find the right cover when you have health issues. This is particularly true if you have severe health problems or multiple conditions.
The Exeter tends to be more understanding and more likely to approve cover for people with conditions such as:
- Heart attack
- Stroke
- Diabetes (Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes)
- Alcohol abuse
- Heart conditions
- Cancer (cancer cover)
- HIV
- Obesity
- Severe mental health conditions
The Exeter will only sell life insurance through an insurance broker and deals are not available directly or through comparison websites. They also sell other products like private medical insurance and health insurance.
It can be helpful to speak to an insurance specialist no matter what insurer you apply to. This allows you to compare prices and policies more easily, with support and guidance throughout your application.
The Exeter life insurance policy summary
| Type of Cover | The Exeter ‘Real Life’ Life Insurance |
| Cover options | Level Term Life Insurance (Family Life Insurance) Decreasing Term Life Insurance (Mortgage Life Insurance) |
| Cover options | Single life (individual life insurance) |
| Terminal illness benefit | Terminal illness cover is included as standard. This benefit pays out if diagnosed with a terminal illness (life expectancy of 12 months or less) |
| Increasing life insurance option (Indexation) | The Exeter does not provide indexed increasing life insurance as an option for their customers. You may be able to increase or decrease your overall cover amount on request. |
| Waiver of Premium | Waiver of premium is not included with The Exeter life insurance policies. |
| Term options | Minimum term – 5 years Maximum term – 50 years |
| Age limits | Minimum age at entry – 18 years Maximum age at entry – 80 years Maximum age at end of policy term – 90 years (You must have been resident in the UK for the last 3 years to apply) |
| Maximum benefit | Up to £3,000,000 (Minimum monthly premium is £15 per month) |
| Exclusions (Term Life Insurance) | Suicidal death is excluded within the first 12 months of the policy. Claims will not be paid if any information provided to The Exeter during the application was untrue. They will also deny any claim where they request evidence which is not supplied. Certain policies may contain other specific exclusions so check your policy documents carefully. |
More information – The Exeter – Specialist life insurance
The Exeter income protection insurance summary
Income protection is a very useful policy to provide extra financial support. Income protection pays out a monthly tax-free income if you cannot work due to illness or injury.
This can help support you with living expenses such as rent/mortgage payments, utility bills and more while you recover.
There are several things that are different about The Exeter income protection compared to other insurance such as:
- NO medical evidence needed if you are under age 42
- Fixable benefit option to protect against inflation or any change in circumstances
- You will continue to receive pay outs if you return to work on less hours (part-time). This works to cover the additional income lost. This will be for up to 24 months or the end of your claim period
- Flexible waiting periods for NHS staff to line up better with NHS sick pay schedules. This option is also available for teachers.
- Employer change promise provides extra protection if you change job roles during your policy term
| Type of Cover | The Exeter ‘Income First’ Income Protection Insurance |
| Cover options | Level Term Income Protection Insurance – your monthly premiums never change during the policy term Guaranteed premiums (age-rated) – premiums increase with age but the rates determining the premiums never change Reviewable premiums (age-rated) – premiums increase with age but are reviewed every 3 years Increasing cover is available (indexed in line with inflation) |
| Cover options | Single life |
| How long can I claim for? | Depending on the policy chosen you can claim for: The entire remaining policy term (long term income protection) 2 years or 5 years (short term income protection) |
| Deferred period options | First day (can claim if you are off for 3 days or more, not available with level guaranteed premiums) 1 week (not available with level guaranteed premiums) A range of waiting periods between 4 weeks – 52 weeks Flexible waiting periods are available for NHS staff and teachers which can begin paying out before your deferred period ends |
| Available cover amounts | The Exeter can provide monthly pay outs of between £500 – £10,000 per month depending on the applicant. (You can claim for up to 60% of your income if you earn up to £100,000 per year. If you earn over £100,000 per year, you can claim for up to 40% of your income.) |
| Increasing cover? | Benefits can be increased by the lower of 50% or £833.33 per month. |
| Waiver of premium? | Waiver of premium is automatically included with The Exeter income protection. This means you do not have to pay any policy premiums while you are receiving claim pay outs. |
| Term options | Minimum term – 5 years Maximum term – 50 years or 70 years (depending on policy chosen) |
| Age limits | Minimum age at entry – 18 years Maximum age at entry – 59 years |
| Maximum benefit | £10,000 pay out per month |
| Exclusions (Income First Income Protection) | You won’t receive any pay outs until your deferred period ends (NHS workers and teachers not included). If you have a pre-existing medical condition, this may be excluded as a reason to claim. |
You must have been a UK resident for at least 3 years (with a UK GP) to apply. You must also work at least 15 hours per week (either employed or self employed).
