NatWest over 50s life insurance review 2026
A closer look at NatWest’s over 50s life insurance: who can apply, what it pays out and when, its costs and terms, the gift card offer and how to claim.
- Entry age
- 50–80
- No health questions
- Monthly premium
- £5–£100
- Never changes
- Full cover after
- 12 months
- Accidents from the start, with exclusions
- Premiums stop
- 30 years
- Or the anniversary after age 90, if sooner
In a nutshell
NatWest’s over 50s life insurance, called Guaranteed Over 50s on NatWest’s website, is the Over 50s Life Insurance Plan from Aviva, which provides, underwrites and administers it. It’s whole of life cover for people aged 50 to 80, with guaranteed acceptance and no medical, and it pays a fixed lump sum when you die.
- You choose a monthly premium from £5 to £100, or a cover amount, and what you pay and your cover always stay the same.
- If you die in the first 12 months from anything other than an accident, Aviva pays back the premiums you’ve paid instead of the cover amount.
- You stop paying after 30 years or at the policy anniversary after your 90th birthday, whichever comes first, and your cover lasts until you die.
- The payout could be less than the premiums you’ve paid, the fixed cover amount loses value with inflation, and the policy has no cash-in value.
- It covers one person only, but partners can take out a policy each.
- Eligible customers who buy through the NatWest website or app can claim a £50 or £100 Love2shop e-gift card after paying their first six monthly premiums.
Who can apply for NatWest over 50s life insurance?
Aviva guarantees to accept you with no health questions if you meet its age and residence criteria. When you apply, you answer questions about your date of birth and smoker status, and Aviva uses your answers to work out how much it can cover you for and how much you’ll pay.
- Age to apply
- 50 to 80
- Where you live
- In the UK, with a legal right to live here, the UK as your main home and no current intention of moving elsewhere permanently
- Health questions
- None, and no medical
- Questions you answer
- Date of birth and smoker status
- Who is covered
- One person: partners can take out one each
- Monthly premium
- £5 to £100, and it never changes
- More than one policy
- Allowed, up to £100 a month across all your Aviva Over 50s policies
- Premiums stop
- After 30 years, or at the anniversary after your 90th birthday if sooner
- Full cover
- After 12 months (accidental death from the start, with exclusions)
- How to apply
- Online, with a quote in minutes: NatWest transfers you to Aviva to complete it
- Advice
- None: you make your own choice
The age limit applies when you apply, so you can take out the plan in your 60s or 70s, up to the age of 80, without answering health questions.
Answer the questions fully, truthfully and accurately: if you don’t, Aviva might change or cancel your policy, or might not pay out on a claim. If your date of birth turns out to be wrong, Aviva corrects it and bases the payment for any successful claim on the correct one. If your age when you took out the policy was outside its limits, Aviva cancels the policy, no claim can be made and it refunds all your premiums, without interest.
For this plan, the UK doesn’t include the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man or Gibraltar. If you later move your main home outside the UK, you need to tell Aviva: the laws where you live may affect whether you can keep benefiting fully from the policy, and Aviva may need to change, reduce or remove any of its terms.
NatWest acts as an arranger and refers you to Aviva. NatWest doesn’t give a personal recommendation on life insurance, and Aviva says you won’t receive advice or a personal recommendation from it, so you need to decide for yourself whether the plan suits you.
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What does NatWest over 50s life insurance pay out?
The plan pays a lump sum when you die, as long as you’ve paid your premiums when they’re due, and the policy ends once Aviva has accepted the claim. It isn’t a savings or investment plan: it only pays out on a successful claim and has no cash-in value.
What Aviva pays depends on when and how you die:
- Any cause, on or after the first anniversary of the policy: the cover amount shown in your policy schedule.
- An accident in the first 12 months: the cover amount, unless one of the first-year exclusions below applies.
- Natural causes in the first 12 months: an amount equal to the premiums you’ve paid, not the cover amount. Natural causes means sickness, disease or physical disorder.
- First-year exclusions: in the first 12 months, if death is caused directly or indirectly by suicide or intentional self-inflicted injury, alcohol or drug misuse, taking part in a criminal act, flying other than as a paying passenger on a commercial airline, or hazardous pursuits, Aviva pays an amount equal to the premiums you’ve paid instead of the cover amount. The same applies if you’re living outside the UK, Europe, USA, Canada, Australia or New Zealand when you die, from an accident or any other cause.
