Whether you were diagnosed with Type 1 as a child, or found out you have Type 2 during a routine check-up, the thought is usually the same - that the door to protecting your income, your mortgage, and your family's future is firmly closed. And if people do think cover is possible, they often picture sky-high premiums or a policy stripped of anything useful.
The truth is simpler than that. Living with diabetes doesn't automatically rule you out of Income Protection, Life Insurance, or Critical Illness Cover.
Here's a look at four common misconceptions, and what underwriters actually consider when assessing an application.
Income Protection is widely available for people living with both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes.
It pays a regular monthly income if you're signed off work due to illness or injury, so underwriters focus on your overall health stability rather than the diagnosis alone. Depending on your medical history, cover usually falls into one of three categories:
Standard terms - available for well-managed Type 2 diabetes with low HbA1c levels and no secondary complications
Rated premium - full cover for illness and injury, with a modest increase to reflect the statistical risk
Exclusions - in some cases, a policy may exclude claims directly caused by diabetes, while still covering everything else, including other illness, injury, and mental health conditions
Life Insurance is often the most accessible type of cover to secure with diabetes.
Because it only pays out on death, underwriters have a lot of data showing that people who manage their diabetes well tend to live long, healthy lives.
Type 2 diabetes: many people with well-controlled Type 2 diabetes secure good levels of cover with only minor premium adjustments, and terms can be close to standard rates if managed through diet and exercise alone.
Type 1 diabetes: cover is widely available, with premiums depending mainly on age at diagnosis, smoking status, and recent HbA1c readings.
It requires a closer look, but cover is still very possible depending on your health profile.
Critical Illness Cover pays a tax-free lump sum if you're diagnosed with a listed condition, such as cancer, heart attack, or stroke. Because diabetes is linked to a higher risk of cardiovascular events, underwriters pay particular attention to cardiovascular health.
Applications are typically assessed in one of a few ways:
Full cover with a rating - where diabetes is well-controlled with no additional risk factors like high blood pressure or smoking
Targeted exclusions - full cover for major cancers, neurological conditions, or organ failure, with cardiovascular claims excluded
Combined policies - pairing Critical Illness Cover with Life Insurance can create a more balanced, cost-effective solution
Underwriters aren't trying to reject applications - they're trying to understand how stable your condition is. When reviewing medical history, they generally focus on:
📋HbA1c levels - consistent readings within your target range give underwriters the most confidence
📋 Routine check-ups - attending annual diabetic reviews and monitoring blood pressure and cholesterol shows the condition is being actively managed
📋 Type and management - whether it's managed through diet, oral medication, or insulin, and how long you've been diagnosed
📋 Absence of complications - no secondary complications, such as retinopathy, neuropathy, or kidney changes, keeps more options open
Even where health complications make medically underwritten policies difficult or expensive to secure, there are usually still options. Guaranteed Acceptance Life Cover, Accident Only Cover, and Hospital Cover don't require medical questions, GP reports, or blood tests. There's almost always a route to getting some protection in place.
Living with a condition like diabetes shouldn't stop you putting a proper financial safety net in place. Whether that's protecting your income, your mortgage, building a lump sum with Critical Illness Cover, or looking at guaranteed acceptance options, there are genuinely options across the market.
With the right information, and a proper conversation about how underwriting actually works, getting the right cover is far more straightforward than the myths suggest.
If you’re self-employed, work with your hands, or just aren’t sure what cover you’ve really got in place - don’t go it alone.
Stand with a team that’s built to protect, support, and shield you from the storm - whatever life throws your way.
Because 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.
We’ve got you.
Whether it’s a bump in the road or a full-blown storm, you’re not on your own. Making a claim with Waddle is simple, human, and hassle-free - because the last thing you need right now is paperwork stress or policy puzzles.
We just show up, sort it, and stand by you - like we said we would.
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