Octopus Legacy life insurance review 2026

Octopus Legacy is rated 4.9 out of 5 on Trustpilot across the whole company, while Defaqto gives its level term life insurance 2 stars out of 5. Because the Trustpilot profile covers wills, probate and bereavement services too, that score reflects the business as a whole rather than life insurance alone.

Defaqto rating for Octopus Legacy life insurance

Defaqto’s life and protection ratings (1 to 5 stars) list one policy for Octopus Legacy Limited:

Customer reviews for Octopus Legacy’s overall service are largely 5-star, while Defaqto’s 2-star rating is for the level term life policy alone.

It’s worth reading some recent reviews as well as the headline scores.

Octopus Legacy’s life cover is a level term policy, which you apply for online. You can buy Octopus Legacy Life Insurance on its own, or add the Life Insurance Plus (+) bundle for £1.50 a month to get a free simple will, estate planning discounts and death concierge services. The life insurance itself is identical either way.

• Level term
  The cover amount and the monthly premium are fixed for the whole term.
• Life Insurance Plus (+)
  The same life cover, plus a free simple will, 15% off other wills, LPAs and estate planning services, and death concierge services.

Level term life insurance

With Octopus Legacy’s level term policy, your cover amount and monthly premium are fixed from the start and won’t change over the term. It covers one person only and pays a lump sum on death or diagnosis of a terminal illness as defined in the terms and conditions.

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.

Who can apply

You need to be aged 18 to 60 and a current UK resident; the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man are excluded. The policyholder must pay the premiums by monthly Direct Debit from a personal UK bank or building society account, and premiums can’t be paid from a business account.

Terms start at 5 years, and the longest term depends on your age. Your quote shows the maximum cover Octopus Legacy can provide. Across all insurers, including existing and future policies, your combined life and critical illness cover can’t exceed £18 million.

Octopus Legacy doesn’t give advice or a personal recommendation about whether the policy suits your needs. Depending on your answers, the online application may tell you that it can’t offer you its online life insurance.

Health questions and medical reports

When you apply on Octopus Legacy’s website, you answer lifestyle and health questions to check your eligibility. You’re asked if your job involves working outside above 12 metres (40ft), offshore oil, gas or fishing work, aviation, diving, or service in the Armed Forces or Reservists. You also give your height and weight to work out your BMI, and say how often you’ve smoked, vaped or used nicotine replacements in the last 12 months.

The medical questions ask about symptoms in the last 3 months, plus conditions including heart problems, diabetes, stroke, cancer, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease and motor neurone disease. They also cover positive, pending or advised tests for HIV or hepatitis B or C, and any treatment or advice for drug or alcohol addiction or misuse.

The mental health question covers the past 10 years and only needs a ‘yes’ if you’ve been referred to a psychiatrist or hospital, not for seeing a counsellor. When asked about pending test results or appointments, you can ignore routine issues on Octopus Legacy’s published list, such as minor skin conditions, minor infections, colds, flu or tonsillitis.

Shepherds Friendly may ask your doctor for a medical report to verify your application, though it won’t always. Your consent for it to see your medical records lasts 12 months from the application date unless you withdraw it. If you choose to preview a report before it’s sent, you have 21 days from Shepherds Friendly’s request to arrange this with your doctor, who may charge a fee. You can also ask for a copy within six months of the report being sent to Shepherds Friendly (a fee may apply).

Life Insurance Plus (+)

Life Insurance Plus (+) is an optional bundle costing £1.50 a month (£18 a year) on top of your life insurance premium. It gives you and your family access to Octopus Legacy’s death concierge services. You also get a free simple will, 15% off other wills, LPAs and estate planning services, and unlimited updates to your will and LPA.

Octopus Legacy provides these extra services itself, not the insurer, and they’re only available as part of the bundle. They aren’t part of the life insurance product, aren’t regulated by the FCA and may not have the same protections. Your life cover’s terms, risk and level of cover stay the same either way, and the dashboard has a separate option to cancel Life Insurance Plus (+).

Octopus Legacy Life Insurance vs Life Insurance Plus (+)

Both options give you exactly the same life cover. Here’s what the Plus (+) bundle adds:

Octopus Legacy life insurance at a glance

These are the policy’s main limits. The cover you’re offered depends on your circumstances and the insurer’s assessment.

Octopus Legacy Life Insurance comes with these features, whether or not you add Life Insurance Plus (+):

For an extra £1.50 a month, you can add Life Insurance Plus (+). Its services are provided by Octopus Legacy rather than the insurer, and they aren’t regulated by the FCA:

Claims are handled by the insurer, Shepherds Friendly, not by Octopus Legacy. Octopus Legacy’s claim page says death and terminal illness claims are managed by Shepherds Friendly through an online form or by phone. Octopus Legacy’s own team can answer questions about life insurance but can’t progress claims.

The claim page links to the ‘Octopus Legacy Term Life Claims Form’ for death or terminal illness claims, while the FAQ mentions an online form on Shepherds Friendly’s website. The claim page asks you to have supporting documents ready, such as death or medical certificates.

After you submit the form, Shepherds Friendly’s claims team gets in touch by email, and the insurer then gives a decision or asks for more information. If you need help filling in the form, you can call Octopus Legacy on 0333 049 9397.

Key policy terms

These terms are worth knowing before you apply. Always check the terms and conditions for the exact policy you’re offered.

Octopus Legacy keeps the Policy Summary, Policy Key Features, Terms and Conditions and Life Insurance Plus Terms and Conditions in the policyholder dashboard, where documents are available at any time. It’s worth reading them for the exact cover you’re offered. Octopus Legacy also publishes this guide to one of the application’s medical questions:

• PDF
  What counts as minor or routine? (opens in a new tab)

  The minor or routine matters you can ignore when the application asks whether you’re waiting for test results or appointments.

  PDF · octopuslegacy.com

Documents are published by Octopus Legacy and open on its website. Octopus Legacy may update them — the version you receive with your policy is the one that applies.

This review is for general information only. Life Cover Quotes does not endorse any specific insurance company.