The policy conditions define accidental death as death from bodily injury caused directly by accidental, external, violent and visible means, and not as a direct result of sickness, disease or physical disorder.
They also explain the exclusions. The hazardous pursuits they list are motor sports (including motorcars, motorcycles and speedboats), mountaineering in which ropes or guides are needed, potholing, and diving using artificial breathing apparatus. Alcohol or drug misuse includes, but isn’t limited to, consuming too much alcohol, taking an overdose of drugs, whether lawfully prescribed or not, and taking controlled drugs other than in line with a lawful prescription.
The cover amount is fixed, so its real value goes down over time because of inflation. You can’t change the policy once it has started, but if you need more cover you could take out another policy, subject to availability, eligibility and the premium limits at the time.
Over 50s life insurance is typically used to leave a small lump sum to your loved ones, which could help with funeral costs or unpaid bills.
In the UK, payouts are currently free from personal income tax and capital gains tax, but they may be subject to inheritance tax unless you put the policy in a suitable trust. Read more in our guide to life insurance in trust.
NatWest over 50s life insurance benefits & extras
New Over 50s Life Insurance Plan customers get access to the Aviva DigiCare+ app, and you can put the policy in an Aviva Trust.
| Benefit | What it does | Available with |
|---|---|---|
| Aviva DigiCare+ | An app provided by Square Health with unlimited 24/7 digital GP consultations for you, your partner and children up to 18 (or 21 in full-time education), a second opinion service, mental health support, nutritional support and personal training. It isn’t an insurance product or part of the contract, and Aviva can change or withdraw it at any time. Terms and conditions and residency restrictions apply. | Available with: New Over 50s Life Insurance Plan customers |
| Aviva Trust | You can place the policy in an Aviva Trust by filling in the application form and sending it to Aviva. Anything placed in a trust isn’t counted as part of your estate when you die. Setting up a trust has tax and legal implications, and once it’s set up you can’t simply cancel it, so Aviva says to get legal and financial advice first. | Available with: Over 50s life insurance |
How much does NatWest over 50s life insurance cost?
We didn’t find published price examples for this plan, so we don’t show any. The price you’re offered comes from a personal quote.
When you apply, you choose either the premium you want to pay, from £5 to £100 a month, or the lump sum paid when you die, and Aviva works out the other from your answers. The price depends on:
- How much cover you want
- Your age
- Whether you smoke
- The premium you choose, if you pick a premium rather than a cover amount
You pay monthly by Direct Debit, and your premium is guaranteed to stay the same. You stop paying after 30 years or at the policy anniversary after your 90th birthday, whichever comes first, and your cover continues with nothing more to pay.
The total you pay depends on how long you live, so the payout could be less than the premiums you’ve paid. Your quote shows the age at which the premiums you’ve paid would equal the cover amount, if that applies.
NatWest doesn’t charge you a fee for referring you to Aviva. Aviva pays NatWest a fee for introducing the plan and pays commission to Aviva UK Digital Limited for selling it, and NatWest says the commission or referral fee is included in your premium.
Our over 50 life insurance calculator shows how monthly payments on an over 50s plan add up over time, and when they could pass the amount the plan pays out.
NatWest over 50s gift card offer
Note: Free gifts are offered by select brokers only, our life insurance brokers do not offer free gifts.
Aviva runs a gift card promotion for a new Aviva Over 50s Life Insurance Plan bought through the NatWest website or mobile app. You can claim a Love2shop e-gift card once you’ve paid your first six monthly premiums in a row, and its value depends on your monthly premium.
The promotion started on 23 February 2026. Aviva says it realised after the promotion opened that it should also have been open to Over 50s buyers, and it has updated its terms: the version we checked is dated May 2026. Aviva says that if you bought an Over 50s plan since 23 February 2026 and meet the other criteria, it will arrange your gift card without you having to do anything.
- £5 to £11.99 a month
- £50 gift card
- £12 a month or more
- £100 gift card
- You must be resident in the UK, aged 50 to 80 and within the Over 50s premium limit.
