Foresters life insurance review 2026 (Forester Life)
A look at Foresters life insurance (Forester Life): Personal Insurance and Mortgage Protection plans, how you apply, ratings, costs and how to claim.
- Trustpilot
- 4.6 / 5
- 1,092 reviews · Foresters Financial
- Defaqto
- 3 out of 5 stars
- Level and decreasing term
- Age at start
- Under 80
- Under 60 with critical illness
- Minimum term
- 5 years
- Life cover up to age 85
In a nutshell
Forester Life Limited is the UK business of Foresters Financial, the trade name of a Canadian fraternal benefit society that dates back to 1874. It sells two protection plans, Personal Insurance and Mortgage Protection, through its own Financial Advisers at home or by video call.
- Two protection plans, Personal Insurance and Mortgage Protection, each offer Life Benefit, Critical Illness Benefit or Combined Life and Critical Illness Benefit.
- Personal Insurance offers level, single cover and can pay out as a lump sum or as an annual benefit paid in monthly instalments. Mortgage Protection can be level or decreasing, single or joint, and pays a lump sum.
- You must be under 80 to start Life Benefit, which can run to age 85, and under 60 for critical illness or combined cover, which can run to 65. The minimum term is five years.
- Terminal illness cover comes with Life Benefit and combined cover. Waiver of premium is an optional extra, and plans accepted on standard terms include guaranteed insurability.
- Foresters Financial is rated 4.6 out of 5 on Trustpilot as a company. Defaqto rates Forester Life’s plans 2 or 3 stars out of 5, depending on the policy.
- Forester Life says it has paid out every critical illness claim for the last two years, but the page gives no dates or numbers.
Who are Foresters Financial and Forester Life?
Forester Life Limited is the UK business of Foresters Financial, the name you’ll see on its website and documents. Foresters Financial and Foresters are trade names of The Independent Order of Foresters, a fraternal benefit society headquartered in Ontario, Canada, and its subsidiaries. The society owns Forester Life through its UK holding company, Forester Holdings (Europe) Limited.
- Life insurer
- Forester Life Limited
- Brand name
- Foresters Financial
- FCA / PRA firm reference
- 177898
- Registered in England
- No. 2997655
- Incorporated
- 2 December 1994
- Registered office
- Foresters House, 2 Cromwell Avenue, Bromley BR2 9BF
- UK parent
- Forester Holdings (Europe) Limited
- Ultimate parent
- The Independent Order of Foresters
Foresters says its history began in 1874, when it set out to give working families access to life insurance. The Independent Order of Foresters was founded that year in Newark, New Jersey, was introduced into Canada in 1875 and marked its 150th anniversary in 2024.
In the UK, the with-profits fund business that the society’s UK branch had run, providing protection and savings products, was transferred to Forester Life Limited in 1995. Forester Life later took on funds from the Communication Workers Friendly Society in 2011 and Tunbridge Wells Equitable Friendly Society in 2013. Foresters also took over The Children’s Mutual in 2017.
Forester Life says it looked after over 1.4 million plans and £6 billion of funds under management across the UK in 2025. The largest share of its Ongoing Business Fund is adult and children’s unit-linked savings business, consisting of ISAs, Junior ISAs and Child Trust Funds. The fund also includes an open book of protection business and a closed annuities book.
Foresters describes itself as a mutual with no shareholders, using any profit to give back to its members through member benefits. When you take out a Forester Life protection plan, you become a Foresters member.
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1874
The Independent Order of Foresters founded in Newark, New Jersey
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1995
The UK branch’s with-profits fund business transferred to Forester Life Limited
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2011
Communication Workers’ Fund transferred from the Communication Workers Friendly Society
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2013
Tunbridge Wells Fund transferred from Tunbridge Wells Equitable Friendly Society
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2017
Foresters takes over The Children’s Mutual
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2024
Foresters marks its 150th anniversary
Forester Life’s quotes and recommendations come from its own directly employed Financial Advisers, who offer only its own products. You can meet an adviser at home or by video call, with no fee for the advice.
At 31 December 2025, Forester Life Limited’s solvency (SCR) coverage ratio was 193.1%, up from 191.8% a year earlier. It had £5,969.3m of assets under management, 6% more than in 2024.
