Post Office life insurance review 2026
A look at Post Office’s life insurance and over 50s life cover, who provides them, their included benefits, claims record and independent ratings.
- Trustpilot
- 1.8 / 5
- 3,974 reviews · whole Post Office
- Defaqto
- 3 out of 5 stars
- Level term
- Life claims paid
- 98.47%
- Scottish Friendly, 2025
- Entry age
- 18–70
- 5–40 year terms
In a nutshell
Post Office sells term life insurance underwritten by Scottish Friendly and over 50s life cover underwritten by Aviva. You can apply online or by phone, or in a branch for over 50s cover.
- Post Office Life Insurance offers level, decreasing or increasing term cover for UK residents aged 18 to 70. You can take a single or joint policy, and terminal illness cover is included as standard.
- Critical illness cover for four conditions and children’s cover can be added to it. Neither is sold on its own, and Post Office doesn’t offer income protection.
- Over 50s Life Cover is whole of life cover with guaranteed acceptance for UK residents aged 50 to 80. It doesn’t ask about your health and pays £1,000 to £10,000.
- Defaqto rates the level and decreasing term cover 3 stars and the over 50s plans 4 stars. Company-wide customer scores for Post Office are below 3 out of 5, including 1.8 out of 5 on Trustpilot.
- Post Office says Scottish Friendly paid 98.47% of the life insurance claims it received in 2025. On its Over 50s page, it says Aviva approved and paid 100% of all Post Office claims received that year.
- Applications made by 30 April 2027 come with a £100 gift card on Life Insurance or £125 on Over 50s Life Cover, or an experience worth up to £200. Conditions apply.
Who are Post Office?
Post Office Limited says it runs the UK’s largest retail network, with over 11,500 branches, and that 99.7% of the population lives within 3 miles of a Post Office. It’s wholly owned by the Department for Business and Trade and offers over 170 products and services, including mail, banking, travel, insurance and government services.
- Brand owner
- Post Office Limited
- Company number
- 02154540
- Registered office
- 100 Wood Street, London, EC2V 7ER
- Insurance intermediary
- Post Office Management Services Limited (FRN 630318)
- Sells and helps administer
- Neilson Financial Services Limited (FRN 594926)
- Life Insurance underwriter
- Scottish Friendly Assurance Society Limited (FRN 110002)
- Over 50s underwriter
- Aviva Life & Pensions UK Limited (FRN 185896)
- Owner
- Department for Business and Trade
- Life cover customers
- Over 140,000 (Post Office figure)
Post Office doesn’t underwrite life insurance itself, and your contract is with the insurer. Scottish Friendly (Scottish Friendly Assurance Society Limited) underwrites and administers Post Office Life Insurance, and Post Office says it only offers those policies from Scottish Friendly. Aviva (Aviva Life & Pensions UK Limited) underwrites Over 50s Life Cover, and Post Office says it only offers those policies from Aviva.
If you buy by phone or on the Post Office website, Neilson Financial Services Limited arranges, sells and helps administer both products after an introduction by Post Office. Set up in 2012 to sell life insurance directly to UK consumers, Neilson also trades as British Seniors, Smart Insurance and Cover Today. In a branch, Over 50s Life Cover is arranged and sold by Post Office Limited and its FCA-authorised insurance subsidiary, Post Office Management Services Limited.
Scottish Friendly is a member-owned mutual established in 1862. In February 2026 it and OneFamily announced a proposal to merge, which they expect to take effect in early 2027, subject to regulatory approval. The enlarged group would keep the Scottish Friendly, OneFamily and Beagle Street brands.
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1987
Post Office Counters Ltd, today’s Post Office Limited, is incorporated
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2012
Post Office becomes independent of Royal Mail Group on 1 April
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2015
Post Office Management Services is authorised by the FCA
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2020
An independent Public Inquiry into the Horizon IT scandal is set up
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2022
Post Office life cover policies bought from 1 February come with health and wellbeing services at no extra cost
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2026
By September, Post Office names Aviva Life & Pensions UK Limited as the Over 50s underwriter, after AIG Life (June 2024) and Aviva Protection UK (December 2025)
Post Office doesn’t give advice or recommendations on Post Office Life Insurance and charges no fee for its service. Neilson receives a commission from Scottish Friendly as a percentage of the monthly premium, and Post Office receives a commission from Neilson for the introduction.
An independent Public Inquiry into the Horizon IT scandal, led by Sir Wyn Williams, was set up in September 2020. Wikipedia describes it as an inquiry into the company’s actions that led to between 700 and 900 subpostmasters being wrongfully prosecuted. Post Office says it is sincerely sorry and that its priority is justice and financial redress for the victims.
Whether it’s the right choice for you depends on the cover you need and the price you’re offered, so it’s worth comparing plans before you decide.