- It isn’t available if you buy another way, such as directly from Aviva, through a price comparison or cashback site or through a financial adviser or broker, or with any other gifts or offers.
- You can’t get it if, in the last 24 months, you’ve had a gift card on an Aviva Life Insurance Plan or Over 50s plan bought directly from NatWest, Royal Bank of Scotland or Ulster Bank, or if, in the last 12 months, you’ve cancelled an Aviva Life Insurance Plan or Over 50s plan bought in any way.
- Aviva emails you an invitation to claim within 28 working days of receiving your sixth monthly premium, and the May 2026 terms give you 45 days from that email to claim.
- Gift cards are sent electronically, are valid for 12 months from the date they’re issued, can’t be exchanged and have no cash alternative. There’s a limit of one per person and two per household.
The promotion runs until Aviva publicises an end date, which it says it will give about six weeks in advance, and Aviva can end or change it at any time. NatWest says the gift card offer isn’t part of the standard policy benefits. If you need help to take part, Aviva’s promotion line is 0800 051 9192.
Offer terms checked 25 September 2026.
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.
Key policy terms
| Term | NatWest Over 50s Life Insurance Plan |
|---|---|
| Type of cover | Whole of life: lasts for the rest of your life, as long as you pay your premiums when they’re due |
| Insurer | Aviva Life & Pensions UK Limited provides, underwrites and administers the plan; National Westminster Bank Plc distributes it |
| First 12 months | A death from natural causes returns the premiums paid, not the cover amount |
| Accidental death | Cover amount from the start, except for the first-year exclusions |
| First-year exclusions | Suicide or intentional self-inflicted injury, alcohol or drug misuse, taking part in a criminal act, flying other than as a paying passenger on a commercial airline, hazardous pursuits, and living outside the UK, Europe, USA, Canada, Australia or New Zealand: premiums paid are returned |
| After 12 months | Cover amount for death from any cause |
| Premiums | Guaranteed to stay the same; paid monthly by Direct Debit from a UK, Channel Islands, Isle of Man or Gibraltar bank or building society account, in pounds |
| Premium limit | £5 minimum; £100 a month across all your Aviva Over 50s policies, and policies over the limit are cancelled with premiums refunded without interest, and no claim can be made on them |
| When premiums stop | After 30 years or at the policy anniversary after your 90th birthday, whichever is first; cover continues until a claim is paid |
| Missed premiums | 60 days from each due date to pay; if a premium is still unpaid, Aviva cancels the policy, you can’t claim and you get nothing back for what you’ve paid |
| Claim with a premium unpaid | Within the 60 days, the unpaid premium is deducted from the payout |
| Changes | The policy can’t be changed once it has started |
| Cash-in value | None, at any time |
| Cooling-off period | 30 days, with a refund of premiums; you can cancel later, but without a refund, and once cancelled no claim can be made |
| Wrong smoker status | Any claim payment is based on your correct smoker status |
| Joint cover | Not available: single life only |
| Transferring the policy | Tell Aviva in writing before a claim can be paid |
| Trust | Can be placed in an Aviva Trust |
| Tax | Payouts currently free of UK income and capital gains tax; may be subject to inheritance tax unless in a suitable trust |
| Compensation scheme | Covered by the FSCS, which may pay up to 100% of a successful claim if Aviva becomes insolvent and can’t meet its obligations under the policy |
Making a claim on NatWest over 50s life insurance
Claims are made to Aviva, which provides and administers the plan. You can claim online at aviva.co.uk/makeaclaim or by phone. Before paying a claim, Aviva assesses it and may ask for information such as proof that the person covered has died, proof of who legally owns the policy, proof of the covered person’s date of birth, and conversations with, or reports from, coroners, medical practitioners or the police. If it asks third parties for information, it pays for it.
- Aviva individual life and terminal illness claims accepted in 2025, including over 50s plans: all Aviva, not only NatWest
- 98.7%
This figure covers Aviva’s individual life insurance claims, including over 50s plans and advance terminal illness payments, not over 50s plans alone. It combines Aviva protection and Aviva Protection UK policies.
Aviva relies on the information it’s given. If any of it is untrue or incomplete and would have affected whether the claim was paid, Aviva may not pay the claim and can reclaim payments it has already made.
