Level term life insurance

Level term policies start from £3.50 per month***

Buy life insurance and choose a £75 gift card with Confused.com Rewards*

***Dependant on age, cover term and cover amount selected. Example of a 20 year old non-smoker in good health, taking £100,000 level cover over 25 years. Based on data from online sales August 2024.

What is level term life insurance?

Level term life insurance pays out a lump sum to your loved ones if you die when the policy is active – or as insurers describe it, during the term of the policy.

It pays out the same amount no matter when you die, whether this is in year 5 or year 30 of your policy. This is why it's known as 'level term'.

This makes it different to decreasing term life insurance, where the amount you get as a payout decreases over time.

How level term life insurance works

  • You choose your cover term: This is how long your policy runs for. Most policies run between 5 and 40 years.
  • You choose your cover amount: This is how much you'd like your policy to pay out if you die.
  • You pay your premiums: This can usually either be done monthly or annually.
  • Your policy pays out if you die: This needs to be in a way that's covered by your policy during your cover term.

If you outlive the term of your policy, your cover ends and you normally don’t get back what you’ve paid. Life insurance is designed to work as a safety net. Your payments guarantee that if you were to die during the policy term, your family would be supported and can use the payout however they see fit.

Level term cover is also available as a joint policy. Here you cover 2 people on one easy-to-manage policy. Joint life insurance policies tend to be cheaper than taking out 2 separate life insurance policies, so they’re a useful option for couples.

The difference here is that the policy ends with the death of one of the policyholders, so if you both need cover, separate policies might be more convenient.

Buy life insurance and choose a £75 gift card with Rewards*

*Get reward after 6 months of your policy being active. Excludes over 50s guaranteed acceptance policies and can’t be used alongside cashback offers. T&Cs apply. **Restrictions apply, see https://www.amazon.co.uk/gc-legal

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What our life insurance expert says

"If you’re looking for a policy where the payout amount remains fixed throughout the term, level term life insurance could be a suitable option. Life changes quickly, so it’s important to review your policy regularly whether annually or after significant milestones, like welcoming a new family member. This helps ensure your loved ones have the right level of cover when they need it most."

Rhydian Jones - Confused.com Commercial Director
Home & lifestyle insurance expert Confused.com logo

Alternatives to level term insurance

When you’re comparing life insurance with us, there are other options besides level term.

Decreasing term life insurance policies pay out less the further into your term you get. People often cover mortgages with this type of policy, as the payout decreases over time in line with the policyholder’s outstanding mortgage debt.

If you took £100,000 of cover over a 30 year term, and died in year 5, your loved ones might get £95,000** as a payout. If you died in year 25, they would only get £35,000**. Decreasing term life insurance tends to be cheaper than level term life insurance because the eventual payout is likely to get smaller over time.

If you only want to cover your mortgage, decreasing term life insurance may be for you. But if you want to cover a bit more and have a fixed lump sum, consider level term life insurance.

Some insurers also offer a type of policy that pays out a set amount monthly if you die. This type of policy is called family income benefit. Another option is whole life insurance. Unlike level term life insurance which covers for a fixed time, a whole life policy covers you until you die. We don't currently offer whole of life insurance, but you can find this through other providers.

**Based off an 8% policy interest rate

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How much is level term life insurance?

Level term life insurance costs from £3.50 per month***.

This is just an average, and the exact price you pay for your policy depends on a few things like:

  • The amount of cover you get: A larger payout typically means your monthly payments will be higher. 
  • The length of your cover period: The longer the policy, the more it’s likely to cost. 
  • Your age: The older you are, the more your cover is likely to cost. 
  • Your health and medical history: While most level term life insurance policies cover pre-existing conditions, you may have to pay more. It’s worth checking the policy wording on pre-existing conditions – which can be anything from asthma to heart disease – before you buy.
  • Your lifestyle: This includes things like your weight, activity levels, if you smoke and how much you drink.
  • If you choose to add critical illness cover: This policy add-on pays out if you suffer a severe injury or become seriously unwell during your cover term. It helps ensure that your family is financially secure no matter what life throws at you, but it comes at an additional cost.

On the whole, the younger and healthier you are when you take out life insurance, the cheaper your monthly payments are.

***Dependant on age, cover term and cover amount selected. Example of a 20 year old non-smoker in good health, taking £100,000 level cover over 25 years. Based on data from online sales August 2024..

How much level term life insurance do I need?

Most people take out enough life insurance to allow their loved ones to carry on living comfortably if they were to die.

But settling on the right amount can be tricky. While you don’t want too little cover, you also don’t want to take out too much, which could see you paying more than you need to in premiums.

You need to consider:

  • Your mortgage: You'll probably want your life insurance to clear this debt if you die during the term. Otherwise, your partner could lose the house if they can’t afford the mortgage payments alone.
  • Your essential living costs: Think about bills, food, and general living expenses, and how much your family would need to support themselves without your income.
  • Inheritance: Do you want your level term life insurance payout to act as inheritance?
  • Debts: Any outstanding debts may be deducted from the value of your estate when you die.
  • Funeral costs: Funerals sometimes cost thousands, a life insurance policy could help towards this expense. The average cost of a basic funeral is around £3,953, according to a report by Sunlife.

Help with calculating your cover

How can I get a level term life insurance quote?

Getting a quote for level term life insurance is easy, and only takes a few minutes. We just need a few details from you like:

  • Your name and age
  • How much cover you want
  • How long you want your cover to last
  • An outline of your medical history
  • Whether you smoke
  • Whether you have any pre-existing conditions

Wondering why we ask all this? Find out in our guide on how life insurance premiums are calculated.

When we have that information, we’ll compare quotes from the panel of insurers we work with to find you the cover you want at our best price.

Is level term life insurance taxable?

The payout from your level term policy is only taxable if it pushes the total value of your estate to more than £325,000. There are a few exceptions to the rule.

Generally, your beneficiaries don't pay inheritance tax if:

  • If you leave your estate to your spouse, civil partner or a charity
  • If your estate amounts to less than £325,000, even after your payout

If it’s under £325,000 you pay no tax. You can find out more on inheritance tax on Gov.co.uk.

If you’re worried your life insurance payout may push your estate far above the £325,000 cut off, think about writing your life insurance in trust.

Doing this means your payout is kept separate to your estate and you don’t pay tax on it. This ensures your loved ones get your whole payout, rather than just part of it.

Level term life insurance

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Page last reviewed: 01 October 2024

Reviewed by: Matthew Harwood

Confused.com, 2nd Floor, Greyfriars House, Greyfriars Road, Cardiff, CF10 3AL, United Kingdom. Confused.com is a trading name of Inspop.com Limited and is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (Firm reference no. 310635).

The Confused.com Life Insurance service is arranged by Reassured Ltd, who is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and entered on the Financial Services Register under reference 616144. Registered Office: 1st Floor, Belvedere House, Bading View, Basingstoke, Hampshire, RG21 4HG. 06838409 registered in England and Wales.

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