Halifax life insurance review 2026
A look at Halifax’s life insurance policies, provided by Scottish Widows, with their included benefits, claims record and independent ratings.
- Trustpilot
- 1.7 / 5
- 6,382 reviews · whole bank
- Defaqto
- 2 out of 5 stars
- Level term
- Life claims paid
- 99%
- Scottish Widows, 2025
- Entry age
- 18–59
- Online · over 59s call
In a nutshell
Founded in 1853, Halifax is a UK banking brand selling life insurance, critical illness cover and income protection provided by Scottish Widows, a fellow Lloyds Banking Group company. The Halifax brand is now changing to Lloyds, though existing protection policies aren’t affected.
- Online, you can buy Scottish Widows Plan & Protect level life cover for one person up to £500,000 if you’re aged 18–59, with an application that takes about 15 minutes and a decision the same day.
- By phone, Halifax’s phone team can arrange single or joint life cover up to £18 million, as level or decreasing cover, including terminal illness cover.
- Halifax mortgage customers can also book a Mortgage and Protection Adviser for single or joint life insurance up to £1 million, or critical illness cover up to £500,000.
- Critical illness cover is available online or by phone, and income protection by phone. Halifax doesn’t offer a specific policy for people aged 50 and over.
- Defaqto rates Plan & Protect Life Cover 2 stars and Body Cover (standalone critical illness) 3 stars. Halifax scores 1.7 out of 5 on Trustpilot across the bank.
- Scottish Widows reported paying 99% of life insurance claims (£127 million) and 91.9% of critical illness claims (£92 million) in 2025.
- Eligible new protection policies bought directly through Halifax currently include 12 months of Disney+ (Standard With Ads) after your first monthly payment.
- Halifax is rebranding to Lloyds, but Halifax says you can still get a life cover quote and existing policies stay with Scottish Widows on the same terms.
Who are Halifax?
Halifax is a division and trading name of Bank of Scotland plc, part of Lloyds Banking Group, which has around 28 million customers. It began as the Halifax Permanent Benefit Building Society in West Yorkshire, proposed in December 1852 with its rules ratified in February 1853.
- Bank
- Bank of Scotland plc (Halifax is a division)
- 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
- Phone advice service
- Lloyds Bank Insurance Services Limited
- Group
- Lloyds Banking Group
Halifax doesn’t provide the insurance itself. Its life insurance, critical illness cover and income protection are provided by Scottish Widows, a fellow Lloyds Banking Group company founded in 1815 with more than six million customers.
When you buy by phone, Halifax’s phone service is provided by Lloyds Bank Insurance Services Limited, another Lloyds Banking Group company that trades as Halifax.
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1853
Founded as the Halifax Permanent Benefit Building Society in West Yorkshire
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1873
Becomes the Halifax Building Society
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1928
Takes over a major rival building society, creating a Halifax Building Society with assets of £47 million
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1997
Floats on the stock market, creating some 7.5 million new shareholders
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2001
Halifax plc merges with Bank of Scotland to form HBOS plc
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2009
Becomes part of Lloyds Banking Group
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2026
Lloyds Banking Group announces the Halifax brand will change to Lloyds
On 1 July 2026, Lloyds Banking Group announced that the Halifax brand will start to change to Lloyds, and will stop opening new accounts later in 2026. Throughout 2027, Halifax branches will either rebrand to Lloyds or, where another branch is close by, customers will be served by an existing Lloyds branch.
For protection, Halifax says you can still get or retrieve a quote, and existing policies stay with Scottish Widows on the same terms, cover amounts and premiums. Scottish Widows Plan & Protect policies are also sold through Lloyds Bank and Bank of Scotland online banking. Whichever bank you apply through, the policy, the claims process and the published claims figures are Scottish Widows’.