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Post Office life insurance ratings and reviews
Defaqto rates Post Office’s life policies from 2 to 4 stars and Fairer Finance scores its life insurance 83% for customer experience. Customer scores on Trustpilot, Smart Money People and REVIEWS.io are below 3 out of 5, though those profiles cover Post Office as a whole rather than only its life insurance.
| Review site | Rating | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Trustpilot | 1.8 / 5 · Poor | Based on 3,974 reviews of Post Office as a whole, 82% of them 1-star. Trustpilot’s AI summary of recent reviews says people frequently complained about unreliable parcel and letter deliveries, and were frustrated with poor customer service such as long queues. Trustpilot notes that Post Office hasn’t invited customers to review recently, so the reviews may not be representative. View on Trustpilot (opens in a new tab) |
| Smart Money People | 2.74 / 5 · Average | Based on 707 reviews across Post Office’s products. Post Office Life Insurance has its own score of 3.97, from a single review posted on 26 August 2024. View on Smart Money People (opens in a new tab) |
| Reviews.io | 2.7 / 5 | Based on 127 reviews of Post Office as a whole, with 43% of reviewers recommending it. View on Reviews.io (opens in a new tab) |
| Fairer Finance | 83% overall | A life insurance customer experience rating, with 93% for claims, 85% for complaints and 70% for transparency. Fairer Finance also rates Over 50s Life Cover (Level) and Over 50s Life Cover (Increasing) 4 stars each. View on Fairer Finance (opens in a new tab) |
| Defaqto | 2–4 stars | Defaqto rates each Post Office product separately, from 2 stars for level term critical illness cover to 4 stars for the over 50s plans. See the ratings for each policy below. View on Defaqto (opens in a new tab) |
Defaqto ratings for each Post Office policy
Defaqto gives both Over 50s Life products 4 stars each. Post Office Life Insurance gets 3 stars for level and decreasing term life cover. Its critical illness option gets 3 stars on decreasing cover and 2 stars on level cover.
Post Office’s critical illness cover includes four conditions only, and its policy terms note that other insurers may cover a wider range of illnesses.
| Policy | Range | Defaqto rating |
|---|---|---|
| Level term life insurance | Life Insurance With Opt CI And Children's Cover | 3 out of 5 stars |
| Decreasing term life insurance | Post Office Life Insurance | 3 out of 5 stars |
| Level term critical illness cover | Life Insurance With Opt CI And Children's Cover | 2 out of 5 stars |
| Decreasing term critical illness cover | Post Office Life Insurance | 3 out of 5 stars |
| Over 50s life insurance | Over 50s Life | 4 out of 5 stars |
| Over 50s life insurance | Over 50s Life (Increasing) | 4 out of 5 stars |
Ratings checked on 24 September 2026 and may have changed since. Defaqto ratings: defaqto.com (opens in a new tab)
Post Office also lists awards on its product pages, including a 2022 YourMoney.com Award on its Life Insurance page and a 2026 YourMoney.com Award on its Over 50s page. The Over 50s page also notes a 4.5-star rating from insurance industry specialists Tribe.
Trustpilot’s summary of recent reviews mentions deliveries and customer service, and Smart Money People has only one review of Post Office Life Insurance. Because the company-wide scores aren’t specific to life cover, it’s worth reading recent reviews that mention life insurance or claims alongside the headline figures.
What does Post Office life insurance cover?
Post Office Life Insurance is term life insurance from Scottish Friendly. It pays the benefit amount if you die during the policy term, or if a medical specialist diagnoses a terminal illness where death is expected within 12 months. A terminal illness claim is paid once, and the policy then ends.
You can take out cover for yourself, or a joint policy with your spouse, civil partner or common law partner. A joint policy has one premium, pays out once on the first death or terminal illness, and then ends. You choose the cover type, an amount up to £750,000 depending on your age, and a term of 5 to 40 years.
Post Office describes level cover as a way to provide for your loved ones and/or pay off an interest-only mortgage. It says decreasing cover suits mortgages with interest rates of up to 8%. More generally, 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
Post Office Life Insurance has no cash-in value. If you’re still alive at the end of the term and haven’t been diagnosed with a terminal illness, the policy ends without a payout. Post Office also points out that the policy isn’t guaranteed to pay off a loan or mortgage.
For cover that lasts the rest of your life, Post Office offers Over 50s Life Cover, a whole of life policy for ages 50 to 80, covered below. It doesn’t offer income protection or standalone funeral insurance, and suggests speaking to an independent financial adviser about income protection.
Post Office life insurance policy options
Post Office Life Insurance comes as level, decreasing or increasing cover, with optional critical illness and children’s cover. Over 50s Life Cover is a separate whole of life policy.
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Level termThe payout and the premium stay the same for the whole policy.
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Decreasing termThe payout reduces each month, like a repayment mortgage at 8% interest, while the premium stays fixed.
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Increasing termThe payout rises each year in line with RPI, by up to 10%, and the premium rises at 1.4 times that rate.
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Over 50s Life CoverWhole of life cover with guaranteed acceptance that doesn’t ask about your health.
Level term life insurance
With the level option, your benefit amount and your premium, including any critical illness or children’s cover, stay fixed for the whole policy. Post Office describes it as cover for providing for your loved ones and/or paying off an interest-only mortgage.
Decreasing term life insurance
With the decreasing option, your life cover reduces each month to zero at the end of the term, matching a repayment mortgage with an 8% annual interest rate. Your premium stays fixed, and any optional critical illness or children’s cover stays level. Post Office says this is its most affordable option, though it may not suit an interest-only mortgage and cover can’t be increased after the policy starts.
