When a relative passes away, your family will need as much support as possible.
If you have purchased a £50,000 life insurance policy to cover a mortgage, this might be a more effective type of life insurance cover.
Fill in the form below for a FREE, no obligation quote now.
When a relative passes away, your family will need as much support as possible. While financial protection can’t bring back the loss suffered, it can go some way to alleviating any additional stress that might arise as a result. Direct Line offers life insurance policies to potentially meet your needs.
Contents
Direct Line is an established British Insurer that has been helping customers with their insurance needs since 1984. It was established as the country’s first direct car insurance provider and now offers protection for customers across a number of products such as home, travel, and life insurance.
Direct Line offers two primary types of life insurance with an add-on option for customers to choose:
Your cover will have a fixed payout amount for the duration of the policy period. This means you can be assured of the value of your life insurance policy’s benefit payment when it is valid for collection.
If you have purchased a £50,000 life insurance policy to cover a mortgage, this might be a more effective type of life insurance cover. It will be more competitive than level term cover, and possibly suit your needs better. As mortgage obligations decrease over time, so does this life cover payout. A £50,000 life insurance policy will reduce to nil upon policy expiry.
Critical 3 adds Critical Illness Cover to your Life Insurance Policy. Life Insurance pays out upon the death of a policyholder or in the event of a terminal illness, while critical illness cover pays out upon diagnosis of a serious illness. In this case, it will be in the event of three specified conditions: Cancer (excluding less advanced cases), Heart Attack (of a specified severity), and Stroke (of a specified severity). It is designed to ease your financial burden in this event, especially if you are left unable to work and continue to earn an income. This will enable you and any dependents you have to pay off debts or meet other financial obligations. This cover will only pay out once, but your Life Insurance policy with Direct Line will continue.
You will need to survive for at least two weeks in order to make a claim and the Critical 3 cover will end once your claim has been approved.
We compare plans from the leading life insurance providers
| Name | Age Range at Application | Cover Range | Terms | Pays Out | Joint Cover |
| Direct Line Level Term Life Insurance | 17-75 | Unspecified | 3 to 50 years (but policy must end before you turn 86) | If you die or get a terminal illness during the cover period | Yes, but the policy will only be paid out once |
| Direct Line Decreasing Term life insurance | 17-75 | Unspecified | 3 to 50 years (but policy must end before you turn 86) | If you die or get a terminal illness during the cover period | Yes, but the policy will only be paid out once |
| Direct Line Critical 3 life insurance (add-on option, NOT standalone) | 17-75 | Unspecified | 3 to 50 years (but policy must end before you turn 86) | If you suffer a heart attack or stroke, or are diagnosed with cancer | Yes, but the policy will only be paid out once |
| Direct Line Over 50s life insurance | 50-85 (up to 81 for those who smoke) | Up to £15,000 | Until you turn 90 | If you die | No |
N.B. Policyholders must reside in England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland (not including the Isle of Man or the Channel Islands)
Defaqto ratings are an independent assessment of financial products, helping consumers understand the quality of different offerings. They use a star rating system from 1 to 5, with 5 stars representing the highest quality. These ratings are current as of March 7, 2025.
Direct Line has received a mix of Defaqto ratings. Notably, their direct life assurance and over 50s life assurance policies have achieved the highest rating of 5 stars. This indicates excellent products in these categories. However, their critical illness and some other life assurance policies score lower, at 3 or 4 stars.
When compared to competitors, some providers like Aviva and Legal & General demonstrate a broader range of 5-star rated products across various life insurance types. For example, Legal & General and Aviva have secured 5-star ratings for many of their critical illness and income protection plans. While Direct Line excels in direct life assurance, consumers seeking critical illness or specific term life insurance might find competitors offering more highly-rated options. These ratings suggest that while Direct Line offers strong direct life and over 50s cover, those needing other types of cover should compare offerings carefully.
Direct Line customers are introduced to AIG Life Limited by UK Insurance Business Solutions Limited, who are authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Registration number 313783.
Registered office: The Wharf, Neville Street, Leeds LS1 4AZ Registered in England and Wales No.117998
Call free on: 0800 0778 297
| Type | Plan name | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Critical illness (decreasing) | Life Insurance | 3 |
| Critical illness (level term) | Life Insurance With Optional Critical 3 | 3 |
| Critical illness (direct with life cover) | Life Insurance With Optional Critical 3 | 4 |
| Life assurance (direct) | Life Insurance With Optional Critical 3 | 5 |
| Life assurance (decreasing) | Life Insurance | 3 |
| Life assurance (level term) | Life Insurance With Optional Critical 3 | 3 |
| Over 50s life assurance | Over Fifties Life Plan | 5 |