The solvency coverage ratio compares the capital an insurer holds with its Solvency Capital Requirement under UK rules. A figure above 100% means it holds more capital than that requirement.
Foresters Financial’s 2025 report to members says Morningstar DBRS confirmed the parent group’s ‘A’ Financial Strength Rating, with a stable trend.
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Foresters life insurance ratings and reviews
Foresters Financial holds 4.6 out of 5 on Trustpilot and 3.79 out of 5 on Smart Money People. Those two scores are for Foresters Financial as a company rather than for a particular policy. Defaqto rates Forester Life’s protection plans 2 or 3 stars out of 5.
| Review site | Rating | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Trustpilot | 4.6 / 5 · Excellent | Based on 1,092 reviews of Foresters Financial, 352 of them from the last 12 months. 81% of reviewers gave 5 stars and 16% gave 1 star. Trustpilot notes that the company hasn’t invited customers to review recently, so reviews may not be representative. View on Trustpilot (opens in a new tab) |
| Smart Money People | 3.79 / 5 · Good | Based on 4 product reviews of Foresters. View on Smart Money People (opens in a new tab) |
| Defaqto | 2–3 stars | Defaqto rates each product from 1 to 5 stars. Forester Life’s plans score 3 stars for level and decreasing term life cover, 2 or 3 stars for critical illness cover, and 2 stars as a protection menu plan. View on Defaqto (opens in a new tab) |
Defaqto ratings for each Forester Life policy
Defaqto rates the Lifestyle Protection Options Plan, which Forester Life sells as Personal Insurance, and the Mortgage Protection Options Plan (Mortgage Protection) separately. Both score 3 stars for level term life cover. For critical illness cover, Personal Insurance scores 3 stars and Mortgage Protection 2 or 3 stars, depending on the category.
| Policy | Range | Defaqto rating |
|---|---|---|
| Level term life insurance | Personal Insurance | 3 out of 5 stars |
| Level term life insurance | Mortgage Protection | 3 out of 5 stars |
| Decreasing term life insurance | Mortgage Protection | 3 out of 5 stars |
| Critical illness (level term) | Personal Insurance | 3 out of 5 stars |
| Critical illness (level term) | Mortgage Protection | 2 out of 5 stars |
| Critical illness (decreasing) | Mortgage Protection | 3 out of 5 stars |
| Critical illness (standalone) | Personal Insurance | 3 out of 5 stars |
| Critical illness (standalone) | Mortgage Protection | 2 out of 5 stars |
| Protection menu plan | Personal Insurance | 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)
Forester Life’s About us page says its customers and members rate its service 4.7 out of 5. The page’s footnotes say its star ratings come from Foresters’ own customer satisfaction scores for Customer Services calls, MyPlans and its Financial Advisers. One footnote cites 2025 and another January 2021 to June 2023. These are Foresters’ own scores, not an independent review score.
Trustpilot’s AI-generated summary of reviews says customers praise the financial advisers for being helpful and friendly, and appreciate straightforward guidance on trust funds and future investments. Foresters has replied to 4% of its negative reviews.
Reviews often focus on individual service moments, so it’s worth reading a selection of recent reviews alongside the headline score.
What does Foresters life insurance cover?
Forester Life’s Life Benefit pays out if you die during the plan term, or if you’re diagnosed with a terminal illness more than a year before the plan ends. It’s available on both protection plans, Personal Insurance and Mortgage Protection.
Personal Insurance covers you, or your spouse or civil partner as ‘life of another’. Mortgage Protection is designed to repay an outstanding mortgage or loan, and can cover you, your spouse, or both of you on a joint basis. A joint plan pays out only once for each benefit you choose, when the first of you becomes eligible to claim for it.
A Forester Life Financial Adviser assesses your needs and recommends the type and level of cover, with a minimum term of five years. The payout 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
With Personal Insurance, you can choose to have the payout as a lump sum or as an annual benefit paid in monthly instalments until the end of the term. The annual benefit rises automatically each year in line with the Retail Prices Index, by up to 10%. It never goes down, and your premium doesn’t rise with it.
You choose between a lump sum and monthly instalments when you apply, and you can’t change it once the plan is in force. Mortgage Protection pays a lump sum only.
Under current tax law, all benefits are paid free of Income Tax and Capital Gains Tax.