Decreasing cover includes a Mortgage Guarantee: if your payout falls short of your outstanding mortgage solely because the mortgage rate has exceeded 8%, Scottish Friendly pays the balance. To qualify, your mortgage’s starting interest rate must have been under 10%, and your policy mustn’t end before the mortgage is due to be repaid. Your starting benefit must also have been at least the size of the mortgage, or the part of it the policy covers.
Increasing term life insurance
With the increasing option, your life and any critical illness cover rise each policy anniversary in line with the Retail Price Index (RPI), up to 10% a year. Your premium rises by 1.4 times the rate of the benefit increase, and neither changes if RPI is below 0%. If you opt out of three increases in a row, the option is permanently removed from your policy.
Critical illness cover
You can add critical illness cover to a new or existing Post Office Life Insurance policy, unless you’ve already been diagnosed with a critical illness. It isn’t sold on its own. It covers four conditions only: cancer (excluding less advanced cases), coronary artery bypass grafts, heart attack of specified severity, and stroke with permanent symptoms. You must survive at least 30 days after diagnosis, and illness in the first three months isn’t covered.
You can choose from £10,000 up to 100% of your life cover, up to £200,000, or lower limits if you’re 60 or over when the policy starts. Critical illness cover ends at the policy anniversary on or after the eldest life insured’s 80th birthday, and pays out only once on a joint policy. A payout isn’t deducted from your life cover, which continues for the rest of the term if you keep paying the reduced premiums.
The policy terms say the cover meets the ABI Guide to Minimum Standards for Critical Illness Cover, and that other insurers may cover a wider range of illnesses.
Children’s cover
Children’s cover can be added to a life insurance policy, though it isn’t sold on its own. It pays £10,000 to £30,000 for each dependent child under 21 living in the UK, with no limit on the number of children and one claim paid per child. It covers death within 90 days of an accident, plus cancer, bacterial meningitis, blindness, deafness, encephalitis, loss of hands or feet, paralysis and traumatic head injury.
It costs at most 54p a month per child, based on £30,000 of cover on a term of 21 years or more. It doesn’t cover conditions known to be present at birth, or any illness or injury in the first three months of the child’s cover. Cover for each child ends at the policy anniversary on or after their 21st birthday.
Post Office life cover at a glance
The key limits for each Post Office policy. The cover you’re offered depends on your circumstances.
| Limit | Life Insurance | Over 50s Life Cover |
|---|---|---|
| Age when you apply | 18–70 | 50–80 |
| Policy term | 5–40 years | Whole of life |
| Cover must end | Before your 90th birthday | — |
| Cover amount | £10,000–£750,000, by age | £1,000–£10,000, by age |
| Single or joint | Both | See note |
| Health questions | Yes | Doesn’t ask about your health |
| Premiums | Fixed, unless increasing | Fixed, unless increasing |
| Cash-in value | None | None |
Limits from Post Office’s key facts and product pages, checked 25 September 2026. For Over 50s Life Cover, the key facts describe single and joint plans, but the product page FAQ says it covers one person per policy.
What affects the cost of Post Office life insurance?
The price you’re offered depends on your circumstances and the cover you choose. Post Office says the cost of its life insurance depends on:
- Your age
- Your health and family history
- Your lifestyle
- Your occupation, and in some cases dangerous hobbies or high-risk jobs
- How much cover you want
- The length of the policy term
- Whether you choose level, decreasing or increasing cover
- Whether it’s a single or joint policy
- Whether you add critical illness or children’s cover
Post Office says premiums start from £5 a month for £120,000 of level cover over 21 years, based on a healthy 21-year-old non-smoker. For £100,000 of 21-year level cover for healthy non-smokers, its example monthly prices are from £7.54 at age 31, £15.51 at 41, £37.88 at 51 and £93.09 at 61.
With £30,000 of critical illness cover added to £100,000 of life cover, its 2026 examples are £16.33 a month at 31, £34.70 at 41 and £80.80 at 51. Premiums are fixed unless you choose increasing cover, and Post Office says decreasing cover has lower monthly premiums than level cover.
For Over 50s Life Cover, your premium depends on the cover amount, your age, smoker status, whether it’s a single or joint plan, and whether you add increasing cover. Post Office says premiums start from £5 a month, based on a 50-year-old taking £1,000 of cover. Its non-smoker examples for £5,000 of cover are £18.99 a month at age 50, £25.20 at 60, £39.69 at 70 and £76.63 at 80.
In general, cover costs less the younger and healthier you are when you take it out, and decreasing term costs less than level term. Adding critical illness cover increases the price. Comparing plans from several insurers is the simplest way to see what’s available for your circumstances.
