Bank of Scotland life insurance review 2026
A look at Bank of Scotland’s life insurance policies, provided by Scottish Widows, with their included benefits, claims record and independent ratings.
- Trustpilot
- 1.5 / 5
- 1,101 reviews · whole bank
- Defaqto
- 2 out of 5 stars
- Level term
- Life claims paid
- 99%
- Scottish Widows, 2025
- Entry age
- 18–59
- Online · up to 79 by phone
In a nutshell
Scotland’s oldest bank, selling life insurance, critical illness cover and income protection that are provided by Scottish Widows, a fellow Lloyds Banking Group company.
- Online, you can buy Plan & Protect level cover for one person, up to £500,000, if you’re aged 18–59, with an instant decision.
- By phone, a Bank of Scotland protection expert can arrange Scottish Widows life cover up to £18 million, including terminal illness cover, as level or decreasing cover for one person or two.
- Critical illness cover is available online or by phone, and income protection by phone. Bank of Scotland doesn’t offer whole of life cover just now.
- Rated 2 stars by Defaqto for Plan & Protect Life Cover and 3 stars for Body Cover, and 1.5 out of 5 on Trustpilot across Bank of Scotland as a whole.
- Scottish Widows reported paying 99% of life insurance claims and 91.9% of critical illness claims in 2025.
- New protection policies bought directly with Bank of Scotland currently come with 12 months of Disney+ (Standard With Ads).
Who are Bank of Scotland?
Bank of Scotland was founded in 1695 and describes itself as Scotland’s first and oldest bank. It’s part of Lloyds Banking Group, in the same family as Lloyds and Halifax, and its registered office is on The Mound in Edinburgh. The historic Bank of Scotland building on The Mound is also the registered office and Scottish headquarters of Lloyds Banking Group plc.
- Bank
- Bank of Scotland plc
- Registered in Scotland
- No. SC327000
- Registered office
- The Mound, Edinburgh EH1 1YZ
- FCA / PRA register number
- 169628
- Life insurer
- Scottish Widows Limited
- Insurer’s FCA / PRA number
- 181655
- Group
- Lloyds Banking Group
Bank of Scotland doesn’t provide the insurance itself. Its life insurance, critical illness cover and income protection are provided by Scottish Widows, which is also part of Lloyds Banking Group and which Bank of Scotland says has been protecting customers for over 200 years. Scottish Widows reports more than six million customers.
If you buy by phone, the protection experts’ service is provided by Lloyds Bank Insurance Services Limited, another Lloyds Banking Group company, for which Bank of Scotland is a trading name.
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1695
Founded by an Act of the Scottish Parliament
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1696
First bank in Europe to successfully issue paper currency
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1774
First branches open, in Dumfries and Kelso
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1985
Launches HOBS, the UK’s first electronic home banking service
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2001
Merges with Halifax to form HBOS plc
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2009
HBOS acquired by Lloyds TSB, forming Lloyds Banking Group
Halifax is a division of Bank of Scotland plc, and Scottish Widows lists Plan & Protect as bought through Lloyds Bank and Halifax online banking as well as Bank of Scotland’s, and through mortgage advisers in Lloyds, Halifax and Bank of Scotland branches. Bank of Scotland says it will continue to serve customers in Scotland as a distinct brand while the Halifax brand changes to Lloyds.
For life insurance customers, this means you apply through Bank of Scotland, but the policy, the claims process and the published claims figures are Scottish Widows’.
Whether it’s the right choice for you depends on the cover you need and the price you’re offered, so it’s worth comparing plans before you decide.
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Bank of Scotland life insurance ratings and reviews
Here’s how Bank of Scotland is rated by customers and by independent product experts. Its Trustpilot and Smart Money People scores cover Bank of Scotland as a whole, not only life insurance.