The plans have no cash-in value, and nothing is paid if you reach the end of your cover without making a valid claim.
Foresters life insurance policy options
Forester Life sells two protection plans: Personal Insurance and Mortgage Protection. Both can include Life Benefit, Critical Illness Benefit or Combined Life and Critical Illness Benefit, and both last for a set term of at least five years.
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Level termThe benefit stays the same throughout the term. Available on both plans.
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Decreasing termThe benefit reduces each year, for a mortgage repaid by instalments. Mortgage Protection only.
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Critical illnessPays out on a covered critical illness or total permanent disability.
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Life & critical illnessPays out once, on death, terminal illness, critical illness or permanent disability, whichever comes first.
Level term life insurance
With level cover, the amount of your benefit stays the same throughout the term of your plan. Forester Life suggests it if you have an interest-only mortgage. Personal Insurance offers level cover only.
Level term cover is often used to protect a family’s income and everyday costs, or to cover an interest-only mortgage where the amount owed doesn’t go down.
Decreasing term life insurance
Decreasing cover is only available on Mortgage Protection. The benefit reduces every year of the term, as shown in your plan schedule, and Forester Life suggests it if you’re repaying your mortgage by regular instalments.
Forester Life’s glossary says decreasing cover falls like a repayment mortgage, reducing by small amounts at first and larger amounts towards the end of the term. It has lower premiums than level cover.
The Key Features warn that in some circumstances decreasing cover may not be enough to pay off your mortgage in full. This could happen if your payments haven’t been adjusted for interest rate changes, or if your mortgage interest rate averages over 12% during the term.
Critical illness cover
Critical Illness Benefit pays out if you’re diagnosed with a covered critical illness and survive for at least 30 days. It also pays out if you’re diagnosed with a total permanent disability that meets the plan definition and survive for at least six months. Only the illnesses defined in the plan document are covered.
The list includes cancer (excluding less advanced cases), heart attack of specified severity, stroke, multiple sclerosis, motor neurone disease and traumatic brain injury. Dementia and Parkinson’s disease are covered only if diagnosed before age 60 and resulting in permanent symptoms.
Forester Life says it follows the Association of British Insurers’ (ABI) model wordings to specify what is and isn’t covered under each condition. Its Critical Illness benefit also complies with the ABI Guide to Minimum Standards for Critical Illness Cover.
Total permanent disability means permanently losing the physical ability to do at least three of six activities of daily living, through an illness or injury before age 65.
Combined cover ends after one payout. If you want your plan to be able to pay out for both, you can take Life Benefit and Critical Illness Benefit separately.
Joint cover
Mortgage Protection offers a choice of single or joint cover. A joint plan pays out only once for each benefit you choose, when the first of you becomes eligible to claim for it. Personal Insurance is single cover only, but can cover your spouse or civil partner as ‘life of another’.
How you apply
Forester Life’s quotes are given by its Financial Advisers. You request an appointment through an online form, then meet an adviser at home or by video call on Microsoft Teams. The adviser assesses your needs and recommends a plan.
The advisers are directly employed by Forester Life and offer only its own products. They receive a basic salary, with the potential to earn a bonus for meeting targets, and are paid from product charges rather than charging you for advice.
Forester Life’s website gives two figures for its own Financial Advisers across the UK: over 190 on its Financial Advice page and over 150 on its About us page.
Instead of a long application form, you have a recorded telephone interview with a qualified nurse from MorganAsh, which Forester Life uses for its telephone interviews and underwriting. Your adviser gives you a standard premium first, and the premium is confirmed after the interview.
Forester Life Personal Insurance vs Mortgage Protection
Both plans offer the same three types of cover. The main differences are how the payout is made and whether decreasing or joint cover is available:
| Feature | Personal Insurance | Mortgage Protection |
|---|---|---|
| Life Benefit (with terminal illness) | Included | Included |
| Critical Illness Benefit | Included | Included |
| Combined Life and Critical Illness | Included | Included |
| Level cover | Included | Included |
| Decreasing cover | Not available | Included |
| Joint cover | Not available | Included |
| Cover for a spouse (life of another) | Included | Included |
| Lump sum payout | Included | Included |
| Yearly income, paid monthly | Included | Not available |
| Guaranteed insurability | Included | Included |
| Waiver of premium | Optional | Optional |
Guaranteed insurability applies to plans accepted on standard terms. Waiver of premium isn’t available to people in high-risk occupations.