If a claim is made while a premium is unpaid but still within the 60 days you have to pay it, Aviva deducts the unpaid premium from the payout. If the policy has been transferred (assigned) to someone else, Aviva must have been told in writing before it can pay a claim.
NatWest’s page for existing life insurance customers gives the Aviva Life Insurance Team on 0800 141 3428 for making or tracking a claim, open Monday to Friday 8.30am to 5.30pm and Saturday 8.30am to 2pm. It helps to have the policy number, but it isn’t essential.
- Claims (policy conditions)
- 0800 015 1142
- Claims from outside the UK
- +44 1603 603 277
- Claim online
- aviva.co.uk/makeaclaim
- Aviva Life Insurance Team (NatWest page)
- 0800 141 3428
- Policy questions
- 0800 285 1098
- directprot@aviva.com
NatWest over 50s life insurance ratings
When we checked on 25 September 2026, Fairer Finance’s over 50s product ratings gave NatWest Guaranteed Sixty-Plus Life Insurance 3 stars, for both level and increasing cover. That name differs from the plan NatWest offers now, Guaranteed Over 50s, whose cover amount is fixed. Fairer Finance also rates Aviva’s Over 50s Life Insurance 3 stars.
The Over 50s page on NatWest’s Aviva quote site says Aviva Over 50s Life Insurance is 5-star rated by Defaqto. The Defaqto ratings listed under NatWest are all for the Life Insurance Plan, so we don’t show a Defaqto rating for this plan.
| Review site | Rating | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Fairer Finance | 3 stars | NatWest Guaranteed Sixty-Plus Life Insurance, level and increasing cover, in Fairer Finance’s over 50s product ratings. View on Fairer Finance (opens in a new tab) |
NatWest’s Trustpilot, Smart Money People and REVIEWS.io company scores cover the bank as a whole. Smart Money People also has a NatWest Life Insurance page, with only 3 reviews, the latest on 29 March 2023. They’re all in our NatWest life insurance review.
Is NatWest over 50s life insurance good?
An over 50s plan can suit people who want to leave a lump sum, for example towards funeral costs, without answering health questions. Whether it suits you depends on how much you want to leave, what you can afford each month and how long you might pay.
NatWest’s plan is Aviva’s Over 50s Life Insurance Plan, with guaranteed acceptance from 50 to 80, premiums that never change and stop after 30 years or at the anniversary after your 90th birthday, and access to the Aviva DigiCare+ app. On the other hand, the payout is fixed and loses value with inflation, you could pay in more than it pays out, it has no cash-in value, and a death from natural causes in the first year only returns the premiums paid. You don’t get advice or a personal recommendation, so you choose for yourself.
Pros
- Guaranteed acceptance from 50 to 80, with no health questions or medical
- Premiums from £5 a month that never change, and stop after 30 years or at the anniversary after age 90
- Accidental death covered in full from the start, apart from the first-year exclusions
- Access to the Aviva DigiCare+ app, including a 24/7 digital GP
- Can be placed in an Aviva Trust
- A £50 or £100 gift card for eligible customers who buy through NatWest’s website or app
Cons
- Only premiums are returned for a death from natural causes in the first 12 months
- Fixed payout that loses value with inflation
- You could pay in more than the plan pays out
- No cash-in value, and nothing back if you stop paying
- Can’t be changed once it has started
- Single life only: no joint policies
- No advice or personal recommendation
NatWest over 50s life insurance documents
NatWest’s Aviva Over 50s page asks you to read the Over 50s Life Insurance Plan policy summary and policy conditions. Both are Aviva documents dated 07/2023.
-
Over 50s Life Insurance policy summary (DA03015) (opens in a new tab)
How the plan works, including who can apply, the first 12 months, the exclusions and when premiums stop.
-
Over 50s Life Insurance policy conditions (DA03016) (opens in a new tab)
The full terms, including the premium limit, missed premiums, claims and definitions.
-
Over 50s Life Insurance page (opens in a new tab)
The Over 50s page on NatWest’s Aviva quote site, where you get a quote.
-
About our services and costs (GN14051) (opens in a new tab)
Aviva’s document linked from NatWest’s Aviva Over 50s page: the service you get, with no advice, and the fee and commission Aviva pays.
