Royal London CI Review

Overview

Royal London is the UK's largest mutual insurer and a major force in the protection market. Their Critical Illness policy covers 70 conditions and is consistently among the highest-rated on CriticalIQ for definition quality. Royal London has been a pioneer in adding new conditions — they were the first to cover severe IBS, severe endometriosis, and FND (Functional Neurological Disorder) — and continue to lead on condition innovation.

Key Strengths

• 70 conditions — strong coverage breadth with market-leading conditions including FND, severe IBS, and severe endometriosis.
• Mutual structure — no shareholders, meaning profits are reinvested into policyholder benefits rather than distributed to investors.
• Condition innovation — consistently first to market with new condition definitions that others later adopt.
• 91.2% claims paid — solid claims performance with detailed claims transparency.
• Children's cover included — up to £50,000 per child at no extra premium.

Considerations

• No severity-based model — Royal London uses a standard all-or-nothing approach with limited partial payments rather than a sliding severity scale.
• 70 conditions vs 182 — while broad and well-chosen, the condition list is smaller than Vitality's 182-condition SIC Plus.
• No enhanced tier — unlike Aviva CIC+, Royal London does not offer 2x payouts on certain severe conditions.

Claims Performance

Royal London reports a 91.2% CI claims payout rate. Cancer is the most common claim type at 44%, followed by heart attacks at 20% and strokes at 9%. Royal London publishes comprehensive claims data by condition severity and policy duration, making it one of the more transparent providers.

How It Compares

Royal London's CI policy is a strong contender for advisers who value condition innovation and mutual ownership. While it lacks severity-based flexibility, its 70 conditions are well-chosen and include some of the most forward-looking definitions in the market. For clients who want a policy from a mutual provider that consistently pushes for better coverage, Royal London is an excellent choice.