Foresters life insurance at a glance
The key limits for each type of cover. The cover you’re offered depends on your circumstances and the insurer’s assessment.
| Limit | Life Benefit | Critical Illness | Combined cover |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age when the plan starts | Under 80 | Under 60 | Under 60 |
| Cover can last to age | 85 | 65 | 65 |
| Minimum term | 5 years | 5 years | 5 years |
| Pays out on | Death or terminal illness | Critical illness or total permanent disability | Any of these, once |
| Level or decreasing | Level; decreasing on Mortgage Protection | Level; decreasing on Mortgage Protection | Level; decreasing on Mortgage Protection |
| Joint cover | Mortgage Protection only | Mortgage Protection only | Mortgage Protection only |
Limits from Forester Life’s protection Key Features and product pages, checked 25 September 2026.
What affects the cost of Foresters life insurance?
The price you’re offered depends on your circumstances and the cover you choose. Your Forester Life Financial Adviser gives a standard premium first, which is confirmed after a qualified nurse calls to ask about your health, medical history and lifestyle. The main factors are:
- Your age
- Your health and medical history
- Whether you smoke
- Your job and any hazardous hobbies
- The type of cover
- How long you want cover for
- How much cover you want
Forester Life says cover starts from £10 a month, and Personal Insurance from 32p a day.
If your circumstances are considered higher risk than standard, you may have to pay more than your adviser first quoted, or in the most extreme cases have restricted cover.
Premiums are paid monthly by Direct Debit. Premiums for critical illness and combined cover can be reviewed, and may rise if the predicted cost of providing benefits is higher than expected.
Under the Personal Insurance terms, the premium for waiver of premium cover can also be reviewed if the life insured changes occupation or lives abroad. Under both plans’ terms, Forester Life writes to tell you at least 30 days before it increases or decreases your premium.
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.
Foresters life insurance benefits and extras
Depending on the plan and cover you choose, these benefits come with a Forester Life protection plan:
| Benefit | What it does | Available with |
|---|---|---|
| Terminal illness cover | Pays out if you’re diagnosed with an illness expected to lead to death within 12 months, provided the diagnosis is more than a year before the plan ends. | Available with: Life Benefit and combined cover |
| Guaranteed insurability | Forester Life’s terms let you increase your cover without medical evidence when you marry, have or adopt a child, or buy a main home with a mortgage. Each lump sum increase is limited to the lesser of £50,000 or 50% of your current cover, with a £100,000 total lump sum limit across your Forester Life plans. Increases aren’t allowed if you’re over 54, while premiums are being waived, or within five years of the plan ending. Other conditions apply. | Available with: Plans accepted on standard terms |
| Changing your cover | You can increase or reduce your level of benefits at any time. Increases can be made as long as your plan has at least five years left, and you may be asked for more medical or other information. | Available with: Personal Insurance and Mortgage Protection |
| Peace of Mind service | Help and guidance from experienced nurses, provided by MorganAsh, and up to six bereavement counselling sessions for partners and children at no extra cost. It isn’t part of the plan terms and can be changed or withdrawn at any time. | Available with: Personal Insurance and Mortgage Protection |
| Foresters member benefits | As a member you can use LawAssure, a complimentary online service from Epoq for creating wills, powers of attorney and healthcare directives. Members also get access to the Foresters Go wellbeing app with reward points, community and care grants, tuition scholarships and shopping discounts. Member benefits are non-contractual, aren’t regulated by the PRA or FCA, and can be changed or cancelled without notice. | Available with: Members aged 18 or over with an active plan |
You can also choose this optional extra when you apply, unless you’re in a high-risk occupation:
| Optional extra | What it does |
|---|---|
| Waiver of premium | Forester Life pays your premiums after six months of incapacity, until you recover, turn 65, the cover ends or you die. Incapacity means an illness or injury arising before 65 that leaves you unable to follow your own occupation, while you aren’t working in any other. If you aren’t in an occupation when the illness or injury starts, it’s measured on being unable to do at least three activities of daily living. Claims caused by things such as alcohol or drug abuse, criminal acts, non-commercial flying, hazardous sports, HIV/AIDS or living abroad aren’t covered. |
Writing a Forester Life policy in trust
Forester Life plans can be put under trust. Its Key Features suggest you consider writing your plan in trust for your dependants if your estate is likely to be liable for Inheritance Tax when you die. They also say you should consult a solicitor for advice on legal matters.
