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Term life insurance

Term life insurance pays out if you die while your policy is active.

It helps to give you peace of mind that expenses, like your mortgage and family living costs, are protected.

This guide explores how term life insurance works and the different policy options that are available. 

Tess Ebner,  Junior Content Writer at Confused.com
Written by Junior Content Writer 8 min read | Published 04/04/2025
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What is term life insurance?

Term life insurance is a policy that protects you for an agreed period of time.

If you die while your policy is in place, your loved ones get a lump sum payment.

It’s known as ‘term life insurance’ because the time you’re covered for is called the ‘term’.

Term life insurance is different to whole of life insurance which lasts for life.

How does term life insurance work?

Term insurance works by covering you for a set amount of time (the policy term).

You choose how long you’d like to be covered for, with most insurers allowing you to buy a policy that lasts between 1 – 50 years.

If you die during the policy term, your loved ones should get a a lump sum payment.

If you don’t die or fall terminally ill during the policy term, your cover will simply expire and your loved ones won't get a pay out. 

Additional policy features:

  • Terminal illness is included at no extra cost. This allows you to make an early claim if you’re diagnosed with a life-threatening illness and predicted to pass away within 12 months.
  • You can buy a policy for more than one person on a joint basis. This covers two lives under one policy and provides a pay out if one partner dies during the policy term.
  • You can add critical illness cover for an additional cost. This allows you to make an early claim if you're diagnosed with a specific serious illness during the policy term.

What types of term life insurance are there?

The two main types of term life insurance are:

  • Level term life insurance – with level term cover your pay out amount remains the same throughout the policy term.
  • Decreasing term life insurance – with decreasing term cover, your pay out amount reduces throughout the policy term.

Some insurers may also offer increasing term life insurance. This is where your cover amount will increase in line with inflation. Not all insurers offer this type of cover and it’s not available through Confused.com.

What’s the difference between level and decreasing term life insurance?

The main difference between level and decreasing term life insurance is the pay out each policy provides.

With level term cover, your pay out amount remains the same throughout the whole of your policy. Whereas with decreasing term life insurance, your pay out amount will reduce over time.

The best term life insurance for your needs will depend on what you want to cover.

Level term life insurance is often used to help protect an interest only mortgage and/or family living costs.

Decreasing term life insurance is most commonly used to protect a repayment mortgage as your cover amount can reduce at the same rate as your remaining mortgage balance.

What is the cost of term life insurance?

It’s possible to buy level term life insurance through Confused.com from £3.50* per month or decreasing term life insurance from £3.54 per month**.

The exact price you pay for term life insurance will depend on your personal circumstances and policy details, including:

  • Age
  • Health and medical history
  • Family medical history
  • Smoking status
  • Occupation
  • Lifestyle
  • Policy type
  • Cover amount
  • Policy term

*Cheapest quote offered on a 25 year policy with £100,000 of level cover for a 20-year-old non-smoker in good health. Based on online sales data August 2024.

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

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

*Get reward after 6 months of your policy being active. Can’t be used alongside cashback offers. T&Cs apply. **Restrictions apply, see https://www.amazon.co.uk/gc-legal

£75 gift card*
£75 gift card
£75 gift card

How much term life insurance do I need?

How much term life insurance you need depends on what you want your policy to protect.

The pay out from term life insurance could help to cover:

  • Mortgage costs
  • Household bills
  • Additional childcare costs
  • Unpaid debts
  • Funeral costs

Why not use our life insurance calculator tool to work out how much term life insurance you might need?

Life insurance calculator

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Results

We estimate the cover you might need is:

£64,000

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How did we calculate your result?

Children are estimated to cost £6000 per year until the age of 18.

University costs are based on a 3 year course. They include both tuition fees, £9000 per year in England and living costs, estimated to be £8000 per year.

Supporting your partner / spouse is calculated using your salary. People usually choose cover that is 4 times their salary.

Debts are included up to the amount you need.

Mortgage costs are included up to the amount you need.

Funeral costs are included up to the amount you need.

This is an illustration of the amount of life insurance you may need based on the information you've provided. It should not be taken as a recommendation or advice.

How long should I get term life insurance for?

How long your term should be will depend on what you’re looking to protect.

You could choose to have your policy term align with:

  • Your mortgage term – by mirroring your life insurance and mortgage term, you can ensure that your loved ones can stay in their home even if the worst were to happen.
  • When your children reach financial independence – if you’re buying life insurance to protect young children, you could have your policy last until your children reach financial independence (such as 18 or 21).
  • Until you reach retirement – you could have your policy set up to last until you reach a retirement age. This would help to replace your income should you die during your working life.

It’s important to know that insurers will have a maximum term length (usually up to 50 years but this can vary) so you won’t be able to buy a policy that exceeds this.

It’s also useful to know that the longer your policy term is, the more you’ll pay for your cover. 

What our life insurance expert says

"Term life insurance offers cover for a set period and comes in two main types: level term, where the payout stays the same, and decreasing term, which often suits a repayment mortgage.

Reviewing your policy regularly helps make sure it still meets your family’s needs as life changes."

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

What happens when term life insurance ends?

If you get to the end of your policy term, your cover will expire and you won't get a pay out.

The downside to term life insurance is that a pay out isn’t guaranteed and you could outlive your policy.

You'll only get a pay out if you die during the policy term.

If you want a policy that lasts for life and guarantees a pay out to your loved ones, you could consider a whole of life insurance policy.

We compare trusted life insurance companies to find you our best deals

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Is term life insurance taxable?

Yes, the pay out from your life insurance policy could be subject to inheritance tax.

When you die, the pay out from your policy will form part of your estate (your estate is made up of any savings, possessions and property you own).

According to current IHT laws, if your estate exceeds the threshold of £325,000, your loved ones will be subject to 40% inheritance tax.

However, you can write your policy in trust to prevent this from happening. When you write a life insurance policy in trust, it detaches the pay out from your estate. 

Level term life insurance

Why term life insurance?

  • Affordable cover – term life insurance policies are some of the most affordable life insurance options, with decreasing term life insurance usually being the cheapest.

  • Tailor your policy for your circumstances – you can choose a policy term and cover amount to meet your needs.

  • Extra safety nets – term life insurance includes terminal illness cover as standard. You can also choose to add critical illness cover for an additional monthly cost.

  • Get rewarded – When you buy term life insurance through Confused.com, you can choose a £75 voucher through Confused.com Rewards. You can claim your reward once you've paid 6 months of premiums.

Compare level term life insurance quotes

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