3 min read
If you smoke and apply for life insurance, you’ll likely find that it affects both the cost and availability of cover. That said, you can typically still get life insurance if you’re a smoker.
Why is smoking a factor in life insurance?
Smoking remains one of the most significant preventable causes of illness and death in the UK. It’s linked to a wide range of serious health conditions including lung cancer, heart disease, stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and many others.
Because smoking increases the likelihood of an early or unexpected death, insurers typically charge smokers more for life insurance compared to non-smokers. The same is often true for critical illness and income protection policies.
What counts as smoking?
Insurers generally take a wide definition of smoking. You’ll typically be classed as a smoker if you’ve used cigarettes, cigars or a pipe. Insurers may also classify you as a smoker if you have nicotine replacement products such as vapes.
Most insurers will consider you a smoker if you’ve used any nicotine or a nicotine replacement product within the past 12 months, even if you’ve since stopped.
How do insurers assess smoking-related risk?
When you apply for life insurance, you’ll be asked whether you’re a smoker and when you last used nicotine. In some cases, you may be asked for more details about:
How long you’ve smoked.
How much you smoke per day.
Whether you’ve tried to quit.
Whether you’ve developed any smoking-related health conditions.
Depending on individual circumstances, the insurer may ask for a report from your GP, or a medical exam that includes a cotinine test to detect nicotine in your system.
How do insurers respond to smoking?
The biggest difference between smokers and non-smokers is usually the premium:
Current smokers are usually offered cover at higher premiums, depending on age, overall health, and other risk factors. A smoker might pay up to twice as much or more for the same level of cover compared to a non-smoker of the same age and health.
Recent quitters (within the last 12 months) are often still classed as smokers.
Long-term non-smokers (typically no nicotine for 12+ months, although longer with some insurers) may qualify for non-smoker rates.
If you’ve developed smoking-related conditions (e.g. COPD or cancer), premiums may be higher still, or in some cases, cover may be declined.
What exclusions might apply?
Life insurance policies for smokers don’t usually contain specific ‘smoking exclusions’. However, critical illness and income protection policies may exclude claims linked to smoking-related illnesses, especially if these weren’t disclosed.
Always check the policy documents carefully to understand what’s covered.
The importance of full disclosure
It’s essential to answer smoking-related questions honestly. If you claim to be a non-smoker but your medical records (or a cotinine test) show otherwise, the insurer could cancel your policy or refuse a payout in the event of a claim.
Even if you’re trying to quit, it’s better to be transparent. Some insurers offer support or will reclassify you as a non-smoker if you’ve quit for over 12 months and are no longer using nicotine products.