Post Office life insurance benefits & extras
Depending on the policy you choose, Post Office includes these benefits at no extra cost:
| Benefit | What it does | Available with |
|---|---|---|
| Terminal illness cover | Pays 100% of your cover in advance if you’re diagnosed with a terminal illness and have less than 12 months to live. It’s paid once, and the policy then ends. | Available with: All Post Office Life Insurance policies |
| Health and wellbeing services | MediPartner Limited provides 24/7 GP advice by phone or video, a weekday nurse champion, private GP appointments for referrals and second opinions, physiotherapy triage, and support for anxiety and depression. It covers you, your partner and your children up to age 21. The service is non-contractual and Post Office can withdraw it at any time. | Available with: Life Insurance and Over 50s policies bought since 1 February 2022 |
| Mortgage Guarantee | Scottish Friendly pays the outstanding mortgage if your cover falls short only because the mortgage interest rate has been above 8%. Conditions apply. | Available with: Decreasing cover |
| Interim accidental death cover | Accidental death cover for the amount you applied for while more information is needed to assess your application, until you hear the outcome or for up to 30 days. | Available with: Life Insurance applications |
| Double accidental death benefit | Pays twice the benefit amount if you die within 90 days of an accident, from the day the policy starts. | Available with: Over 50s Life Cover |
| Protected Benefit | If you stop paying after you’re at least halfway through the premiums due up to age 95, at least half the benefit is still paid when you die. | Available with: Over 50s Life Cover |
| Funeral Benefit Option | Lets the payout go directly to Co-op Funeralcare, with £50 off a direct cremation, £100 off an Essential funeral or £250 off a Tailored funeral. | Available with: Over 50s Life Cover, when you apply or later (existing policies bought on or after 22 February 2021) |
You can also add these options, which increase your premium:
| Optional extra | What it does |
|---|---|
| Critical illness cover | Pays out on diagnosis of one of four conditions: cancer, coronary artery bypass grafts, heart attack or stroke, as defined in the policy. From £10,000 up to 100% of your life cover, to a maximum of £200,000. |
| Children’s cover | Pays £10,000 to £30,000 per child under 21 for accidental death or a covered serious illness or injury, for at most 54p a month per child. |
| Increasing Benefit Option | On Over 50s Life Cover, raises your cover by 3% of the starting amount each year, and your premium by 4.5% of the starting premium. The cover can go above the usual maximum for your age. |
Post Office over 50s life insurance
Post Office Over 50s Life Cover is over 50s life insurance: whole of life cover for UK residents aged 50 to 80. Aviva guarantees to accept anyone who meets those criteria, and the plan doesn’t ask about your health. Post Office calls you to give your quote and check you’re happy before cover starts, and you can also buy it in a Post Office branch.
If you die as a result of an accident, it pays twice the benefit amount from day one. For non-accidental death in the first 12 months, it pays 1.5 times the premiums paid, and after 12 months it pays the full benefit amount. Premiums stop at the policy anniversary on or after your 95th birthday, and your cover continues.
Under its Protected Benefit, if you stop paying after at least half the premiums due up to age 95, Aviva still pays at least half the benefit when you die. In Post Office’s example, if you take out a policy at 75, you reach the halfway point after 10 years of payments.
- Age when you apply
- 50–80
- Cover
- £1,000–£10,000, depending on age
- Health questions
- Doesn’t ask about your health
- First 12 months
- 1.5× premiums paid, unless accidental
- Accidental death
- 2× the benefit amount
- Premiums stop
- Policy anniversary on or after age 95
- Cash-in value
- None
- Insurer
- Aviva Life & Pensions UK Limited
- The most cover you can choose is £10,000 at ages 50–69, £9,000 at 70–74 and £6,000 at 75–80, and the minimum is £1,000.
- The optional Increasing Benefit Option raises the cover by 3% of the starting amount each year and the premium by 4.5% of the starting premium. For example, a £20 monthly premium rises to £20.90 at the first anniversary.
- Post Office warns that you could pay in more than the payout, and that inflation will reduce the value of the fixed cash sum over time.
- If you miss two premiums in a row before the halfway point, the policy ends and you may get nothing back.
- The free Funeral Benefit Option lets the payout go straight to Co-op Funeralcare, with a discount of up to £250. It’s cancelled if you take out another funeral plan, and can’t be added back once removed.
- The key facts and help page describe single or joint plans, with a joint plan made up of two policies under one master policy number that pay out on each death. The product page FAQ says the policy covers one person, so check this when you apply.
The Over 50s underwriter has changed over time. Post Office’s Over 50s page named AIG Life Limited in June 2024 and Aviva Protection UK Limited in December 2025, and it now names Aviva Life & Pensions UK Limited. Neilson Financial Services’ accounts describe Aviva Protection UK as previously AIG Life.
Post Office says over 50s payouts are usually much faster than an inheritance and are often processed within days. The cash sum paid on death is currently free from personal income tax and capital gains tax, though it could form part of your estate and affect inheritance tax.
Compare other insurers’ over 50s plans in our guides to over 50s life insurance, guaranteed life insurance and over 60s life insurance.
Writing a Post Office policy in trust
Post Office says its Life Insurance policies can be written in trust, and it can supply a template discretionary trust deed. It’s the only template it offers and may not always be suitable, so Post Office suggests getting advice before you complete it. It also warns that once a policy is in trust, it’s very difficult to undo.
Post Office says a trust means the payout could go directly to your beneficiaries and never become part of your estate. Its policy terms say an appropriate trust may help with inheritance tax, and an Over 50s policy in trust pays out to the trustees.
Read how trusts work, and what other insurers offer, in our guide to life insurance in trust.
Post Office free gift offers
Note: Free gifts are offered by select brokers only, our life insurance brokers do not offer free gifts.
New Post Office Life Insurance customers can choose a £100 M&S, Dining Out or Amazon.co.uk gift card, or an experience worth up to £200. The experience choice is a Family Adventure Day or a Luxury Night Away. With Over 50s Life Cover, the gift card is worth £125, with the same experience choice.