Learn more – The Exeter – Income First
More about SELF EMPLOYED INCOME PROTECTION
The Exeter life insurance contact details
It isn’t always easy to know what number to call when you need to speak to your insurance provider. If you need to contact the Exeter about your policy, we have all their contact details listed here.
Life insurance phone number (also for health insurance/income protection)
Telephone – 0300 123 3201
Email – member@the-exeter.com
Opening hours – Monday to Friday 8.00am to 6.00pm
For general enquiries
Telephone – 0300 123 3201
Email – enquiries@the-exeter.com
Opening hours – Monday to Friday 8.00am to 6.00pm
Post:
The Exeter,
Lakeside House,
Emperor Way,
Exeter,
EX1 3FD
The Exeter life insurance complaints
If you aren’t happy with your policy or the service received, you can contact The Exeter to complain. They are obliged to try and fairly resolve any complaints or concerns their customers have.
They aim to resolve any complaints within 5 working days. Their complaints team will send an update if there has been no resolution reached within 20 days.
The Exeter complaints contact details
Telephone – 0300 123 3201
Email – customercomplaints@the-exeter.com
Opening hours – Monday to Friday 8.00am to 6.00pm
Post:
The Exeter,
Lakeside House,
Emperor Way,
Exeter,
EX1 3FD
Financial Ombudsman Service
The Exeter has up to 8 weeks to resolve your complaint. Following this you can refer your complaint on to the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS). You can also refer your complaint to them if you are unhappy with the outcome reached with The Exeter.
The FOS is an independent service that works to support financial services customers in the UK. Their aim is to make sure all customers are treated fairly and to help mediate any issues between businesses and consumers.
Telephone – 0800 023 4567 (or 0300 123 9123)
Telephone (outside the UK) – 0207 964 0500
Email – complaint.info@financial-ombudsman.org.uk
Financial Ombudsman Service – Complaints we can help with
The Exeter life insurance trust details
Like many other insurers, The Exeter gives you the option of writing your life insurance policy into trust. A trust can be useful and works as a cost-effective (often free) alternative to a will.
Benefits of The Exeter Life Cover Trusts
- Costs less than a Will (free)
- Express your wishes on your life insurance pay out
- Avoid probate process and time delays
- Helps to avoid Inheritance Tax (IHT)
The Exeter Life Cover Trusts are a type of flexible trust deed. This means you can change your beneficiaries at a later point if needed.
Find out more – Putting life insurance in trust
About The Exeter life insurance claims
Insurers generally try their best to make claiming on life insurance as simple as possible. They understand this will be a difficult time and do their best to support consumers as much as they can.
The Exeter has a page on their website dedicated to how to claim on each type of policy. You can click the drop down boxes to display the relevant contact information for each type of claim.
More information – The Exeter – Make a claim
How to make a claim with The Exeter
There are a few options available when you need to submit a life insurance claim with The Exeter. You can:
- Write to them via the postal address on their website
- Phone their customer service number
- Complete an online claim form
Before contacting The Exeter claims team
Before you get in touch with about your claim, there are a few details you will need to provide. It is a good idea to have these ready if possible to make the process smoother.