| Review site | Rating | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Trustpilot | 1.5 / 5 · Bad | Based on 1,101 reviews of Bank of Scotland as a whole. The profile is unclaimed and Bank of Scotland hasn’t invited customers to leave reviews, so Trustpilot says they may not be representative. View on Trustpilot (opens in a new tab) |
| Smart Money People | 3.60 / 5 · Good | Based on 327 reviews across Bank of Scotland’s products. Its life insurance page shows a score of 4.04 from a single review, last reviewed on 11 February 2018. View on Smart Money People (opens in a new tab) |
| Defaqto | 2–3 stars | Defaqto rates each product from 1 to 5 stars. Bank of Scotland’s Plan & Protect life policies are rated 2 stars and Body Cover (critical illness) 3 stars — see the ratings for each policy below. View on Defaqto (opens in a new tab) |
| Fairer Finance | 71.27 · No ribbon | Fairer Finance’s Spring 2026 customer experience score for Bank of Scotland life insurance. Its sub-scores were 87.50 for claims, 64.3 for complaints and 62.01 for transparency. View on Fairer Finance (opens in a new tab) |
Defaqto ratings for each Bank of Scotland policy
Defaqto rates each product from 1 to 5 stars. All of the ratings it lists for Bank of Scotland are for the Scottish Widows Plan & Protect range: Life Cover is rated 2 stars for both level and decreasing term, Body Cover (standalone critical illness) 3 stars, and Life & Body Cover (life with critical illness) 2 stars.
| Policy | Range | Defaqto rating |
|---|---|---|
| Level term life insurance | Plan & Protect Life Cover | 2 out of 5 stars |
| Level term life insurance | Plan & Protect Life Cover - Web | 2 out of 5 stars |
| Decreasing term life insurance | Plan & Protect Life Cover | 2 out of 5 stars |
| Critical illness (standalone) | Plan & Protect Body Cover | 3 out of 5 stars |
| Critical illness (standalone) | Plan & Protect Body Cover - Web | 3 out of 5 stars |
| Level term with critical illness | Plan & Protect Life & Body Cover | 2 out of 5 stars |
| Decreasing term with critical illness | Plan & Protect Life & Body Cover | 2 out of 5 stars |
Ratings checked on 24 September 2026 and may have changed since. Defaqto ratings: defaqto.com (opens in a new tab)
Trustpilot’s score covers the whole bank. Its AI review summary says customers frequently complain about unreachable support, long waits on phone lines and difficulty speaking to a person, and also report issues with account management, restricted transactions and unexpected charges. Life insurance claims are handled by Scottish Widows, whose claims figures are set out below.
What does Bank of Scotland life insurance cover?
Bank of Scotland life cover pays out a cash lump sum if you die before the policy ends. When you apply, you choose the size of the lump sum and how long you want to be covered.
Cover bought online is for one person. By phone, a protection expert can also arrange joint cover for two people. A Scottish Widows Protect policy for two people pays out once, when a claim is approved, and then ends.
Bank of Scotland says the payout could pay off the mortgage as well as any outstanding loans or bills. More generally, the money could help your family with:
- Mortgage or rent payments
- Household bills and everyday living costs
- Childcare, school or university costs
- Outstanding loans and credit cards
- A cash gift or inheritance for the people you love
Critical illness cover works differently: it pays a cash lump sum if you’re diagnosed with an illness covered by your policy before it ends. Scottish Widows Protect life cover, arranged by phone, can also pay monthly cash sums instead of a lump sum.
The policies only pay out when a claim is made, and life cover only pays out if you die while you’re covered. They have no cash-in value, so if a policy ends without a claim, or you cancel it, you won’t get any money back.
Bank of Scotland life insurance policy options
Bank of Scotland sells two ranges, both provided by Scottish Widows. Online, you can buy Plan & Protect life cover or critical illness cover (Body Cover). By phone, video or in branch, you can also buy Scottish Widows Protect life cover, critical illness cover and income protection.
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Level termThe payout stays the same until the policy ends. Available online through Plan & Protect, or by phone.
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Decreasing termThe payout decreases slightly each month, in a similar way to a repayment mortgage. Not available online; a protection expert can arrange it by phone.
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Critical illnessPays a lump sum if you’re diagnosed with a covered illness. Body Cover online up to £500,000, or up to £3 million by phone.
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Income protectionScottish Widows income protection, arranged by phone. It can pay up to 60% of the first £70,000 of your earnings.
Plan & Protect Life Cover (online)
Plan & Protect Life Cover is a level cover policy: the amount of cover you choose stays the same until the policy ends, and it pays a cash lump sum if you die before the end date. It’s available to new and existing Bank of Scotland customers who live in the UK and are aged 18 to 59.
You can apply online for up to £500,000 of cover, which is also the most life cover you can hold across all Plan & Protect policies. The application takes about 15 minutes: you answer a few health and lifestyle questions, don’t need a medical check-up, and get an instant decision. If you’re accepted, cover starts the same day.
Once the policy has started you can’t change the amount of cover or what you pay, though you can take out further policies up to the £500,000 total.