-
Insurance: important information about us (opens in a new tab)
NatWest’s arrangement with Aviva and the products it refers customers to.
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Gift card promotion terms (NW10064, May 2026) (opens in a new tab)
The terms of the Love2shop gift card offer, including the Over 50s plan.
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Aviva Trust (opens in a new tab)
How to place a Life Insurance Plan or Over 50s policy in an Aviva Trust.
Documents are published by Aviva and NatWest and open on their websites. They may be updated, and the version you receive with your policy is the one that applies.
How NatWest over 50s life insurance compares
Over 50s plans work in a similar way, but the details differ, so it’s worth comparing more than the monthly premium.
When you compare plans, check how long the initial period lasts and what it pays if you die during it, when premiums stop, whether the cover amount is fixed or can rise, whether the plan can cover two people, and what happens if you stop paying.
On NatWest’s plan, the initial period is 12 months, with accidental death covered from the start apart from the first-year exclusions. Premiums stop after 30 years or at the policy anniversary after your 90th birthday, the cover amount is fixed, the policy covers one person, and if a premium is still unpaid after 60 days Aviva cancels the policy and you get nothing back for what you’ve paid.
NatWest also offers the Life Insurance Plan, for ages 18 to 77 when you apply. It pays a lump sum if you die, or are diagnosed as terminally ill, during the term of the policy, and Aviva uses the personal and health information you give to decide whether it can offer you cover.
Over 50s plans are usually a type of whole of life insurance with guaranteed acceptance. If you’re in your 60s, our guide to over 60s life insurance explains the options.
Our guide to over 50s life insurance explains how this type of cover works and lists the insurers in our reviews that offer it, alphabetically.
Other insurers’ over 50s life insurance guides
- Aviva over 50s life insurance
- Legal & General over 50s life insurance
- Post Office over 50s life insurance
- Sainsbury’s over 50s life insurance
Read our full NatWest life insurance review, or see all our insurer reviews.
NatWest over 50s life insurance FAQs
Yes. NatWest’s Guaranteed Over 50s plan is for people aged 50 to 80, so you can apply in your 60s or 70s, with guaranteed acceptance and no medical. NatWest’s Life Insurance Plan, a term policy, is available if you’re 18 to 77 when you apply, and Aviva uses the personal and health information you give to decide whether it can offer you cover.
Aviva Life & Pensions UK Limited provides, underwrites and administers the Over 50s Life Insurance Plan, and National Westminster Bank Plc distributes it. When you get a quote, NatWest transfers you to Aviva to complete it.
No. Aviva guarantees to accept you with no health questions if you meet its criteria. You answer questions about your date of birth and smoker status.
You choose a premium between £5 and £100 a month, or a cover amount, and the price depends on how much cover you want, your age and whether you smoke.
We didn’t find published price examples for this plan, so a personal quote is the way to see what your premium would buy.
If you die from an accident, Aviva pays the cover amount, unless one of the first-year exclusions applies or you’re living outside the UK, Europe, USA, Canada, Australia or New Zealand. If you die from any other cause in the first 12 months, it pays back the premiums you’ve paid.
After 30 years or at the policy anniversary after your 90th birthday, whichever comes first. Your cover then continues until a claim is paid.
The policy has no cash-in value at any time. If you cancel within the 30-day cooling-off period, Aviva refunds your premiums. You can cancel later, but you won’t get your premiums back, and if you stop paying, the cover ends and you get nothing back.
No. Only one person can be covered by the policy, but partners can take out one each.
Yes, as long as your monthly premiums across all your Aviva Over 50s policies are no more than £100. Any policy that takes you over the limit is cancelled and its premiums are refunded without interest.
Eligible customers who buy the plan through the NatWest website or app can claim a Love2shop e-gift card after paying their first six monthly premiums: £50 for premiums of £5 to £11.99 a month, or £100 for £12 or more. You must be a UK resident aged 50 to 80 and within the Over 50s premium limit.
Fairer Finance’s over 50s product ratings list NatWest Guaranteed Sixty-Plus Life Insurance, with level and increasing cover, at 3 stars each. The over 50s plan on NatWest’s website today is called Guaranteed Over 50s, and NatWest’s product range lists it as Over 50s Life Insurance.