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Halifax life insurance ratings and reviews
Halifax scores 1.7 out of 5 on Trustpilot and 4.10 out of 5 on Smart Money People across the bank as a whole. Defaqto rates its Plan & Protect life policies 2 stars and its standalone critical illness policy 3 stars.
| Review site | Rating | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Trustpilot | 1.7 / 5 · Bad | Based on 6,382 reviews of Halifax as a whole, with 81% of them 1-star. The profile is unclaimed and Halifax hasn’t invited customers to review, so Trustpilot says the score may not be representative. View on Trustpilot (opens in a new tab) |
| Smart Money People | 4.10 / 5 · Good | Based on 2,461 reviews across Halifax’s products. Its separate Halifax life insurance page shows 3.78 out of 5 from just two reviews, last reviewed on 3 November 2021. View on Smart Money People (opens in a new tab) |
| Defaqto | 2–3 stars | Defaqto scores policies from 1 to 5 stars. Halifax’s Plan & Protect life and combined policies are rated 2 stars, and standalone Body Cover is rated 3 stars. View on Defaqto (opens in a new tab) |
Defaqto ratings for each Halifax policy
Defaqto rates each product from 1 to 5 stars. All its Halifax ratings cover the Scottish Widows Plan & Protect range: 2 stars for Life Cover and Life & Body Cover, and 3 stars for Body Cover.
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
Ratings checked on 24 September 2026 and may have changed since. Defaqto ratings: defaqto.com (opens in a new tab)
Halifax’s Trustpilot profile covers the whole bank: mortgages, current accounts, savings, credit cards, loans and insurance. Claims on Halifax policies are handled by Scottish Widows, whose claims figures are below.
What does Halifax life insurance cover?
Halifax life insurance pays out a cash lump sum if you die before your policy ends. When you apply, you choose the size of the lump sum and how long you want to be covered.
Online cover is for one person only, while Halifax’s phone team can arrange single or joint cover by phone. Halifax explains that joint life cover insures two people but pays out once: if one person dies during the term, the payout goes to the survivor and the policy ends.
Halifax suggests thinking about what support your loved ones would need if you weren’t there, such as:
- Day-to-day costs
- Paying off debts, such as a mortgage
- Leaving money for the future
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. Halifax says that if you add life insurance when applying for critical illness cover, they’re separate policies, so a critical illness claim won’t affect your life cover.
A policy only pays out on a valid claim made while you’re covered. Scottish Widows protection products have no cash-in value, so you get nothing back if the policy ends without a claim. If you don’t pay on time, your cover stops and you get nothing back either.
Halifax life insurance policy options
Halifax 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 buy Plan & Protect policies or 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, by phone or through a branch adviser.
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Decreasing termThe payout goes down each month while your payments stay the same. Often used to protect a repayment mortgage.
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Critical illnessPays a lump sum if you’re diagnosed with a covered illness. Up to £500,000 online, 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 single-life level term policy where the cover amount stays the same until the policy ends. It’s open to new and existing Halifax customers aged 18 to 59 who live in the UK. If you’ve already moved to Lloyds online banking, you log in there to apply.
You can apply online for up to £500,000 of life cover, which is also the combined limit across multiple Plan & Protect life policies. Halifax says the application takes about 15 minutes: Scottish Widows asks a few essential questions about your health and lifestyle and gives a decision the same day. If accepted, your cover starts the day you apply.
Because Scottish Widows doesn’t ask for a detailed medical history on this policy, it might not be able to offer cover if you have a pre-existing condition. If it can’t offer a policy, it will let you know where to get further help or advice.
Cover runs for 5 to 40 years, up to age 69, and must end before your 70th birthday. Once the policy starts, you can’t change your cover amount or monthly payment, though you can ask Scottish Widows to change your payment collection date. If you need more cover later, you can take out another policy up to the £500,000 total limit.
Cover arranged by phone
For higher cover, joint cover or decreasing cover, or if you’re over 59, Halifax asks you to call. Its phone team can arrange life insurance up to £18 million, including terminal illness cover. They can also arrange critical illness cover up to £3 million, including early stage illness and children’s cover up to £30,000.