Scottish Widows Protect (by phone)
For more cover, joint or decreasing cover, you can speak to a Bank of Scotland protection expert, and anyone over 59 is asked to call. By phone they can arrange life insurance up to £18 million, including terminal illness cover, and critical illness cover up to £3 million, including early stage illness and children’s cover. They don’t charge for their help and you don’t have to take the product.
Scottish Widows Protect cover can be level, decreasing or increasing. Decreasing cover would typically be chosen to protect a repayment mortgage: the amount covered decreases slightly each month, in a similar way to the amount owed on a standard repayment mortgage, though Scottish Widows warns the payout might not always be enough to clear what you owe. Increasing cover rises each year in line with the Retail Prices Index, by at least 2% and at most 10%. Life cover can pay a lump sum or monthly cash sums.
You can apply for Scottish Widows Protect life cover up to age 79, and cover must finish by age 90 next birthday. Level and decreasing cover premiums never change, while increasing cover premiums rise each year.
Critical illness cover
Plan & Protect Body Cover is a level critical illness policy sold online. It covers conditions including stroke, heart attack, invasive cancer, kidney failure requiring dialysis, major organ transplants, multiple sclerosis and Parkinson’s disease, and makes an extra £5,000 early help payment for some less severe, early stage cancers, on top of the cover amount. You need to live for seven days or more after diagnosis to claim, and only one full claim is paid.
Scottish Widows Protect critical illness cover, arranged by phone, pays out if you survive 10 days after diagnosis of a covered illness. It also pays 25% of your cover, up to £30,000, for certain additional illnesses without ending your cover, and includes children’s cover. You can apply for it up to age 64.
Income protection
Bank of Scotland’s income protection is a Scottish Widows policy arranged by phone with a protection expert. To apply you need to be 18 to 59, work more than 16 hours a week on average, live in the UK (excluding the Channel Islands and Isle of Man) and have been registered with a UK GP for at least two years.
It can pay up to 60% of the first £70,000 of your earnings and 45% of earnings above that. It doesn’t pay out for unemployment or redundancy. The Scottish Widows policy summary offers waiting (deferred) periods of 4, 8, 13, 26 or 52 weeks and a choice of two-year or full-term cover. Policies are set up on an own occupation definition of incapacity, though on some occasions Scottish Widows assesses a claim using an activities of daily living definition instead.
Whole of life and over 50s cover
Bank of Scotland says it doesn’t offer life assurance, sometimes called whole of life cover, to its customers just now. For older applicants, Scottish Widows Protect life cover can be applied for up to age 79.
Scottish Widows’ contact page lists a phone line, 0345 608 0390, for the Halifax/Bank of Scotland Over 50 Guaranteed Life Plan, which is provided by St Andrews Life Assurance.
Bank of Scotland cover online vs by phone
Online cover is Scottish Widows Plan & Protect. By phone, a protection expert can arrange Plan & Protect or Scottish Widows Protect. Here’s how the two ranges compare:
| Feature | Online (Plan & Protect) | By phone (Scottish Widows Protect) |
|---|---|---|
| Single cover | Included | Included |
| Joint cover for two | Not available | Included |
| Level cover | Included | Included |
| Decreasing cover | Not available | Included |
| Maximum life cover | £500,000 | £18 million |
| Maximum critical illness cover | £500,000 | £3 million |
| Early stage payment | £5,000 (cancer) | Included |
| Age when you apply (life cover) | 18–59 | 18–79 |
| Suicide exclusion | 6 months | 12 months |
Limits from Bank of Scotland and Scottish Widows product information, checked 24 September 2026.
Bank of Scotland life insurance at a glance
The key limits for life cover on each route. Bank of Scotland’s life cover page says Scottish Widows can offer cover from 5 to 40 years, up to age 79, and asks anyone over 59 to call, while the online policy summary (dated 10/22) says a Plan & Protect policy must end before age 70. The phone figures for when cover must end and the shortest term come from Scottish Widows’ adviser key details for Scottish Widows Protect.
| Limit | Online (Plan & Protect) | By phone (Scottish Widows Protect) |
|---|---|---|
| Age when you apply | 18–59 | 18–79 |
| Age when you apply (critical illness) | 18–59 | 18–64 |
| Cover must end | Before age 70 | By age 90 next birthday |
| Shortest term | 5 years | 1 year (3 years decreasing) |
| Maximum life cover | £500,000 | £18m level, £12.5m decreasing |
| Single or joint | Single | Both |
| Premiums | Fixed | Fixed (level and decreasing) |
Limits from Bank of Scotland and Scottish Widows product information, checked 24 September 2026. The cover you’re offered depends on your circumstances.
