INSURANCE

Life insurance

What's life insurance?

Life insurance helps makes sure your loved ones are protected if you die or become terminally ill with a life expectancy of less than 12 months.

The earlier you get it, the less it’ll cost. Your monthly payment stays the same throughout your life insurance policy(1).

Terms, conditions, eligibility and exclusions criteria apply.

Get a £75 e-voucher when you take out Barclays Simple Life Insurance(2) between 1 June 2024 and 30 June 2025. T&Cs apply.

Looking to make a claim?

Legal and General logo

We've partnered with Legal & General to provide you with quality life insurance.

Legal & General help over 10 million people around the world to protect their financial futures. Their life insurance is 5 Star-rated by Defaqto.

 5 Star-rating by Defaqto logo

Our two types of life insurance

Life insurance helps protect your loved ones if anything happens to you. They’d get a single payout which could cover funeral, mortgage and other necessary costs, helping them to be financially secure.

1. Barclays Simple Life Insurance

From just £6 a month.

This could be right for you if want simple, easy insurance for one person.

Here’s what you can get with Simple Life Insurance:

  • Benefit

    Level term insurance

  • Benefit

    Single policy only

  • Benefit

    A suggested cover amount with our calculator.

2. Life insurance for mortgage protection

The price depends on your health and lifestyle.

This could be right for you to help protect your mortgage.

Here’s what you can get with mortgage protection:

  • Benefit

    Level or decreasing term

  • Benefit

    Single or joint policy

  • Benefit

    Optional Critical Illness Cover.

Barclays Simple Life Insurance

Life insurance for mortgage protection

Cover for mortgage and rent payments

Included
Included

Critical Illness Cover

Optional

Joint policy cover

Included

Single policy cover

Included
Included

Level term

Included
Included

Decreasing term

Included

Cover calculator

This can help you work out how much cover you need

Included

Single payout

Included
Included

Explaining life insurance terms

Life insurance can sometimes be complicated. Here's an explanation of key terms.

Single policy

This covers one person. If that person dies during their cover, their loved ones will get a single payout.

Joint policy

This covers two people. If one person dies during their cover, their loved ones will get a single payout and the cover will end. The remaining person won’t be insured.

Level term

Your cover amount and the price you pay each month stays the same throughout your policy unless you decide to change it.

Decreasing term

Decreasing term life insurance is designed to help pay off a repayment mortgage. The amount of cover decreases over time, similar to how a repayment mortgage decreases.

Information about life insurance

We’ve put together some information to help you find the right cover for you.

We understand that making a claim can be a stressful process for your loved ones. We’ve worked with our partner, Legal & General, to help make it easier.

Once a claim is made, Legal & General will review it as quickly as possible. We might reach out if we need any documents, such as death certificates.

Once the claim has been processed, your loved ones will receive a single payout that they can use where necessary, whether that’s to pay off a mortgage or to cover expenses.

To get started, you’ll need to apply for a life insurance policy. Once your application is approved, you’ll need to pay monthly to stay covered.

If you die or become terminally ill during your policy, your loved ones can make a claim. If it’s approved, they’ll get a single cash payout to help them cover costs.

When your policy ends, you’ll no longer be covered. You’ll need to apply for a new one. Your new monthly price could be different depending on your age, health and the length of your policy.

For more information on how life insurance works, visit the Legal & General website.

Who can apply for life insurance?

You need to be a UK resident and be between 18 and 74 to apply.

To apply for a level life insurance policy with Critical Illness Cover, you need to be at least 18 and no older than 67. For Critical Illness Cover on a decreasing policy, you need to be at least 18 and no older than 64.

How much life insurance do I need?

This will depend on your individual circumstances. You might want to think about leaving a single payout to your dependants or helping to pay off a mortgage if you die. If you’d like more help, try our cover calculator.

Can I add Critical Illness Cover?

You can add Critical Illness Cover to your mortgage protection policy at an extra cost, which will cover you until you’re 75. You can do this in the Barclays app or with our mortgage advisers. 

To apply for a level life insurance policy with Critical Illness Cover, you need to be at least 18 and no older than 67. For Critical Illness Cover on a decreasing policy, you need to be at least 18 and no older than 64.

You can't add Critical Illness Cover to Simple Life Insurance.

Can I put my policy in trust?

Yes, putting your policy into trust can help make sure that the right people get paid if there’s a claim. It can help to reduce inheritance tax. Payouts are also generally faster when the policy is in trust. It’s a good idea to put your policy in trust from the beginning, but you can do this at any time.

For more information, read Legal & General’s trust information or call their helpdesk on 0370 010 4080. Lines are open Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 6pm and Saturday, 9am to 1pm.

Can I cancel my policy if I no longer need it?

You can cancel your policy at any time. If you cancel within 30 days of starting your policy, Legal & General will return any payments you’ve made. If you cancel after 30 days, you won’t get back any payments you’ve already made, but you won’t need to make any future payments.

To cancel your policy, log in to ‘My Account’ on the Legal & General website, or call them on 0370 010 4080. Lines are open Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 6pm and Saturday, 9am to 1pm.

How is the cost of life insurance calculated?

Legal & General can give you a quick quote based on multiple factors like your age, amount of cover, length of term, type of policy and whether you smoke. To finalise the price, they’ll ask more questions about your health and lifestyle. Your monthly cost could increase based on your answers. In some cases, they might need information from your doctor. When they have all the details, you’ll need to tell Legal & General when you want to start your policy – this can be the same start date as your mortgage.

What affects the cost of life insurance?

Factors such as your health, age and whether you smoke can affect the cost of your life insurance.

What happens if I move abroad?

If you move abroad during your policy, it might be affected. For more information, check the Barclays Simple Life Insurance policy booklet [PDF, 242KB] or the life insurance for mortgage protection policy booklet. [PDF, 231KB]

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Call Legal & General on

0800 001 5032

Legal & General are our life insurance partner.

Lines are open Monday to Friday from 8:30am to 8pm, and Saturday from 9am to 1pm. Calls may be monitored and recorded.

Join over 10 million Barclays app customers

Make money work for you by opening an account in a few simple steps. If the account is just for you and you’re over 18, you can use our app(3).

Get the app

Legal information

Life Insurance is arranged by Barclays Bank UK PLC through Barclays Insurance Services Company Limited and provided and underwritten by Legal & General Assurance Society Limited. Registered in England and Wales no: 166055. Registered office: One Coleman Street, London, EC2R 5AA. Legal & General Assurance Society Limited is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority. Barclays Bank UK PLC is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority (Financial Services Register No 759676). Barclays Insurance Services Company Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (Financial Services Register No 312078). Registered Office for both: 1 Churchill Place, London E14 5HP England.

Important information

  1. A fixed monthly price that won’t increase unless you make any changes to your cover. Terms and conditions apply.(Return to reference)

  2. Get a quote for Simple Life Insurance or mortgage protection and take out a policy before the quote expires, and we’ll give you a £75 e-voucher to spend on a range of gifts including days out and vouchers for high-street brands. Simply Thank You will email you between month five and six of the policy’s start date to let you know how to claim your reward. You’ll need to use your voucher by 30 June 2026. Terms, conditions and exclusions criteria apply.(Return to reference)

  3. You need to be 18 or over to access this product or service using the app. Terms and conditions apply.(Return to reference)