Halifax says the phone team gives advice on Scottish Widows policies and doesn’t charge for it, and you don’t have to buy a policy after speaking to them. Online, Halifax says it can’t give advice or tell you what you should do.
Scottish Widows’ own product literature says Scottish Widows Protect Life Cover can start at ages 18 to 79, must finish by age 90 next birthday and has guaranteed premiums. It comes as level cover (a lump sum or a monthly family income benefit), decreasing cover paid as a lump sum, or increasing cover that rises each year with RPI, by at least 2% and at most 10%. Ask by phone which of these options are available to you.
Mortgage protection in branch
If you have a Halifax mortgage, you can book an appointment with a Mortgage and Protection Adviser for single or joint, level or decreasing cover. They can arrange life insurance up to £1 million or critical illness cover up to £500,000. Halifax says you don’t have to take out this cover to get a mortgage with it.
With decreasing cover, your monthly payment stays fixed while the payout goes down each month, which Halifax says is usually cheaper and often used for a repayment mortgage. With level cover, the payout stays the same throughout, much like the balance on an interest-only mortgage. Scottish Widows also lists a contact line for Plan & Protect – Mortgage policies bought from a Lloyds Bank, Halifax or Bank of Scotland mortgage adviser since October 2018.
Critical illness cover
Plan & Protect Body Cover is a level critical illness policy sold online for ages 18 to 59, running for 5 to 40 years up to age 69. Covered conditions include stroke, brain tumour, dementia, multiple sclerosis, motor neurone disease, Parkinson’s disease, heart attack, specified heart surgeries and invasive cancer. It also covers kidney failure needing dialysis, heart, kidney, liver, lung, bone marrow or pancreas transplants, paralysis of an arm or leg, and amputation of a hand or foot.
For some less severe, early stage cancers, Body Cover pays a £5,000 early help payment on top of your main lump sum, and the policy continues afterwards. Only one full claim is paid, after which the policy ends, and nothing is paid if you die within seven days of diagnosis.
By phone, critical illness cover goes up to £3 million, can be added to a joint life policy, and includes early stage illness and children’s cover up to £30,000. Under Scottish Widows Protect, you can apply for critical illness cover up to age 64, and children are covered from birth until their 22nd birthday.
Income protection
Halifax’s income protection is a Scottish Widows policy arranged by phone with Halifax’s phone team. To apply, you must be aged 18 to 59 and work more than 16 hours a week on average. You also need to 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 anything above that, but doesn’t cover unemployment or redundancy. You can choose level cover or increasing cover designed to rise with the cost of living. Scottish Widows offers waiting periods of 4, 8, 13, 26 or 52 weeks, a choice of two-year or full-term cover, and a minimum five-year term.
Hospital cover pays a lump sum if you spend six or more consecutive nights in hospital (up to 90 nights), and most policies include fracture cover for specified broken bones. Under current tax rules, payouts are free of income tax and capital gains tax.
Over 50s cover
Halifax doesn’t currently offer a specific over 50s life insurance policy. You can still apply for its standard life insurance up to age 59, with cover lasting up to age 69. If you’re over 59, Halifax asks you to call to discuss your options.
For the Halifax/Bank of Scotland Over 50 Guaranteed Life Plan, provided by St Andrews Life Assurance, Scottish Widows lists a contact line on 0345 608 0390.
Halifax cover online vs by phone
Online cover is Scottish Widows Plan & Protect. By phone, Halifax’s phone team can arrange Plan & Protect or Scottish Widows Protect policies. Here’s how the two routes compare:
| Feature | Online (Plan & Protect) | By phone |
|---|---|---|
| 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) | Early stage illness included |
| Advice | No advice | Free advice on Scottish Widows policies |
| Age when you apply | 18–59 | Call if you’re over 59 |
From Halifax’s life cover pages, checked 25 September 2026.