What affects the cost of Bank of Scotland life insurance?
The price you’re offered depends on your circumstances and the cover you choose. For Plan & Protect Life Cover, the policy summary says the monthly price depends on:
- Your age at the start of the policy
- Whether you smoke
- How much cover you want
- How long you want the policy to last
- Your answers to the medical questions
- For income protection, also your job and the waiting period you choose
With Plan & Protect you pay a fixed amount each month by Direct Debit, and the payments include all charges and never change. On Scottish Widows Protect, level and decreasing cover premiums never change either, while increasing cover premiums rise each year. In a fictional example on its income protection page, Bank of Scotland says a non-smoking 30-year-old self-employed plumber could get level income protection costing £47.08 a month, paying up to £2,000 a month after his chosen waiting period.
In general, cover costs less the younger and healthier you are when you take it out, and decreasing term costs less than level term. Adding critical illness cover increases the price. Comparing plans from several insurers is the simplest way to see what’s available for your circumstances.
Bank of Scotland life insurance benefits & extras
Depending on the policy you choose and how you buy it, these benefits come with your cover:
| Benefit | What it does | Available with |
|---|---|---|
| Clinic in a Pocket | An app from Square Health that lets you, your partner and your children book unlimited virtual GP consultations. Scottish Widows can amend, replace or withdraw it at any time. | Available with: New life policies, and income protection |
| Terminal illness cover | Pays out if your illness can’t be cured and your consultant expects death within 12 months. Included at no extra cost. | Available with: Scottish Widows Protect life cover (by phone) |
| Early help payment | An extra £5,000 for some less severe, early stage cancers, on top of your cover. The policy continues afterwards, so you can claim again later. | Available with: Plan & Protect Body Cover |
| Additional payments | 25% of your cover, up to £30,000, if you’re diagnosed with one of the listed additional illnesses. Your cover continues. | Available with: Scottish Widows Protect critical illness cover |
| Children’s critical illness cover | Covers your children from birth until their 22nd birthday, for 50% of your cover up to £30,000. | Available with: Scottish Widows Protect critical illness cover |
| Free accidental death cover | While Scottish Widows considers your application, you may qualify for up to 90 days’ accidental death cover, starting when it receives your completed application. It pays the full sum assured or £250,000, whichever is lower, and you must be 60 or under when you apply. | Available with: Scottish Widows Protect life cover |
| Free mortgage cover | You may qualify for cover while your application is considered, for up to 90 days from exchange of contracts (or when missives are completed in Scotland), up to £1,000,000 for a life claim and £500,000 for a critical illness claim. New mortgages only, not remortgages. | Available with: Scottish Widows Protect life and critical illness cover |
| Replacement cover | When a claim is paid on a policy for two people, the other person can take out a new policy on the original terms and conditions without further underwriting, if they apply within three months. The policy provisions say the new premium allows for Scottish Widows’ rates at the start of the original policy and the person’s age and smoker status at the time. | Available with: Scottish Widows Protect joint policies |
| Guaranteed insurability option | You may be able to increase your cover without giving more underwriting information, by taking out an additional policy after events such as marriage, the birth or adoption of a child, a mortgage increase or a promotion. Requests must reach Scottish Widows before your 55th birthday. | Available with: Scottish Widows Protect life and critical illness cover |
| Scottish Widows Care | Practical advice and emotional support from RedArc for policyholders and their families, from day one. Income protection comes with support from a specialised RedArc nurse. | Available with: Scottish Widows Protect, including income protection |
On Scottish Widows Protect life and critical illness cover, you can also choose these options. All three cost extra.
| Optional extra | What it does |
|---|---|
| Premium protection | Scottish Widows pays your premiums after 26 weeks if you can’t work because of sickness, disability or an accident. It has to be chosen when the policy starts, and you can apply for it up to age 60. |
| Total permanent disability | Adds total permanent disability to the illnesses covered by a Critical Illness Cover or Life with Critical Illness Cover policy. |
| Life buyback option | Lets you buy back your life cover after a critical illness claim has been paid on Life with Critical Illness Cover. It has to be chosen when the policy starts. |
Writing a Bank of Scotland policy in trust
Bank of Scotland says the lump sum your policy pays out is free from income and capital gains tax but might be liable for inheritance tax, and that you can write your policy in trust to avoid this. It says putting a policy in trust means the money goes quickly to the people you want it to reach, and that a solicitor can help you set one up.