If you’ve already got a quote and need help, NatWest’s Aviva Over 50s page gives the free number 0800 068 5549, Monday to Friday 8am to 6pm. For questions about your policy, call Aviva on 0800 285 1098. To make a claim, call 0800 015 1142 or claim online at aviva.co.uk/makeaclaim.
Sources
The facts on this page come from these sources.
- NatWest — NatWest Life Insurance page (Life Insurance, Guaranteed Over 50s, gift card offer, Aviva DigiCare+) (opens in a new tab), natwest.com, accessed 25 September 2026.
- Aviva (for NatWest) — Over 50s Life Insurance page on NatWest's Aviva quote site (AL14022) (opens in a new tab), natwest.aviva.co.uk, accessed 25 September 2026.
- Aviva — Over 50s Life Insurance policy conditions (DA03016 07/2023), linked from NatWest's Aviva Over 50s page (opens in a new tab), static.aviva.io, accessed 25 September 2026.
- Aviva (for NatWest) — Life Insurance Plan page on NatWest's Aviva quote site (AL22014) (opens in a new tab), natwest.aviva.co.uk, accessed 25 September 2026.
- Aviva — Over 50s Life Insurance policy summary (DA03015 07/2023), linked from NatWest's Aviva Over 50s page (opens in a new tab), static.aviva.io, accessed 25 September 2026.
- Aviva (for NatWest Group) — Life Insurance Plan Gift Card Promotion terms, web version (NW10064 05/2026) (opens in a new tab), thank-you.aviva.co.uk, accessed 25 September 2026.
- NatWest — Insurance: Important information about us (NatWest life insurance arrangement with Aviva, February 2026) (opens in a new tab), natwest.com, accessed 25 September 2026.
- Aviva (for NatWest) — About our services and costs, Over 50s Life Insurance via NatWest (GN14051 02/2026) (opens in a new tab), static.aviva.io, accessed 25 September 2026.
- Aviva — Aviva Trust page (writing a Life Insurance Plan or Over 50s policy in trust) (opens in a new tab), aviva.co.uk, accessed 25 September 2026.
- Aviva plc — Underwriter claims statistics 2025 - Aviva (underwriter of NatWest Life Insurance) paid nearly £2 billion in protection claims in 2025; 98.7% of individual life and terminal illness claims accepted (opens in a new tab), aviva.com, accessed 25 September 2026.
- National Westminster Bank Plc — Manage your life insurance - how NatWest life insurance customers make or track a claim with Aviva (claims phone numbers and opening hours) (opens in a new tab), natwest.com, accessed 25 September 2026.
- Fairer Finance — Fairer Finance - over 50s life insurance product ratings - NatWest Guaranteed Sixty-Plus Life Insurance (level and increasing), 3 stars each (opens in a new tab), fairerfinance.com, accessed 25 September 2026.
- Defaqto — Defaqto Star Ratings (Life & Protection) for NatWest (opens in a new tab), defaqto.com, accessed 24 September 2026.
- Trustpilot — Trustpilot - NatWest (www.natwest.com) company reviews, all NatWest products - TrustScore 1.4 (Bad), 8,599 reviews, unclaimed profile (opens in a new tab), uk.trustpilot.com, accessed 25 September 2026.
- Smart Money People — Smart Money People - NatWest reviews (all NatWest products) - Excellent 4.73/5 from 24,010 product reviews (opens in a new tab), smartmoneypeople.com, accessed 25 September 2026.
- REVIEWS.io — Reviews.io - Natwest (www.natwest.co.uk) company reviews, all products - 1.6 rating, 619 reviews, 15% of reviewers recommend (opens in a new tab), reviews.io, accessed 25 September 2026.
- Smart Money People — Smart Money People - NatWest Life Insurance reviews (product rating) - 4.17 based on 3 reviews, last reviewed 29 March 2023 (opens in a new tab), smartmoneypeople.com, accessed 25 September 2026.
Related pages
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Over 50s life insurance
Guaranteed acceptance for ages 50–85, and what to check before you buy.
-
Best life insurance
What to compare when you choose a policy.
-
Term life insurance
Cover for a set number of years, with level or decreasing cover.