Halifax life insurance at a glance
The two life cover ranges have different limits. The Plan & Protect figures come from Halifax and Scottish Widows, and the Scottish Widows Protect figures from Scottish Widows’ own product literature.
| Limit | Plan & Protect Life Cover | Scottish Widows Protect Life Cover |
|---|---|---|
| Age when you apply | 18–59 | 18–79 |
| Age when you apply (critical illness) | 18–59 | Up to 64 |
| Cover must end | Before age 70 | By age 90 next birthday |
| Policy term | 5–40 years | From 1 year (3 years decreasing) |
| Maximum life cover | £500,000 | £18m level, £12.5m decreasing |
| Type of cover | Level | Level, decreasing or increasing |
| Premiums | Fixed | Guaranteed |
| Suicide exclusion | 6 months | 12 months |
Limits from Halifax and Scottish Widows product information, checked 25 September 2026. The cover you’re offered depends on your circumstances.
What affects the cost of Halifax life insurance?
Halifax says your monthly premium depends on the size of the lump sum and how long the policy runs, and that the price might also change with your age, health and lifestyle. When working out your price, it takes into account:
- How much cover you want
- How long you want the policy to last
- Your age
- Your health history
- Whether you have a history of smoking
- Lifestyle factors, such as dangerous jobs or hobbies
- Whether you add critical illness cover, which costs extra
- For income protection, also your occupation and the waiting period you choose
Halifax says life insurance premiums start from £5 a month, which 6% of online single level Plan & Protect customers paid between 1 June 2023 and 31 May 2024. Its published example monthly costs for online life cover are £9 for ages 18–25, £15 for ages 26–50 and £20 for ages 51–59. Between 31 January 2023 and 31 January 2024, 50% of online single level Plan & Protect life customers paid those prices or less.
For online critical illness cover, Halifax’s example monthly prices are £9 (ages 18–25), £16 (26–50) and £23 (51–59). Half of customers paid those prices or less between 31 January 2023 and 31 January 2024, and 7% paid £5 a month between 1 June 2023 and 31 May 2024.
With Plan & Protect life or critical illness cover, you pay a fixed monthly amount by Direct Debit until the policy ends. On its income protection page, Halifax gives a fictional example of a non-smoking 30-year-old self-employed plumber paying £47.08 a month for level cover.
In general, cover costs less the younger and healthier you are when you apply, and decreasing term costs less than level term. Comparing quotes across several insurers is the simplest way to see what you’d pay.
Halifax life insurance benefits & extras
Depending on the policy you choose and how you buy it, these benefits come with your cover. Several come from Scottish Widows’ own literature for Scottish Widows Protect (sold by phone, video or in branch), so ask by phone which apply to you.
| Benefit | What it does | Available with |
|---|---|---|
| Clinic in a Pocket | An app from Square Health giving you, your partner and your children unlimited virtual GP appointments, UK repeat prescription delivery and 24/7 worldwide medical support. Scottish Widows can amend, replace or withdraw it at any time. | Available with: New policies, including income protection |
| Terminal illness cover | Pays out on a definite diagnosis of an illness that can’t be cured and that your attending consultant expects to lead to death within 12 months. Included automatically on life cover arranged by phone. | Available with: Life insurance arranged by phone (Scottish Widows Protect Life Cover) |
| Early help payment | Pays an extra £5,000 for some less severe, early stage cancers on top of the agreed lump sum, and your policy continues afterwards. Only one early help payment is paid across multiple Plan & Protect policies. | Available with: Plan & Protect critical illness cover (Body Cover) |
| Children’s cover | Covers children up to £30,000. Under Scottish Widows Protect children’s critical illness cover, children are covered from birth until their 22nd birthday. | Available with: Critical illness cover arranged by phone |
| Free accidental death cover | Up to 90 days’ cover from when Scottish Widows receives your completed application, paying the sum assured applied for or £250,000, whichever is lower. You must be 60 or under when you apply. | Available with: Scottish Widows Protect Life Cover |
| Free mortgage cover | Covers you while your application is processed, for new mortgages only, paying the sum assured applied for or £1,000,000, whichever is lower. You must be 60 or under when you apply. | Available with: Scottish Widows Protect Life Cover |
| Replacement cover | If a joint policy pays out, Scottish Widows lets the surviving person take out a new single life policy for the remaining term without further underwriting. They must apply within 3 months of the claim payment. | Available with: Scottish Widows Protect joint life policies |
| Guaranteed insurability option | Scottish Widows lets you increase your sum assured without further underwriting after events like marriage, divorce, having or adopting a child, a mortgage increase or a promotion. Your original policy must have been issued on standard terms. | Available with: Scottish Widows Protect |
| Scottish Widows Care | Practical advice and emotional support from RedArc for policyholders and their families from day one. Halifax income protection also includes support from a specialised RedArc nurse for illness or trauma. | Available with: Scottish Widows Protect, including income protection |
| Macmillan support | If you’re diagnosed with a critical illness and need to claim, Scottish Widows can put you in touch with partners like Macmillan for extra support. | Available with: Critical illness cover |
On Scottish Widows Protect, Scottish Widows offers this optional extra at an additional cost. It can only be added when the policy starts, so ask by phone whether it’s available to you.