You will be asked for:
- Details of the policyholder e.g. name, policy number etc
- Your name and contact details
- The type of claim (either a life claim or terminal illness claim)
The Exeter claims contact information
Telephone – 0300 123 3201
Online – The Exeter – Register a Claim
Opening hours – Monday to Friday 8.00am to 6.00pm
Post:
The Exeter,
Lakeside House,
Emperor Way,
Exeter,
EX1 3FD
The Exeter income protection claims statistics for 2022
The Exeter has not published recent life insurance claims statistics, but they have posted figures for their income protection claims.
Income Protection Insurance claims
- 1,366 families looked after
- £9.9 million paid out in claims
- 92% of claims paid (individual protection)
Income Protection Insurance claims paid
- 40% Musculoskeletal issues
- 16% COVID-19
- 7% Knee conditions
- 107 claims denied (most due to inaccurate information during the application)
- Average age at point of claim was 36 years old
Benefits of The Exeter life insurance
FREE accidental death cover – This benefit provides temporary cover while your life insurance application is being processed (under 55s only)
Healthwise support service – The Healthwise app provides access to remote GP services, second medical opinions, prescription services and more.
FREE terminal illness cover – Terminal illness cover is included as standard with life insurance policies. You can receive an early pay out from your policy if diagnosed with a terminal illness. This must be a condition that meets the terms set out in your policy documents (life expectancy 12 months or less)
Good for pre-existing conditions – The Exeter is well known fo medical conditions life insurance. They are one of the best providers for covering people who have struggled in the past due to their medical history.
How to cancel The Exeter life insurance
You can cancel your life insurance with The Exeter at any time you choose. You are able to cancel for any reason such as finding a new policy elsewhere or not needing the cover anymore.
To cancel your Exeter life insurance policy:
- Contact The Exeter customer services team to notify them that you want to cancel
- Cancel your direct debit with your bank
How much is The Exeter life insurance?
How much you will pay for The Exeter life insurance varies from person to person. It will depend on factors such as:
- Your age
- Any medical conditions
- Smoker status
- Occupation
- High risk hobbies
What you pay will be based on your health and circumstances at the time when you apply. It is important to assess all your options. You should think about how much you can afford to pay before choosing your policy.
The Exeter has a minimum requirement that monthly premiums will be at least £15 per month. The pricing can be slightly higher compared to some other providers if you have no medical conditions.
However, if you have medical conditions, you may find you are quoted much higher prices elsewhere. You may even be unable to get cover with other providers if you condition is severe.
Here, we have gathered examples of how much The Exeter life insurance costs compared to other UK insurance providers.
Compare The Exeter life insurance – £200,000 for 25 years (non-smoker)
| Age | The Exeter premiums | Lowest premiums | Highest premiums |
| 30 year old (non-smoker) | £15.00 | £7.22 | £12.94 |
| 40 year old (non-smoker) | £19.82 | £13.43 | £20.62 |
| 50 year old (non-smoker) | £52.27 | £34.32 | £52.27 |
Compare The Exeter life insurance – £200,000 for 25 years (smoker)
| Age | The Exeter premiums | Lowest premiums | Highest premiums |
| 30 year old (smoker) | £19.18 | £11.95 | £19.88 |
| 40 year old (smoker) | £43.65 | £29.52 | £43.65 |
| 50 year old (smoker) | £119.88 | £83.94 | £130.69 |
*the figures above are based on level term life insurance for an applicant with no medical conditions
How to buy The Exeter life insurance
If you want to buy life insurance from the Exeter, you will need to speak to an insurance broker. The Exeter does not accept applications directly from customers or from comparison websites.
Our team have years of experience working with The Exeter. We know these policies back to front and can help you choose the perfect one to protect your home and family.
Our EXPERTS can also compare life insurance quotes across the market. This helps you be certain The Exeter is the best choice for the cover you need.
The Exeter life insurance reviews
It makes sense to want to know what other customers think of a product before buying it. The best place to look for real feedback about life insurance will be independent review sites like TrustPilot.
Currently, The Exeter scores 4.4 out of 5.0 stars on TrustPilot (from nearly 700 customer reviews). 75% of these reviews score The Exeter 5.0 out of 5.0 stars for their policies and customer service.