Both offers apply to applications made from 1 January 2026 to 30 April 2027. You can apply online or by phone for Life Insurance, or online, by phone or in a branch for Over 50s Life Cover. Applications made through price comparison, cashback or other third-party sites don’t qualify for either offer.
To qualify, you need to pay all monthly premiums for at least 180 days and then either pay more than £160 in total or pay for 24 months. Once you’re invited, you have 30 days to choose your gift, and it’s sent within 28 days if the policy is still active and paid up.
Under both sets of offer terms, you get one gift however many policies you take, and there’s no cash alternative. You won’t get the gift if you cancel within the first 30 days, or if you’ve held and cancelled the same type of Post Office policy in the last 18 months. Neilson Financial Services administers the offers on behalf of Post Office Management Services.
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.
Does Post Office pay out?
Post Office’s product pages give a claims figure from the insurer behind each product. Aviva also publishes figures for its individual protection business as a whole:
- Life insurance claims paid by Scottish Friendly, 2025
- 98.47%
- Post Office claims paid by Aviva, 2025 (Over 50s page)
- 100%
- Aviva individual life insurance claims accepted, 2025 (all Aviva customers)
- 98.7%
Scottish Friendly life claims paid by year
| Year | Life claims paid |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 98.47% |
| 2024 | 99.1% |
| 2023 | 99.5% |
Sources: footnotes on Post Office’s Life Insurance page (current, and as archived in May and December 2025) and Over 50s page, and Aviva’s 2025 claims figures.
The Scottish Friendly figure has fallen slightly each year, from 99.5% for 2023 to 99.1% for 2024 and 98.47% for 2025. Post Office’s footnote gives it as the share of life insurance claims Scottish Friendly received, without saying whether it covers only Post Office policies.
Aviva’s 98.7% covers its individual life claims in 2025 (including Over 50s and terminal illness), with over £860 million paid across 40,000 Aviva and Aviva Protection UK claims. It isn’t specific to Post Office. Aviva says the leading cause of the claims it declined was misrepresentation of relevant information, in particular about health and lifestyle. Separately, Fairer Finance gives Post Office a 93% claims score in its life insurance customer experience ratings.
Post Office warns that leaving something out or giving incorrect answers on your Life Insurance application could reduce a claim payout or cancel your cover without a refund. Answering every question fully and honestly helps make sure your policy pays out when it’s needed.
How to make a Post Office life insurance claim
To claim on a policy bought after 31 January 2022, contact Neilson Financial Services as soon as possible on 0800 068 8014, by email or by post. For Life Insurance claims, the claimant is contacted and sent a claim form to complete, sign and return. For Over 50s claims, details may be taken over the phone or by form, and Aviva needs proof of death.
For older policies, the insurer’s contact details depend on the start date shown on your policy schedule. Post Office lists Royal London for policies bought between 31 January 2017 and 31 January 2022, and Aviva Life & Pensions UK Limited for policies bought before 31 January 2017. Post Office Life Insurance bought through MoneySupermarket between October 2018 and November 2022 is provided by Scottish Friendly, with claims handled on 0333 323 5433.
If you’re claiming for a terminal illness, keep paying premiums until Post Office confirms the illness meets its definition. Scottish Friendly refunds any premiums collected after the date of death. An Over 50s policy in trust pays out to the trustees, and with the Funeral Benefit Option the payout goes to the funeral provider.
- Claims phone (bought after 31 Jan 2022)
- 0800 068 8014
- Opening hours
- Mon–Fri, 9am–7pm
- Claims email
- claims@postofficelife.co.uk
- Post
- Customer Services - Post Office, PO Box 6063, Windsor, SL4 9GL
- Funeral Benefit Option (bought after 31 Jan 2022)
- Co-op Funeralcare, 0800 289 120 (24 hours)
- Bought 31 Jan 2017 – 31 Jan 2022
- Royal London, 0345 266 1483
- Bought before 31 Jan 2017
- Aviva, 0800 158 3065
Key policy terms
A few terms that are worth knowing before you apply. Always check the key facts and policy terms for the exact policy you’re offered.
| Term | Post Office policies |
|---|---|
| Cooling-off period | 30 days from receiving your policy documents, with a full refund of premiums paid if no valid claim has been made. No refund if you cancel after that |
| Suicide exclusion | Life Insurance doesn’t pay for death or terminal illness from intentional self-inflicted injury within 12 months of the start, or of an increase in cover |
| Over 50s first 12 months | 1.5× the premiums paid for deaths that aren’t accidental |
| Terminal illness | Life Insurance pays 100% of the cover on a terminal illness diagnosed by a medical specialist, where death is expected within 12 months |
| Health questions | Life Insurance asks a few health and lifestyle questions. Over 50s Life Cover doesn’t ask about your health |
| Health changes after you buy | Don’t affect a Life Insurance policy and don’t need to be reported |
| Missed payments | Cover continues after one missed payment. The policy ends after two missed monthly payments in a row, unless the Over 50s Protected Benefit applies |
| Cash-in value | None on either policy |
| Changing your cover | On Life Insurance, no forms or admin fees. Increases mean more health and lifestyle questions, and decreasing cover can’t be increased |
| Write in trust | Yes. For Life Insurance, Post Office can supply a template discretionary trust deed. An Over 50s policy in trust pays out to the trustees |
| Worldwide cover | Yes, 24 hours a day, on Life Insurance |
| Premiums | Monthly, in sterling, from a UK bank account |
| Complaints | Acknowledged within five working days if not resolved straight away. You can go to the Financial Ombudsman Service if you’re unhappy with the outcome, or after eight weeks |
| FSCS protection | Post Office, Scottish Friendly, Aviva and Neilson Financial Services are members. If Scottish Friendly couldn’t pay and a Life Insurance policy couldn’t be transferred, the FSCS would pay 100% of the benefit on a valid death or terminal illness claim |
Is Post Office life insurance good?