Without a trust or another transfer of the legal right, a Plan & Protect Life Cover claim is paid to your estate, and Scottish Widows will ask for documents showing that the person claiming has a legal right to deal with it.
For Scottish Widows Protect policies, Scottish Widows offers a choice of eight trusts, and the policy summary says you should consider putting your policy in trust. If you’re the only policyholder and the person covered, you can also nominate beneficiaries before the policy starts, so a claim can be paid to them without waiting for a Grant of Probate or Confirmation. Income protection can’t be written in trust.
Read how trusts work, and what other insurers offer, in our guide to life insurance in trust.
Bank of Scotland free gift offers
Note: Free gifts are offered by select brokers only, our life insurance brokers do not offer free gifts.
Bank of Scotland is offering 12 months of Disney+ (Standard With Ads) when you buy a new protection policy directly with it. The offer covers new Plan & Protect Life or Body Cover policies bought online, and new Plan & Protect Life or Body Cover or Scottish Widows Protect life, critical illness or income protection policies bought by phone, video or in branch, from 16 June 2025 until the offer is withdrawn.
You need to be a UK resident aged 18 or over with a credit or debit card, and to have made your first monthly payment; the activation email is sent within 30 days. There’s one subscription code per customer, and one per joint policy. The offer isn’t available if you buy through a price comparison website or an intermediary.
At the end of the 12 months your card is automatically charged at the then-current monthly price for Disney+ Standard With Ads (currently £5.99). Activation links are valid until 31 March 2027. The promoter, Scottish Widows, can amend or withdraw the offer at any time, and can cancel the subscription if your protection policy is cancelled within the 12 months.
Earlier offers included a gift card of up to £200 for Plan & Protect policies bought online between 5 December 2023 and 3 May 2024.
See other insurers’ offers and their conditions in our guides to life insurance with a free gift and over 50 life insurance with a free gift.
Does Bank of Scotland pay out?
Claims on Bank of Scotland life and critical illness policies are handled by Scottish Widows, so the claims record that applies is Scottish Widows’. Its figures cover all Scottish Widows life and critical illness claims, not only policies sold through Bank of Scotland. For 2025, Scottish Widows reported:
- Life claims paid
- 99%
- Critical illness claims paid
- 91.9%
- Paid in life and critical illness claims
- £219m
Scottish Widows claims paid by year
| Year | Life claims paid | Critical illness claims paid | Total paid (life) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 99% | 91.9% | £127m |
| 2024 | 99.1% | 91.8% | £141m |
| 2023 | 99.4% | 92.3% | £149.3m |
Source: Scottish Widows published claims statistics for 2023, 2024 and 2025. The figures cover all Scottish Widows life and critical illness claims, not only policies sold through Bank of Scotland.
Bank of Scotland’s own website quotes the 2024 figure: Scottish Widows paid out 98% of life and critical illness claims that year, £236 million in total. In 2025, the average life claim Scottish Widows paid was £57,115, and cancer accounted for 65% of its critical illness claims, followed by heart attack (9%) and stroke (7%).
In 2025, 229 Scottish Widows claims weren’t paid, and 69% of those were because of missing or incorrect information. Bank of Scotland asks applicants to make sure their answers are true and complete, as a claim might not be paid if anything they’ve said is wrong. Scottish Widows also checks around 5% of policies once they’re in force, using a GP report to verify the application answers.
How to make a Bank of Scotland life insurance claim
Claims are made to Scottish Widows. You can start online with the claim form on the Scottish Widows website, and Scottish Widows then contacts you to explain what to do next. It helps to have the policyholder’s full name, date of birth and address to hand, but you can start a claim without the policy number.
Scottish Widows usually asks for the death certificate for a life claim, or copies of GP or hospital specialist notes for a critical illness claim. If it needs medical information from a doctor or coroner, it asks your permission first. If you’ve already told Bank of Scotland about a death, you don’t need to tell Scottish Widows separately.
For health claims, Scottish Widows’ claims page also lists a Plan & Protect freephone line, 0800 085 8310 (9am to 5.30pm, Monday to Friday), and a Halifax and Bank of Scotland line, 0345 030 6244 (8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday).