If you have joint life cover, the Key Features note that the payout on death would normally go to the surviving planholder.
The plan terms ask you to tell Forester Life if your plan is assigned or put under trust. When a claim is made, Forester Life needs to see the original trust deed, and any deeds altering the trust, before it can pay the trustees.
Putting life insurance in trust can help the payout reach the people you choose more quickly, as it usually doesn’t need to go through probate, and it may help reduce inheritance tax. A solicitor or financial adviser can explain how it works.
Read how trusts work, and what other insurers offer, in our guide to life insurance in trust.
Does Foresters life insurance pay out?
Forester Life’s Critical Illness page says: “We have paid out every critical illness claim for the last two years.” The page gives no dates or numbers of claims.
- Critical illness claims paid in the last two years, according to Forester Life
- All
- UK critical illness and income protection pay-out rate, reported by MorganAsh in 2022
- 99.99%
Sources: Forester Life’s Critical Illness page (checked 25 September 2026), a MorganAsh news release (9 November 2022) and the Foresters 2025 Report to Members.
The 99.99% figure comes from a news release that MorganAsh, the firm Forester Life uses for its telephone interviews and underwriting, published on 9 November 2022. It’s MorganAsh’s figure, not one Forester Life published. The trade site Mortgage Soup repeated it the same day.
The wider Foresters group’s 2025 Report to Members gives $662 million CAD of death and disability claims paid in North America across all Foresters organisations. That figure doesn’t cover the UK.
Answering every question fully and honestly when you apply helps make sure your policy pays out when it’s needed.
How to make a Foresters life insurance claim
To make a claim, contact Forester Life’s UK Claims team on 0333 600 0333, Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 5pm. Forester Life asks to be told about a claim as soon as possible, or at least within 8 weeks of first diagnosis. If you can’t find the plan number, call anyway: Forester Life says it can still help.
The terms say to request a claim form, then complete and return the form Forester Life sends you. A Life Benefit claim needs the original death certificate, which is returned immediately. Terminal illness, critical illness and permanent disability claims need medical reports.
For critical and terminal illness claims, the diagnosis must be confirmed by Forester Life’s Chief or Consulting Medical Officer or a specialist consultant. That consultant must hold an appointment at a major hospital in the UK, Australia, Canada, the EU, New Zealand, Switzerland or the USA.
A death can also be reported through an online form, after which the team contacts you to explain the next steps. An email confirming your notification can take up to 5 working days, and a letter listing the required documents can take up to 10 working days. Foresters Financial requires probate if the estate is valued at more than £50,000.
If the plan is in trust, Forester Life needs the original trust deed before it can pay the trustees. After making a claim, you can call MorganAsh on 0330 159 8178 to use the Peace of Mind service.
- Claims phone
- 0333 600 0333
- Opening hours
- Mon–Fri, 8:30am–5pm
- Report a death online
- foresters.com (opens in a new tab)
- Customer services email
- service@foresters.co.uk
- Customer services address
- Foresters House, 2 Cromwell Avenue, Bromley, BR2 9BF
Key policy terms
A few terms that are worth knowing before you apply. Always check the terms and conditions for the exact plan you’re offered.
If you're struggling or thinking about suicide, our guide to suicide and life insurance lists where to get support straight away.
| Term | Forester Life policies |
|---|---|
| Cooling-off period | 30 days, with your premiums returned |
| Cancelling later | At any time, by writing to Forester Life |
| Missed premiums | If a premium is unpaid for more than two months, the plan is cancelled and cover stops; it can be restarted within 12 months on terms Forester Life decides, including paying all missed premiums |
| Terminal illness | Claim if death is expected within 12 months, unless the diagnosis is in the last 12 months before the plan ends |
| Suicide exclusion | None listed for Life Benefit in the Personal Insurance or Mortgage Protection terms; intentional self-inflicted injury is excluded for critical illness claims |
| Critical illness exclusions | Alcohol or drug abuse, HIV/AIDS (unless specifically covered), intentional self-inflicted injury, war and civil commotion |
| Reviewable premiums | Critical illness and combined cover premiums can be reviewed, with at least 30 days’ written notice of a change |
| Health questions | A recorded telephone interview with a qualified nurse from MorganAsh |
| Write in trust | Yes; the trustees need the original trust deed to be paid |
| Tax | Benefits are paid free of Income Tax and Capital Gains Tax under current tax law |
| Compensation scheme | Covered by the FSCS for 100% of the claim, with no upper limit |
| Complaints | In writing to the Customer Relations Officer at Foresters House, Bromley; if you’re not satisfied, you can go to the Financial Ombudsman Service |
| Cash-in value | None |
Is Foresters life insurance good?