Post Office Life Insurance is underwritten by Scottish Friendly, a mutual founded in 1862, while Aviva underwrites Over 50s Life Cover. Term policies come as level, decreasing or increasing cover with terminal illness cover included, and decreasing cover adds a Mortgage Guarantee if mortgage rates exceed 8%. Policies bought since February 2022 include free wellbeing services, and Scottish Friendly paid 98.47% of the life claims it received in 2025.
The main trade-offs are that Defaqto rates the term life cover 3 stars and critical illness cover 2 to 3 stars, with only four critical illnesses covered. Terms are capped at 40 years and must end before age 90, there’s no income protection or standalone critical illness cover, and the wellbeing services can be withdrawn. Post Office also scores 1.8 out of 5 on Trustpilot. That profile covers Post Office as a whole, and Trustpilot’s summary of recent reviews mentions frequent complaints about parcel and letter deliveries.
Over 50s Life Cover has guaranteed acceptance, 4 stars from Defaqto, double cover for accidental death from day one and a Protected Benefit. For non-accidental death in year one, though, it pays 1.5 times the premiums rather than the benefit, and you could pay in more than it pays out.
The right insurer for you depends on your needs and the price you’re offered, so it’s worth comparing Post Office with other insurers.
Pros
- Life Insurance provided by Scottish Friendly, and Over 50s cover by Aviva
- Terminal illness cover included on all Life Insurance policies
- Mortgage Guarantee on decreasing cover if mortgage rates rise above 8%
- Free health and wellbeing services, including 24/7 GP advice
- Over 50s cover with guaranteed acceptance, rated 4 stars by Defaqto
- No forms or admin fees to change Life Insurance cover
- Gift card or experience offer on applications made by 30 April 2027
Cons
- Defaqto rates the life cover 3 stars, and level term critical illness cover 2 stars
- Critical illness cover includes four conditions only
- Terms of up to 40 years, and cover must end before age 90
- No income protection or standalone critical illness policy
- Wellbeing services aren’t part of the contract and can be withdrawn
- Over 50s pays 1.5 times the premiums, not the benefit, for non-accidental deaths in year one
- No cash-in value on either policy
- Company-wide review scores of 1.8 out of 5 on Trustpilot (rated Poor) and 2.7 on REVIEWS.io
Post Office life insurance policy documents
Before you take out a policy, it’s worth reading the key facts and policy terms for the exact product you’re offered. These official Post Office documents are a good place to start:
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Life Insurance key facts and policy terms (opens in a new tab)
Key facts and full terms for Post Office Life Insurance with optional Critical Illness and Children’s Cover (v2.5, August 2026), including eligibility, exclusions, cancelling and claims.
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Over 50s Life Cover key facts and policy terms (opens in a new tab)
Key facts and full terms for Post Office Over 50s Life Cover (v2.9, August 2026), including the deferred period, the Protected Benefit and the Increasing Benefit Option.
Documents are published by Post Office and open on Post Office’s website. Post Office may update them, and the version you receive with your policy is the one that applies.
Post Office life insurance FAQs
You can apply for Post Office Life Insurance if you live in the UK and are aged 18 to 70, and the cover must end before your 90th birthday. Over 50s Life Cover is for UK residents aged 50 to 80.
Post Office Life Insurance is underwritten and administered by Scottish Friendly, and Over 50s Life Cover is underwritten by Aviva Life & Pensions UK Limited (see our Aviva review). If you buy by phone or online on the Post Office website, Neilson Financial Services arranges and sells the policy and helps administer both products.
Post Office says Scottish Friendly paid 98.47% of the life insurance claims it received in 2025, after 99.1% in 2024 and 99.5% in 2023. On its Over 50s page, it says Aviva approved and paid 100% of all Post Office claims it received in 2025.
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 Post Office Life Insurance, you’ll be asked a few questions about your health and lifestyle, with free interim accidental death cover if your application needs further assessment. Over 50s Life Cover doesn’t ask about your health.
Yes. Terminal illness cover is included as standard on level, decreasing and increasing Post Office Life Insurance. It pays 100% of your cover in advance if you’re diagnosed with a terminal illness and have less than 12 months to live, and the policy then ends.
Yes, you can add it to a new or existing Post Office Life Insurance policy, though not after a critical illness diagnosis, and it isn’t sold on its own. It covers four conditions, as defined in the policy: cancer, coronary artery bypass grafts, heart attack and stroke. You can choose from £10,000 up to 100% of your life cover, to a maximum of £200,000.