- Life claims phone
- 0345 601 4179
- Critical and terminal illness claims
- 0345 601 4839
- Opening hours
- Mon–Fri, 9am–5pm
- Life claim form
- Scottish Widows (opens in a new tab)
- Critical illness claim form
- Scottish Widows (opens in a new tab)
- Bank of Scotland bereavement team
- 0800 015 0012
Key policy terms
A few terms that are worth knowing before you apply. Some differ between Plan & Protect (online) and Scottish Widows Protect (by phone), so always check the documents for the exact policy you’re offered.
| Term | Bank of Scotland policies |
|---|---|
| Cooling-off period | 30 days, with a refund of payments made |
| Cancelling later | You can cancel at any time, free of charge |
| Suicide exclusion | First 6 months on Plan & Protect Life Cover; first 12 months on Scottish Widows Protect |
| Terminal illness | Included on Scottish Widows Protect life cover: claim if your consultant expects death within 12 months |
| Missed payments | Plan & Protect Life Cover is cancelled three calendar months from the first missed payment; Scottish Widows Protect after three missed payments in a row. No refund |
| Changing your policy | Plan & Protect can’t be changed once it starts, but you can take out further policies |
| Payment breaks | Not available |
| Medical exam | Not needed for online applications |
| Write in trust | Yes — Bank of Scotland says a solicitor can help; Scottish Widows offers eight trusts for Scottish Widows Protect |
| Cash-in value | None |
| FSCS protection | Plan & Protect Life Cover is fully covered by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme |
| Complaints | Financial Ombudsman Service, if you’re unhappy with Scottish Widows’ response (the Plan & Protect terms also allow this if there’s no response after eight weeks) |
Is Bank of Scotland life insurance good?
Bank of Scotland is a bank rather than an insurer: its life insurance, critical illness cover and income protection are provided by Scottish Widows, a fellow Lloyds Banking Group company. For straightforward level cover for one person, the online Plan & Protect route is quick, with about 15 minutes to apply, an instant decision and no medical check-up. For larger, joint or decreasing cover, a protection expert can arrange cover by phone, with terminal illness cover included, and if you’re over 59 Bank of Scotland asks you to call to discuss your options.
The trade-offs are that Defaqto rates the Plan & Protect life policies 2 out of 5 stars, Plan & Protect can’t be changed once it starts, whole of life cover isn’t offered at the moment, and Bank of Scotland’s Trustpilot score, which covers the bank as a whole, is 1.5 out of 5. On claims, Scottish Widows reported paying 99% of life insurance claims in 2025.
The right insurer for you depends on your needs and the price you’re offered, so it’s worth comparing Bank of Scotland with other insurers.
Pros
- Policies provided by Scottish Widows, part of Lloyds Banking Group
- Scottish Widows reported paying 99% of life claims in 2025
- Quick online application with an instant decision and no medical check-up
- Protection experts can arrange up to £18 million of life cover, including joint and decreasing cover, and don’t charge for their help
- Terminal illness cover included on Scottish Widows Protect life cover
- Clinic in a Pocket virtual GP app with new policies
Cons
- Online cover is level and single-life only, up to £500,000, for ages 18–59
- Defaqto rates the Plan & Protect life policies 2 out of 5 stars
- Plan & Protect policies can’t be changed once they start
- No payment breaks and no cash-in value
- No whole of life cover at the moment
- Trustpilot score of 1.5 out of 5 for Bank of Scotland as a whole
Bank of Scotland life insurance policy documents
Before you take out a policy, it’s worth reading the policy summary and terms for the exact product you’re offered. These official documents from Scottish Widows are published on the Bank of Scotland and Scottish Widows websites:
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Plan & Protect Life Cover policy summary (opens in a new tab)
What the online life cover policy covers, who can apply and what stops it paying out.
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Plan & Protect Life Cover terms and conditions (opens in a new tab)
The full terms of the online life cover policy, including claims and cancelling.
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Plan & Protect Body Cover policy summary (opens in a new tab)
A summary of the online critical illness policy and the illnesses it covers.
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Plan & Protect Body Cover terms and conditions (opens in a new tab)
The full terms of the online critical illness policy, including the early help payment.
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Scottish Widows Protect Personal Protection policy summary (opens in a new tab)
The life and critical illness plan arranged by phone, including children’s cover and optional extras.