Forester Life could suit you if you’d like to arrange cover with an adviser, at home or by video call, with no fee for the advice. It’s the UK business of Foresters Financial, a fraternal benefit society whose history goes back to 1874. Both plans offer life, critical illness and combined cover, with terminal illness cover on Life Benefit, guaranteed insurability on plans accepted on standard terms and optional waiver of premium.
The trade-offs are that its advisers offer only Forester Life’s own products, Personal Insurance offers only level, single cover, and critical illness premiums can be reviewed. Defaqto rates the plans 2 or 3 stars out of 5. The 4.6 out of 5 Trustpilot score is for Foresters Financial as a company, with reviews that also cover trust funds and investments.
The right insurer for you depends on your needs and the price you’re offered, so it’s worth comparing Forester Life with other insurers.
Pros
- Advice at home or by video call, with no advice fee
- Life, critical illness and combined cover on both plans
- Terminal illness cover included with Life Benefit
- Guaranteed insurability on plans accepted on standard terms
- Personal Insurance can pay a yearly income that rises with RPI, capped at 10%
- Nurse support and bereavement counselling through the Peace of Mind service
- Trustpilot score of 4.6 out of 5 for Foresters Financial
Cons
- Advisers offer only Forester Life’s own products
- Personal Insurance is level, single cover only
- Critical illness and combined cover: under 60 to start, ending by age 65
- Critical illness premiums can be reviewed and may rise
- Defaqto ratings of 2 or 3 stars out of 5
- Peace of Mind service and member benefits can be changed or withdrawn
- No cash-in value
Forester Life life insurance policy documents
Before you take out a plan, it’s worth reading the Key Features and the terms and conditions for the plan you’re offered. These official Forester Life documents are a good place to start:
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Protection Key Features (Personal Insurance and Mortgage Protection) (opens in a new tab)
What each plan covers, the list of critical illnesses, exclusions, risks and how to claim (DAC 2024027).
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Personal Insurance terms and conditions (opens in a new tab)
The full terms of the Lifestyle Protection Options Plan, including definitions, exclusions and guaranteed insurability (DAC2024028).
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Mortgage Protection terms and conditions (opens in a new tab)
The full terms of the Mortgage Protection Options Plan, including level and decreasing cover and joint plans (DAC2023178).
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About our services and costs (opens in a new tab)
How Forester Life’s financial planning service works, which products its advisers offer and how they are paid (DAC 2026135).
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Your Member Benefits (opens in a new tab)
The Foresters member benefits, such as LawAssure, the Foresters Go app, grants and scholarships (DAC 2026065).
Documents are published by Forester Life and open on the Foresters website. Forester Life may update them — the version you receive with your plan is the one that applies.
Foresters life insurance FAQs
You must be under 80 when the plan starts for Life Benefit, or under 60 for Critical Illness or Combined cover. Life Benefit can last up to age 85, and critical illness and combined cover up to age 65. The minimum term is five years.
Forester Life Limited is the UK business of Foresters Financial. Foresters Financial and Foresters are trade names of The Independent Order of Foresters, a fraternal benefit society based in Ontario, Canada, and its subsidiaries. Forester Life Limited is wholly owned by the society’s UK holding company, Forester Holdings (Europe) Limited.
Forester Life’s quotes are given by its own Financial Advisers. You fill in an online form to request an appointment, then meet an adviser at home or by video call. Forester Life charges no fee for protection advice.
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.
With Forester Life, instead of a long application form, you have a recorded telephone interview with a qualified nurse from MorganAsh about your health, medical history and lifestyle.
