How does smoking affect life insurance?
Posted on 26th October 2022 at 15:00
There is no question – smoking poses a significant health risk. There are around 7 million adult smokers in the UK.
Smoking is often the root cause of many serious illnesses and fatal medical conditions. These include cancers, heart disease, emphysema to name a few and due to the increased risk, insurers reflect this in their premiums.
Can I get life insurance if I am a smoker?
In a word yes -however getting a life insurance policy will ultimately depend on a range of factors including your age, height to weight ratio, lifestyle, occupation and overall health. Speaking to a protection adviser is beneficial as they will be able to provide advice based on your individual circumstances.
Do I need to tell the insurer that I’m a smoker?
Absolutely yes. It is your duty of care to answer all application questions honestly. At the point of a claim, if the insurers suspect anything wasn’t accurately disclosed at the point of application, further investigation will take place and may affect the claim.
What if I’m only an occasional smoker?
You are still classed as a smoker in the eyes of the insurer. However, it is worth speaking to a protection adviser as there are some insurers who take into account the distinction between occasional, social and heavy smokers.
Is there a difference between smoking and vaping?
E-cigarettes and vapes are still classed as smoking products by insurers because they contain nicotine. Long term health effects from vaping haven’t been researched, evidenced and established yet, so as a result, premiums for vapers are still the same as smokers. This may change in the future, but for now, they are classed as the same.
Does smoking affect my life insurance premium?
Yes. If you are a smoker, your monthly premiums will be higher than a non-smoker. Regardless of your age, or how long you’ve been a smoker, it will certainly make a difference to how much you pay for life insurance. Statistically, smokers are at a higher risk of suffering ill health or dying at a younger age, which means life insurance providers are more likely to pay out on a claim. Different providers will have their own criteria for assessing smokers, so in some case this could affect the cost of your premium.
What happens if I stop smoking?
Stopping smoking is undoubtably the best decision you can make for your health. Along with that, it may mean that you can take out life insurance as a non-smoker – but the timing of this will vary from insurer to insurer. Your insurer may ask for evidence that you have stopped smoking, such as asking for a GP report and perhaps asking for a chest x-ray to assess your wellbeing. Being a non-smoker also means you are no longer using any sort of nicotine based products such as patches or gum.
How do I find out more?
Call us on 01302 866787 and speak to one of our trusted advisers.
FCA Disclaimer
According to our research, the content contained in this article is accurate at the time of writing.
Infomation on this website is NOT bespoke advice to its audience and therefore does NOT constitute financial advice.
Readers are encouraged to contact our qualified advisers directly for mortgage and protection advice.
As a mortgage is secured against your home, it may be repossessed if you do not keep up with repayments.
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