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Scottish Widows Protect Personal Protection policy provisions (opens in a new tab)
The full policy terms for Scottish Widows Protect life and critical illness cover.
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Scottish Widows Protect Income Protection policy summary (opens in a new tab)
How the income protection policy works, including waiting periods and limits.
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Free Accidental Death Cover (opens in a new tab)
The free accidental death cover included with Scottish Widows Protect life cover.
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Free Mortgage Cover (opens in a new tab)
The free cover Scottish Widows Protect gives for up to 90 days from exchange of contracts on a new mortgage.
Documents are published by Bank of Scotland and Scottish Widows and open on their websites. They may be updated — the version you receive with your policy is the one that applies.
Bank of Scotland life insurance FAQs
To apply online you need to be aged 18 to 59 and live in the UK. If you’re over 59, Bank of Scotland asks you to call. Scottish Widows Protect life cover, arranged by phone, can be applied for up to age 79, or 64 for critical illness cover.
Scottish Widows. Bank of Scotland says Scottish Widows provides its life insurance and critical illness cover, and like Bank of Scotland it’s part of Lloyds Banking Group. The insurer named in the policy documents is Scottish Widows Limited.
Claims are paid by Scottish Widows, which reported paying 99% of life insurance claims in 2025, totalling £127 million, and 91.9% of critical illness claims. These figures cover all Scottish Widows life and critical illness claims, not only policies sold through Bank of Scotland.
When you apply for cover you will be asked questions about your health and lifestyle, and based on this and the amount of cover requested, the insurer will decide if a medical is required or not.
For online applications, Bank of Scotland says you only answer a few essential health and lifestyle questions and won’t need a medical check-up.
Not online, where cover is for one person. By phone, a protection expert can arrange joint cover for two. A joint Scottish Widows Protect policy pays out once and then ends, but replacement cover lets the other person take out a new policy on the original terms and conditions if they apply within three months.
Not online, where cover is level. A Bank of Scotland protection expert can arrange decreasing cover by phone, and Scottish Widows says decreasing cover would typically be chosen to protect a repayment mortgage.
Yes. Bank of Scotland says putting your policy in trust means the money goes quickly to the people you want it to reach and could help with inheritance tax, and that a solicitor can help you set it up. For Scottish Widows Protect policies, Scottish Widows offers a choice of eight trusts.
Not with Plan & Protect. Bank of Scotland says you can’t change your policy after it has started, so it’s worth making sure the amount and length are right, though Plan & Protect customers can take out further policies, up to £500,000 of life cover in total. For Scottish Widows Protect, Scottish Widows says to speak to your financial adviser about any changes you want to make.
Yes, you can cancel at any time, free of charge. If you cancel within 30 days of the start date, Scottish Widows refunds any payments you’ve made. The policies have no cash-in value, so you won’t get money back if you cancel after that.
Bank of Scotland says it doesn’t offer life assurance, also called whole of life cover, just now. Scottish Widows’ contact page lists a line, 0345 608 0390, for the Halifax/Bank of Scotland Over 50 Guaranteed Life Plan, provided by St Andrews Life Assurance.
Sources
The facts on this page come from these sources.
- Wikimedia Commons — Wikimedia Commons file page: Bank of Scotland, Edinburgh - view from Princes Street Gardens, 2025.jpg (opens in a new tab), commons.wikimedia.org, accessed 24 September 2026.
- Historic Environment Scotland — Historic Environment Scotland listed building record LB28263: 11 Bank Street, Bank of Scotland (the building in the photo) (opens in a new tab), portal.historicenvironment.scot, accessed 24 September 2026.
- Bank of Scotland — About us (Bank of Scotland) (opens in a new tab), bankofscotland.co.uk, accessed 24 September 2026.
- Bank of Scotland — Life insurance (Bank of Scotland life insurance hub page) (opens in a new tab), bankofscotland.co.uk, accessed 24 September 2026.
- Bank of Scotland — Income protection (opens in a new tab), bankofscotland.co.uk, accessed 24 September 2026.
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Related pages
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Best life insurance
What to compare when you choose a policy.
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Term life insurance
Cover for a set number of years, with level or decreasing cover.
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Decreasing term life insurance
The payout falls over the term, often in line with a mortgage.
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Joint life insurance
One policy for two people, compared with two single policies.
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Family life insurance
Cover that helps your family with everyday costs.
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Critical illness cover
A lump sum on diagnosis of a serious illness your policy covers.