| Optional extra | What it does |
|---|---|
| Premium protection | Scottish Widows pays your premiums after 26 weeks if illness, disability or an accident leaves you unable to work, until you return, turn 70 or the policy ends. Available at ages 18 to 60. |
Writing a Halifax policy in trust
Yes, you can write a Halifax life policy in trust. Halifax says the payout is free from income and capital gains tax, and a trust can help avoid inheritance tax and pay your chosen people more quickly.
If you haven’t opened your policy yet, Halifax says you may be able to put it into trust as part of your application. It suggests contacting a solicitor or legal professional to help set up the trust deed.
Without a trust or another transfer of the legal right, a Plan & Protect Life Cover payout goes to your estate. Scottish Widows will then ask for documents proving the claimant has the legal right to deal with the estate.
In Scottish Widows’ own literature for Scottish Widows Protect, it offers a choice of eight supporting trusts. Income protection policies can’t be written in trust.
Read how trusts work, and what other insurers offer, in our guide to life insurance in trust.
Halifax free gift offers
Note: Free gifts are offered by select brokers only, our life insurance brokers do not offer free gifts.
Halifax offers 12 months of Disney+ (Standard With Ads) when you buy an eligible new protection policy directly with it from 16 June 2025 until the offer is withdrawn. This covers new Plan & Protect Life or Body Cover policies bought online. It also covers new Plan & Protect or Scottish Widows Protect life, critical illness or income protection policies applied for by phone, video or in branch.
You must be a UK resident aged 18 or over with a credit or debit card, and have made your first monthly payment. Scottish Widows emails activation details within 30 days, with one code per customer or joint policy, and the offer isn’t available through price comparison sites or intermediaries.
After 12 months, your card is automatically charged the then-current monthly price for Disney+ Standard With Ads (currently £5.99) unless you cancel beforehand. Activation links are valid until 31 March 2027. The promoter, Scottish Widows Limited, can amend or withdraw the offer at any time, and can cancel the subscription offer if you cancel your policy within the 12 months.
Previously, Halifax offered a gift card worth up to £200 for Plan & Protect policies bought online between 5 December 2023 and 3 May 2024. Under that offer, a monthly premium of £50 or more earned the full £200 voucher.
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 Halifax pay out?
Yes. Scottish Widows handles claims on Halifax policies and reported paying 99% of life insurance claims and 91.9% of critical illness claims in 2025. These published figures cover Scottish Widows as a whole, not only policies sold through Halifax:
- 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% | £141.4m |
| 2023 | 99.4% | 92.3% | £149.3m |
Source: Scottish Widows published claims statistics for 2023, 2024 and 2025. The figures are Scottish Widows-wide, not only for policies sold through Halifax.
