Legal & General CI Review

Overview

Legal & General is the UK's largest individual CI provider by new business premiums. Their standard Critical Illness policy covers 67 conditions, with additional payouts for total permanent incapacity and children's cover included as standard. L&G has been a consistent innovator, introducing early cancer diagnosis payouts and partial payments for heart attacks before many competitors. With a 93.6% claims payout rate, they are among the most reliable providers in the market.

Key Strengths

• 67 conditions — solid coverage breadth including FND, severe IBS, and severe endometriosis.
• Early cancer diagnosis benefit — pays £25,000 (or 25% of sum assured) on early-stage cancer diagnosis before standard CI definitions apply.
• 93.6% claims paid — consistently high claims acceptance, well above the market average.
• Children's cover included — covers up to £50,000 per child at no extra premium.
• Partial heart attack payment — pays 25% on minor heart attacks that meet the definition but have lower troponin levels.

Considerations

• No severity-based model — L&G uses a standard all-or-nothing model with limited partial payments rather than a sliding severity scale.
• 67 conditions vs 182 — while broad, the condition list is less comprehensive than Vitality's 182-condition SIC Plus.
• No automatic life cover — unlike some competitors, CI and life cover are separate policies that must be taken together.

Claims Performance

Legal & General reports a 93.6% CI claims payout rate, among the highest in the industry. Cancer accounts for 47% of claims, heart conditions 19%, and strokes 10%. L&G also publishes detailed claims data by condition, making it one of the most transparent providers on claims outcomes.

How It Compares

Legal & General is the go-to for many advisers who value brand trust, claims reliability, and straightforward policy wording. While it lacks the severity-based flexibility of Vitality or the enhanced tiers of Aviva, its early cancer diagnosis benefit and partial heart attack payment are meaningful innovations. For clients who prioritise a household name with excellent claims performance, L&G is a strong choice.