Forester Life’s Critical Illness page says it has paid out every critical illness claim for the last two years, without giving dates or numbers. A MorganAsh news release from 9 November 2022 reported a 99.99% UK claim pay-out rate for Foresters Financial’s critical illness and income protection claims.
Joint cover is available on Mortgage Protection. A joint plan pays out only once for each benefit you choose, when the first of you becomes eligible to claim for it. Personal Insurance is single cover only, but can cover your spouse or civil partner as ‘life of another’.
You can put a Forester Life plan under trust, and the terms ask you to tell Forester Life if you do. Its Key Features suggest considering a trust for your dependants if your estate is likely to be liable for Inheritance Tax when you die. When a claim is made, Forester Life needs to see the original trust deed before it pays the trustees.
You can increase or reduce your cover at any time, as long as your plan has at least five years left for an increase. On plans accepted on standard terms, Forester Life’s guaranteed insurability feature lets you request an increase without medical evidence when you marry, have or adopt a child, or buy a main home with a mortgage. Maximum limits and conditions apply.
You have 30 days to change your mind and have your premiums returned. After that you can cancel at any time in writing, but the plan has no cash-in value and you won’t get any money back.
You can make a claim by calling Forester Life’s UK Claims team on 0333 600 0333, Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 5pm. A death can also be reported through the online notification form on the Foresters website.
Sources
The facts on this page come from these sources.
- Wikipedia — Wikipedia - Foresters House (789 Don Mills Road, Toronto), headquarters building of Foresters Financial; background for the review photo (opens in a new tab), en.wikipedia.org, accessed 25 September 2026.
- Wikipedia — Wikipedia - Foresters Financial (The Independent Order of Foresters), history background only (revision 1375582266) (opens in a new tab), en.wikipedia.org, accessed 25 September 2026.
- Foresters Financial (Forester Life Limited) — Legal information - status disclosure and regulatory information, company registration, registered office (FRN 177898, company 2997655) (opens in a new tab), foresters.com, accessed 25 September 2026.
- Forester Life Limited / Forester Holdings (Europe) Limited — Solvency and Financial Condition Report 31 December 2025 - Forester Life Limited and Forester Holdings (Europe) Limited (group structure, ownership, fund history) (opens in a new tab), foresters.com, accessed 25 September 2026.
- Forester Life Limited — Our 2025 Financial Report - UK members update (Forester Life Limited, 1.4 million Plans, £6 billion funds under management) (opens in a new tab), foresters.com, accessed 25 September 2026.
- Forester Life (Foresters Financial) — Protection products page (Personal Insurance and Mortgage Protection) (opens in a new tab), foresters.com, accessed 25 September 2026.
- Foresters Financial (Forester Life Limited) — Who are Foresters? - Foresters Financial UK About us page (history, customers, FSCS, legal statement) (opens in a new tab), foresters.com, accessed 25 September 2026.
- Forester Life Limited — Forester Life Key Facts Document - About our services and costs (who regulates us, FSCS, complaints; DAC 2023221) (opens in a new tab), foresters.com, accessed 25 September 2026.
- Forester Life (Foresters Financial) — Financial Advice page (how to request an adviser appointment) (opens in a new tab), foresters.com, accessed 25 September 2026.
- Forester Life (Foresters Financial) — Our Protection Plans at a glance: Key Features of Personal Insurance (LPO) and Mortgage Protection (MPO) (DAC 2024027) (opens in a new tab), foresters.com, accessed 25 September 2026.
- Forester Life (Foresters Financial) — Protection Options page (Life Benefit, Critical Illness, Combined cover, Waiver Of Premium, level or decreasing cover) (opens in a new tab), foresters.com, accessed 25 September 2026.
- Forester Life (Foresters Financial) — Combined Life and Critical Illness product page (opens in a new tab), foresters.com, accessed 25 September 2026.
- Trustpilot — Trustpilot - Foresters Financial (foresters.com) company profile, all products (profile contact address in Bromley, UK) (opens in a new tab), uk.trustpilot.com, accessed 25 September 2026.
- Defaqto — Defaqto Star Ratings (Life & Protection) for Forester Life (opens in a new tab), defaqto.com, accessed 24 September 2026.
- Forester Life (Foresters Financial) — Critical Illness product page (opens in a new tab), foresters.com, accessed 25 September 2026.
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Critical illness cover
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