Yes. For Life Insurance, Post Office can supply a template discretionary trust deed and suggests getting advice before you complete it. It warns that a trust is very difficult to undo, and says a trust means the payout could go directly to your beneficiaries without becoming part of your estate. An Over 50s policy in trust pays out to the trustees.
If your death is accidental, Over 50s Life Cover pays twice the benefit amount from day one. For other causes of death in the first 12 months, it pays 1.5 times the premiums you’ve paid, and after 12 months it pays the full benefit amount.
Yes, you have 30 days from receiving your policy documents to cancel for a full refund of premiums paid, provided no valid claim has been made. If you cancel after 30 days you won’t get a refund, and neither policy has a cash-in value.
For policies bought after 31 January 2022, call Neilson Financial Services on 0800 068 8014 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 7pm). You can also email claims@postofficelife.co.uk or write to Customer Services - Post Office, PO Box 6063, Windsor, SL4 9GL. Older policies use different insurer contacts, depending on the start date on your policy schedule.
Sources
The facts on this page come from these sources.
- Wikimedia Commons — Wikimedia Commons file page for 'Ripon Post Office, The Arcade, Ripon (24th October 2020)' (photo of a Post Office branch in Ripon, North Yorkshire; CC BY-SA 4.0, by Mtaylor848) (opens in a new tab), commons.wikimedia.org, accessed 25 September 2026.
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- Post Office — Post Office Life Insurance product page (level, decreasing and increasing term; eligibility, extras, underwriter) (opens in a new tab), postoffice.co.uk, accessed 25 September 2026.
- Post Office — Post Office Over 50s Life Insurance product page (guaranteed acceptance, cover limits, protected payout, underwriter) (opens in a new tab), postoffice.co.uk, accessed 25 September 2026.
- Post Office — Types of life insurance page (level, decreasing with mortgage guarantee, increasing, joint policies, whole of life) (opens in a new tab), postoffice.co.uk, accessed 25 September 2026.
- Post Office — Post Office Life Insurance with optional Critical Illness and Children’s Cover: Key Facts and Policy Terms and Conditions (PO LKFT04 v2.5 LIVE AUG26) (opens in a new tab), postoffice.co.uk, accessed 25 September 2026.
- Post Office — Post Office Over 50s Life Cover: Key Facts and Policy Terms and Conditions (PO 050 KF v2.9 LIVE AUG26) (opens in a new tab), postoffice.co.uk, accessed 25 September 2026.
- Post Office — Terminal illness cover page (included as standard on Post Office Life Insurance) (opens in a new tab), postoffice.co.uk, accessed 25 September 2026.
- Post Office — Critical Illness Cover add-on page (conditions covered, limits, waiting period; income protection not offered) (opens in a new tab), postoffice.co.uk, accessed 25 September 2026.
- Post Office — Children’s cover add-on page (conditions covered, £10,000–£30,000 per child, eligibility) (opens in a new tab), postoffice.co.uk, accessed 25 September 2026.
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- Smart Money People — Smart Money People - Post Office reviews (company-wide score across all Post Office financial products, 707 product reviews) (opens in a new tab), smartmoneypeople.com, accessed 25 September 2026.
- REVIEWS.io — REVIEWS.io - Post Office company reviews (www.postoffice.co.uk; company-wide, mostly postal/branch reviews, not life insurance specifically) (opens in a new tab), reviews.io, accessed 25 September 2026.
- Post Office — Life Insurance £100 gift card or up to £200 experience offer terms and conditions (1 January 2026 to 30 April 2027) (opens in a new tab), postoffice.co.uk, accessed 25 September 2026.
- Post Office — Over 50s Life Cover £125 gift card or up to £200 experience offer terms and conditions (1 January 2026 to 30 April 2027) (opens in a new tab), postoffice.co.uk, accessed 25 September 2026.
- Post Office Limited — About Post Office (Post Office corporate website: who we are, branches, services, legal entities) (opens in a new tab), corporate.postoffice.co.uk, accessed 25 September 2026.
- Post Office Limited — Post Office Limited Annual Report and Accounts 2024-25 (published 18 December 2025; full text) - ownership by the Department for Business and Trade, insurance revenue, Post Office Management Services Limited (opens in a new tab), corporate.postoffice.co.uk, accessed 25 September 2026.
- Post Office Limited — About Post Office - company information (Post Office Limited and Post Office Management Services Limited registered details, FCA reference number) (opens in a new tab), postoffice.co.uk, accessed 25 September 2026.
- Post Office Limited — Post Office Over 50s life insurance page (excerpt) - 100% of Post Office claims paid by Aviva in 2025, awards, underwriter/administrator/seller and regulatory statement (opens in a new tab), postoffice.co.uk, accessed 25 September 2026.
- Neilson Financial Services Limited (filed at Companies House) — Neilson Financial Services Limited Annual Report and Financial Statements 31 December 2025 (filed at Companies House 18 September 2026; scanned PDF, text by OCR) - principal activity, insurance partners Scottish Friendly and Aviva Protection UK, partnership with Post Office Management Services Limited, Post Office brand (opens in a new tab), find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk, accessed 25 September 2026.
