Critical illness cover

What is critical illness cover?

If you’re diagnosed with a critical illness, it can have a significant impact on your life. Developing an illness or condition like a heart attack, stroke or some types of cancer could mean you have to reduce your working hours or stop altogether. There may be lifestyle changes you need to make, and you may require financial support.  That’s why anyone taking out a life insurance policy should also consider adding critical illness cover for an extra cost.

How does Critical Illness Cover work?

Critical Illness Cover offers financial support for you and your family if you are diagnosed with one of these illnesses. It’s an option that can be added for an extra cost when you take out a Life Insurance or Decreasing Life Insurance policy with Sainsbury’s Bank.

Legal and General have a list of specified critical illnesses which you can find in their policy summary. Should you be diagnosed with one of these, or undergo a medical procedure, then they could pay out a cash sum. However, there are conditions . It would need to be within the duration of the policy, and you’d need to survive 14 days after diagnosis. If a valid claim is paid, the policy will end.

Who needs Critical Illness Cover?

A critical illness can affect anyone at any time and could greatly impact the lives of your family. With Critical Illness Cover, a cash sum could supplement loss of income or could also help cover costs such as:

• Mortgage repayments
• Household bills
• Childcare costs
• Daily expenses

What does Critical Illness Cover?

Critical Illness Cover varies depending on your insurance policy. The severity of the condition can also affect whether you’re covered.

What illnesses are covered?

The conditions that are covered by critical illness insurance include, but are not limited to:

• Strokes
• Certain types of cancer 
• Heart attacks
• Organ transplants
• Multiple sclerosis (MS)
• Parkinson’s
• Severe head injuries

What’s covered?

• You’re covered if you are diagnosed with, or undergo a medical procedure for, one of the critical illnesses covered by Legal & General.
• We’ll cover you if you survive for 14 days from diagnosis before your policy ends.
• Once your cover is paid in full, your policy will come to an end.
• Children’s Critical Illness Cover is automatically included.
• You may be able to increase the amount of cover without answering further medical questions. 

What’s not covered?

Some types of cancer are not included, and you need to have permanent symptoms to make a claim for some illnesses.

You’ll be told what’s excluded in your Policy Booklet under ‘What you are not covered for’.

If you pass away then the cover will end for a single life policy. If you have a joint policy, when the first person passes away and makes a valid claim, your Critical Illness Cover policy can continue. 

If you stop paying premiums before the end of your plan, your cover will end 30 days after your missed payment.

For the exact criteria your condition needs to meet for you to make a claim, please read the Guide to Critical Illness Cover.

Why choose Critical Illness Cover

Critical Illness Cover could pay a cash sum that could be used to help with child-care costs or household bills. It could also be used to help maintain your standard of living if you’re forced to take time off work to recover. As part of Critical Illness Cover, you’ll get:

• Protection by one of the UK’s largest life insurance providers, Legal & General
• Cover for the conditions outlined in the policy booklet
• Children’s Critical Illness Cover is included at no extra charge and provides some cover for your children. You’ll find out more in the policy summary.

Accidental Hospitalisation Benefit, which could pay out £5,000 if you’re admitted to hospital and stay for at least 28 days with a physical injury immediately following an accident (terms & conditions apply)

Before you apply for critical illness cover

You should know that life insurance including critical illness cover isn’t a savings or investment product and has no cash value unless a valid claim is made. It's your responsibility to make sure your policy is right for you, so if you need any advice then you should get in touch with a financial advisor. Please read the Policy Booklet and Policy Summary [PDF 113KB] before you apply.

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