Royal London Life Insurance Review 2025

Royal London is a well-established provider of financial services and insurance products in the UK.

In fact, they are the largest UK-based mutual insurer with over £100 billion of funds under management.

In addition, although they may not be as well-known as household names such as Direct Line or Barclays, they offer excellent customer service, value, and reliability, making them a strong contender for anyone needing life insurance in the UK.

They are experts in offering highly-customised insurance cover and provide their products both directly and through financial advisers.

Let’s examine some of the products that they offer in more detail.

Royal London Life Insurance Cover
Royal London’s standard life insurance packages are quick and easy to arrange and may be more affordable than you expect.

The basic level term cover is suitable for UK residents aged between 18 and 70 at the time of application.

Their packages start from a low monthly cost and can be tailored to your specific needs.

Your insurance requirements will vary depending on factors such as whether you have a mortgage, the number of dependents you have, and the extent of your savings and investments. These factors can significantly influence the amount of cover you need.

You can purchase your policy online via computer, laptop, or mobile device, and their website indicates that it takes only a few minutes. Several options are available:

• Level term life insurance (maximum payout of £500k). This simple package is suitable for people aged 18 to 70. You can choose your premium or desired payout amount.
• Decreasing cover (maximum payout of £500k). Policy premiums decrease over the policy term, as does the payout. Consider using a Decreasing Life Insurance Calculator to understand how this works.
• Over 50s life insurance. Suitable for people aged 50 to 80, with cover starting from a low monthly cost. This policy offers guaranteed acceptance and no medical examination.
• Family income cover (maximum of £2500 per month and £500k total payout). With this policy, you set a term, for example, 20 years. If you die within this period, your family receives a monthly payout until the end of the term or until the maximum payout is reached, whichever occurs first.
• Serious illness cover can be added to your life insurance policy, providing cover up to £350k if you are diagnosed with a serious illness as defined by Royal London’s criteria.

Royal London Whole of Life Cover
Royal London’s whole of life cover policy is a comprehensive package designed to provide lifelong peace of mind.

This package is recognised as a high-quality life insurance product.

It also includes Royal London’s “Helping Hand” service, offering access to a dedicated, qualified nurse throughout your cover period.

This service provides various benefits, including referrals to further services if deemed necessary by the nurse, such as rehabilitation therapy, speech therapy after a stroke, counselling and support, and even a second medical opinion.

This complimentary service is available from the policy’s start date and can also be used by your immediate family if needed.

This potentially invaluable service is highly appreciated by Royal London’s customers.

This plan also offers the option to add a “waiver of premium” feature. This means that if you become unable to pay your monthly premiums for any reason, your cover will not automatically be cancelled. Different waiver of premium periods are available.

It is important to note that this package is not available on Royal London’s website and must be purchased through a financial adviser.
Royal London Diabetes Life Cover
Diabetes is a chronic condition that can affect the body in numerous ways over time, potentially becoming debilitating in later stages.

Consequently, individuals with diabetes may find it challenging to secure suitable life insurance cover. Royal London has specifically designed this plan to address this need.

It provides cover for individuals with both type 1 and type 2 diabetes, and even those with high HbA1c levels, which indicates how well a patient’s blood sugar levels are managed.

In diabetic patients, persistently high blood sugar levels damage the lining of blood vessels, potentially leading to serious complications such as blindness, gangrene, and kidney damage.

Elevated HbA1c levels indicate sugar-related damage to haemoglobin in the blood and reflect the effectiveness of diabetes management.

Royal London rewards diabetic patients who effectively manage their condition and demonstrate low HbA1c levels with premium discounts of up to 40%.

The diabetes life cover also includes the “Helping Hand” service mentioned earlier. Similar to their whole of life cover, this plan is exclusively available through financial advisers.

Updated Defaqto Ratings for Royal London (March 2025)
Defaqto ratings are an independent assessment of financial products, helping consumers understand the quality of different offerings. A 5-star rating indicates an excellent product with a comprehensive range of features and benefits.

Royal London has consistently achieved the highest 5-star Defaqto rating across its key life insurance and protection products. These ratings are current as of March 7, 2025.

– Whole of life assurance: ★★★★★
– Income protection: ★★★★★
– Critical illness (standalone): ★★★★★
– Critical illness (decreasing & level term): ★★★★★
– Life assurance (decreasing & level term): ★★★★★
– Protection menu plan: ★★★★★

Compared to major competitors like Aviva, Legal & General, and Zurich, Royal London’s consistent 5-star performance stands out. While these competitors also have 5-star rated plans, Royal London achieves this top rating across its entire core protection range.

For consumers, these outstanding Defaqto ratings signify that Royal London provides top-tier life insurance and protection products. Choosing Royal London means opting for policies independently recognised for their high quality and comprehensive coverage.

Is Royal London Life Insurance Right For You?
Royal London’s basic life insurance plans are available for quick and easy online purchase.

Their plans offer substantial cover for the cost, combined with excellent, award-winning customer support.

Furthermore, they can tailor packages to your precise requirements and offer specialised plans not available from all companies.

Their life insurance plans have received consistently excellent 5-star ratings from Defaqto (as of March 2025), assuring you of great value for money with Royal London.

Defaqto ratings