Halifax’s own website quotes Scottish Widows’ 2024 total of 98% of life and critical illness claims paid, worth £236 million. In 2025, Scottish Widows’ average life claim was £57,115, and cancer made up 65% of critical illness claims, followed by heart attack (9%) and stroke (7%).
Across Scottish Widows in 2025, 229 claims weren’t paid, and 69% of those were turned down because of missing or incorrect information. On Plan & Protect Life Cover, Scottish Widows says it might not pay some or all of a claim if you don’t answer application questions honestly and completely. Halifax adds that whenever you apply for life cover, you should make sure all information you give is honest, accurate and up to date.
How to make a Halifax life insurance claim
You make a claim through Scottish Widows by phone or using the online claim form on the Scottish Widows website, and Halifax says the brand change doesn’t affect this. After you submit the online form, Scottish Widows contacts you to explain the next steps. It helps to have the policyholder’s full name and date of birth ready, though you can start a claim without the policy number.
Scottish Widows usually asks for the death certificate on a life claim, or copies of GP or hospital specialist medical notes on a critical illness claim. If a life policy isn’t held in trust, it also asks for documents showing your legal right to deal with the estate. If it needs medical information from a doctor or coroner, it always asks your permission first.
If you’ve already told Halifax about a bereavement, you don’t need to tell Scottish Widows separately. For an ill-health claim, Scottish Widows says to keep paying your premiums until it agrees to pay the claim. Its ill-health claims page also lists 0345 030 6244 (Mon–Fri, 8am–6pm) for Halifax and Bank of Scotland policies, and freephone 0800 085 8310 (Mon–Fri, 9am–5.30pm) for Plan & Protect.
- 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)
- Plan & Protect policy questions
- 0345 608 0378
- Halifax bereavement team
- 0800 015 0012
- Manage your policy
- Scottish Widows app
Key policy terms
These are the main policy terms to check before you apply. Some rules differ between Plan & Protect and Scottish Widows Protect, so check the documents for the exact policy you’re offered.
| Term | Halifax policies |
|---|---|
| Cooling-off period | 30 days, with a full refund of payments made |
| Cancelling later | You can cancel at any time, free of charge, with no refund after 30 days |
| Suicide exclusion | First 6 months on Plan & Protect Life Cover; first 12 months on Scottish Widows Protect |
| Terminal illness | Included on life cover arranged by phone: Scottish Widows Protect pays out if an incurable illness is expected to cause death within 12 months |
| Missed payments | If you miss three months’ payments, Plan & Protect Life Cover is cancelled three calendar months from the first missed payment, with no refund |
| Changing your policy | Plan & Protect can’t be changed once started (though you can buy another policy). On Scottish Widows Protect, you may be able to increase cover on certain life events without further underwriting through Scottish Widows’ Guaranteed Insurability Option, if your original cover was on standard terms |
| Payment breaks | Halifax says it can’t offer a payment break |
| Application questions (online) | Scottish Widows asks a few essential questions about your health and lifestyle, and might not be able to offer cover if you have a pre-existing condition |
| Write in trust | Yes. Halifax says a solicitor can help; Scottish Widows offers eight trusts for Scottish Widows Protect |
| Cash-in value | None |
| Tax | Payout is free from income and capital gains tax; inheritance tax may apply unless the policy is written in trust |
| FSCS protection | Plan & Protect Life Cover is fully covered by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme |
| Complaints | Financial Ombudsman Service. Under the Plan & Protect terms, you can go to it if you’re unhappy with Scottish Widows’ response or haven’t received one after eight weeks |
Is Halifax life insurance good?
Halifax life insurance is provided and administered by Scottish Widows, which paid 99% of life claims in 2025. Online, Plan & Protect offers single level cover up to £500,000 at ages 18 to 59, with an application that takes about 15 minutes and a decision the same day. By phone, Halifax’s phone team can arrange single, joint or decreasing cover up to £18 million without charging for their advice, and Halifax asks anyone over 59 to call. Halifax mortgage customers can also see a Mortgage and Protection Adviser.