- Post Office Management Services Limited (filed at Companies House) — Post Office Management Services Limited Report and Financial Statements, 52 weeks to 30 March 2025 (filed at Companies House 3 January 2026; scanned PDF, text by OCR) - principal activity, FCA authorisation, ownership, life insurance turnover (opens in a new tab), find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk, accessed 25 September 2026.
- Scottish Friendly — Underwriter legal and regulatory information: Scottish Friendly Assurance Society Limited (underwriter and administrator of Post Office Life Insurance) - friendly society, PRA/FCA register number 110002, registered office (opens in a new tab), scottishfriendly.co.uk, accessed 25 September 2026.
- OneFamily (Family Assurance Friendly Society Limited) — OneFamily press release (4 February 2026) - OneFamily and Scottish Friendly (underwriter of Post Office Life Insurance) announce proposal to merge, expected early 2027 subject to regulatory approval (opens in a new tab), onefamily.com, accessed 25 September 2026.
- Companies House — Companies House record for Post Office Limited (02154540), previously Post Office Counters Ltd (opens in a new tab), find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk, accessed 25 September 2026.
- Wikipedia — Wikipedia - Post Office Limited (history and background only: formerly Post Office Counters Limited, independence from Royal Mail Group in 2012, ownership, Horizon scandal) (opens in a new tab), en.wikipedia.org, accessed 25 September 2026.
- Financial Conduct Authority — FCA Financial Services Register - Post Office Management Services Limited (FRN 630318), authorised since 29/06/2015 for insurance distribution (opens in a new tab), register.fca.org.uk, accessed 25 September 2026.
- Post Office — Post Office Health and Wellbeing Services page (MediPartner; 24/7 GP, nurse champion; policies bought since 1 February 2022) (opens in a new tab), postoffice.co.uk, accessed 25 September 2026.
- Post Office Limited (archived copy, Internet Archive Wayback Machine) — Post Office Over 50s Life Cover page as archived on 24 June 2024 (excerpt) - then underwritten by AIG Life Limited and jointly administered by Neilson Financial Services and AIG Life (opens in a new tab), web.archive.org, accessed 25 September 2026.
- Post Office Limited (archived copy, Internet Archive Wayback Machine) — Post Office Over 50s Life Cover page as archived on 5 December 2025 (excerpt) - then underwritten by Aviva Protection UK Limited and jointly administered by Neilson Financial Services and Aviva Protection UK (opens in a new tab), web.archive.org, accessed 25 September 2026.
- Fairer Finance — Fairer Finance - life insurance customer experience ratings table (Post Office row: claims score, complaints, transparency, overall) (opens in a new tab), fairerfinance.com, accessed 25 September 2026.
- Smart Money People — Smart Money People - Post Office Life Insurance product reviews (score based on 1 review, last reviewed 26 August 2024) (opens in a new tab), smartmoneypeople.com, accessed 25 September 2026.
- Fairer Finance — Fairer Finance - data feed behind the over 50s life insurance product ratings page, Post Office rows (star_rating 4 for Over 50s Life Cover Level and Increasing) (opens in a new tab), fairerfinance.com, accessed 25 September 2026.
- Post Office — Life cover help and support: FAQs (life, over 50s, critical illness and children’s cover), trust, claims and contact numbers (opens in a new tab), postoffice.co.uk, accessed 25 September 2026.
- Post Office — Level term life insurance page (summary table) (opens in a new tab), postoffice.co.uk, accessed 25 September 2026.
- Post Office — Do you need life insurance for a mortgage? (Post Office guide: decreasing cover up to 8%, joint mortgages) (opens in a new tab), postoffice.co.uk, accessed 25 September 2026.
- Post Office — Funeral insurance guide (no standalone funeral insurance; Over 50s Life Insurance and Funeral Benefit Option) (opens in a new tab), postoffice.co.uk, accessed 25 September 2026.
- Post Office — Increasing term life insurance page (RPI increases up to 10%, summary table) (opens in a new tab), postoffice.co.uk, accessed 25 September 2026.
- Post Office — Over 50s Funeral Benefit Option page (Co-op Funeralcare, up to £250 discount, no extra cost) (opens in a new tab), postoffice.co.uk, accessed 25 September 2026.
- Aviva plc — Underwriter claims statistics: Aviva paid nearly £2 billion in protection claims in 2025 (Aviva Life & Pensions UK Limited underwrites Post Office Over 50s Life Cover; figures are Aviva-wide, not Post Office-specific) (opens in a new tab), aviva.com, accessed 25 September 2026.
- Post Office Limited (archived copy, Internet Archive Wayback Machine) — Post Office Life Insurance page as archived on 16 December 2025 (excerpt) - 99.1% of life insurance claims paid by Scottish Friendly in 2024, underwriter and regulatory statement (opens in a new tab), web.archive.org, accessed 25 September 2026.
- Post Office Limited (archived copy, Internet Archive Wayback Machine) — Post Office Life Insurance page as archived on 13 May 2025 (excerpt) - 99.5% of life insurance claims paid by Scottish Friendly in 2023, underwriter and regulatory statement (opens in a new tab), web.archive.org, accessed 25 September 2026.
- Post Office — Why life insurance still matters (Post Office guide: missed payments, Financial Hardship Policy) (opens in a new tab), postoffice.co.uk, accessed 25 September 2026.
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