Few words stop you in your tracks quite like 'cancer'. Whether you're still in treatment or years into remission, life carries on - the mortgage, the kids, the plans you'd made.
Sooner or later, a quiet question surfaces: can I still get insurance? The answer is often more hopeful than you'd expect.
The honest answer: often, yes
Macmillan estimates almost 3.5 million people in the UK have had a cancer diagnosis*, and Cancer Research UK reports that around half of people diagnosed now live for ten years or more**.
Insurers know this, so a diagnosis doesn't automatically close the door. What changes is how they look at your application - a small skin cancer removed years ago and an advanced cancer still being treated are worlds apart.
Insurers will usually want to know:
The type of cancer and when you were diagnosed The stage and grade - how far it had spread and how fast it was growing Your treatment and when it finished Whether it has come back, and any follow-up now
The longer you've been clear, the more options tend to open up. Above all, answer fully and honestly - it's what makes sure your policy pays out when it matters.
Life Insurance is usually the most accessible. Depending on your cancer and how long ago treatment finished, you might be offered normal rates, pay a bit more, or be asked to wait.
Critical Illness cover is where insurers are most careful: according to the Association of British Insurers, 65% of critical illness claims in 2025 were for cancer***. Cover is often offered with a cancer exclusion, but you'd still be protected for heart attack, stroke and many other conditions.
With Income Protection, insurers will think about whether your cancer, or after-effects like fatigue, could keep you off work. They may exclude it, add to the premium, or ask you to wait.
When you apply, the answer will usually be one of these:
Standard terms - the same price as anyone else your age An extra premium - sometimes only for a set number of years
An exclusion - cover for everything except named conditions
Postpone - come back once more time has passed
Decline - no cover for now
Every insurer has its own view of cancer, so a 'no' from one isn't necessarily the end of the road.
If the timing isn't right yet, some policies ask no medical questions at all:
Guaranteed acceptance life cover - often called an over-50s plan - for smaller amounts, like funeral costs.
Short-term income cover - up to three months' income if you're signed off after an accident, or through illness if you add sickness cover. Anything treated in the last 18 months isn't covered for sickness.
Accident and hospital cover - lump sums for injuries and hospital stays, including stays of 24 hours or more for illness once you've held it a year.
Insurers may ask about close relatives diagnosed before a certain age. Often it makes no difference; where it does, it's usually critical illness cover that's affected.
Reassuringly, under the Code on Genetic Testing and Insurance, insurers won't ask you to take a genetic test, or ask for or use predictive results such as a BRCA test. The only exception is Huntington's disease, for life insurance over £500,000****.
If your policy started before your diagnosis, it carries on as normal, as long as you've kept up the premiums and answered honestly when you took it out - your insurer can't cancel it because you've become unwell. You may even be able to claim: many critical illness policies pay out for cancer, including some earlier-stage cancers.
So think carefully before replacing an existing policy - the cover you have may be far better than anything available today.
We work with a full panel of insurers, and we know their views on cancer can differ a lot. We'll take the time to understand your story and can often sound out an insurer's underwriters before you apply. No pushy sales, no jargon - just honest guidance.
Because a cancer diagnosis changes a lot - but it shouldn't mean the people you love go unprotected.
* Macmillan Cancer Support (cancer prevalence estimate)
** Cancer Research UK (ten-year survival)
*** Association of British Insurers and GRiD, 2025 protection claims data (published June 2026)
**** Code on Genetic Testing and Insurance (ABI and Department of Health and Social Care).
If you’ve had cancer, it’s natural to wonder whether cover is still possible for the people who depend on you. Often it is, and it’s worth a proper conversation.
Every insurer takes its own view, so we’ll look at your circumstances, explain your options in plain English, and approach the right insurers on your behalf.
A diagnosis changes a lot - but it shouldn’t mean the people you love go unprotected. Life doesn’t always go to plan, but your protection absolutely should.
Graham came to us for a second opinion on his protection. We uncovered a 17-year-old policy with unbeatable cover - one worth holding onto. Two years later, after a stroke, that legacy policy paid out £75,000 when he needed it most. The right advice. At the right time. For all the right reasons.
Twelve outdated policies. No Trusts. Then - stroke, fracture, and later, bereavement. Because Waddle restructured everything, payouts were fast, probate was bypassed, and the cover actually worked when it mattered most.
A teenage health scare, emergency surgery, and weeks in intensive care. With Waddle guiding the claim, £25,000 was paid quickly, extra support was accessed, and the family could focus on recovery - not bills.
You’ve read what Liam has to say. Now meet the person saying it.
Ask him anything, even the questions you think are silly. He’s heard plenty of them, and he’ll answer every one in plain English, with no jargon and no pressure.
Grab yourself a brew, get comfy, and come and say hello. Liam’s not a hot drink man, so the brew is all yours.
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