The main drawbacks are that Defaqto rates the Plan & Protect life policies 2 out of 5 stars, and Plan & Protect policies can’t be changed once they start. Halifax also has no specific over 50s plan, and its bank-wide Trustpilot score is 1.7 out of 5. Although the Halifax brand is changing to Lloyds, Halifax says existing protection policies stay with Scottish Widows on the same terms.
Whether Halifax suits you depends on the cover you need and the quotes you’re offered, so it’s worth comparing it with other insurers.
Pros
- Policies are provided and administered by Scottish Widows, part of Lloyds Banking Group
- Scottish Widows reported paying 99% of life claims in 2025
- Online application takes about 15 minutes, asking a few essential health and lifestyle questions for a same-day decision
- By phone, Halifax’s phone team can arrange up to £18 million of life cover, including joint and decreasing cover, and don’t charge for their support
- Terminal illness cover is included on life insurance arranged by phone
- Clinic in a Pocket virtual GP app is included 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 specific over 50s policy
- Trustpilot score of 1.7 out of 5 across Halifax as a whole
Halifax 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 Halifax 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, payments 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 while an application is processed.
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Free Mortgage Cover (opens in a new tab)
The free cover Scottish Widows Protect life cover gives on a new mortgage while an application is processed.
Documents are published by Halifax and Scottish Widows and open on their websites. They may be updated — the version you receive with your policy is the one that applies.
Halifax life insurance FAQs
Online, you can apply at ages 18 to 59 if you live in the UK, and cover can last up to age 69 (ending before age 70). If you’re over 59, Halifax asks you to call to discuss your options. In Scottish Widows’ own product literature, Scottish Widows Protect Life Cover can start up to age 79 and finish by age 90 next birthday.
Scottish Widows provides and administers Halifax’s life insurance policies. Like Halifax, Scottish Widows Limited is part of Lloyds Banking Group.
Yes. Claims are paid by Scottish Widows, which reported paying 99% of life insurance claims (£127 million) and 91.9% of critical illness claims in 2025. Those figures cover Scottish Widows as a whole, not only policies sold through Halifax.
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 Halifax’s online Plan & Protect cover, Scottish Widows asks a few essential questions about your health and lifestyle and gives a decision the same day. Because it doesn’t ask for a detailed medical history, it might not be able to offer cover if you have a pre-existing condition.
Your policy stays in place, and Halifax says your terms, cover amount, policy number and monthly premiums won’t change. Scottish Widows continues to provide and administer the policy, and you still make claims through Scottish Widows by phone or online. Over time, the brand on Halifax accounts and policies will change to Lloyds.
Yes. Halifax says you can still get a new life cover quote or retrieve a previous quote with Halifax. Lloyds Banking Group says the Halifax brand will stop opening new accounts later in 2026. If you’ve already moved to Lloyds online banking, Halifax asks you to log in there to apply for cover.
Yes, but not online. Halifax’s phone team can arrange joint cover for two people, and Halifax mortgage customers can apply through a Mortgage and Protection Adviser. Joint life cover insures two people but pays out only once, after which the policy ends.
No. Halifax doesn’t currently offer a specific policy for people aged 50 and over. You can still apply for its standard life insurance up to age 59, with cover lasting up to age 69. If you’re over 59, Halifax asks you to call to discuss your options.
Yes. Halifax says you may be able to put a new policy into trust when you apply, and a solicitor can help set up the trust deed. Putting a policy in trust means the money goes quickly to the people you choose and could help avoid inheritance tax.
Yes, you can cancel at any time, free of charge. If you cancel within 30 days of the start date (or receiving your documents on Scottish Widows Protect), Scottish Widows refunds any payments you’ve made. After that there’s no refund, and the policies have no cash-in value.
Sources
The facts on this page come from these sources.
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Term life insurance
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Joint life insurance
One policy for two people, compared with two single policies.
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Critical illness cover
A lump sum on diagnosis of a serious illness your policy covers.
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Income protection
A monthly payment if you can’t work due to accident or illness.
