Life insurance for smokers

If you’re one of the 6 million adults in the UK who smoke, the good news is that you can still get life insurance.

The bad news is that it might cost more than it would as a non-smoker because smokers are more likely to die at a younger age. Find out how smoking affects life cover.

If you’re one of the 6 million adults in the UK who smoke, the good news is that you can still get life insurance.

The bad news is that it might cost more than it would as a non-smoker because smokers are more likely to die at a younger age. Find out how smoking affects life cover.

Written by

Faith Archer

Insurance expert

Last Updated

4 FEBRUARY 2025

6 min read

60-second summary

Need a quick overview of the impact of being a smoker when you take out life insurance? Here’s what you need to know:

Life insurance will be more expensive as smokers are more likely to die at a younger age.
Older smokers taking out life insurance could pay two to three times more than a non-smoker.
Even if you’re just an occasional social smoker you could still be classed as a smoker and your policy could be invalidated when you claim if you haven’t been truthful.
For life insurance, smoking pipes, cigars, cigarettes, roll-ups, e-cigarettes, vaping, nicotine patches and nicotine gum all count.
If you stop smoking some providers will reduce your premium after a set period and health tests that prove you no longer smoke. Others will instead offer you the chance to take out a new non-smoker policy.
Over 50s policies can have guaranteed acceptance for smokers, but offer lower payouts.

How does smoking affect life insurance premiums?

Fundamentally, the cost of insurance is based on how likely you are to claim. If you’re highly unlikely to claim, a policy might be as cheap as chips. More chance of claiming? Your premiums will start going up.

If you’re a smoker, you’re more at risk of getting ill or dying at a younger age because of the health dangers posed by tobacco. These can include cancer, heart disease, high blood pressure and respiratory problems.

Life insurance providers are therefore more likely to have to pay out on a claim so will push up your premiums.

If you’ve already developed a health condition because of smoking, this will usually be excluded from your policy. This means your provider won’t pay out if your death is related to this condition.

Did you know?

According to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), smoking is the main cause of premature death and preventable illness in the UK.

People who smoke have a 50% chance of dying prematurely (on average 10 years earlier) due to smoking.
After the age of 35 years, a person loses three months of life expectancy for every year of continued smoking.
In 2019, 15% of all deaths in adults aged 35 and over in England were attributed to smoking.

How much do smokers pay for life insurance?

A smoker is usually charged more for life cover than a non-smoker insuring the same amount. But the exact rate you’ll have to pay will depend on a range of factors, including: 

Your age
Your general health and lifestyle
Your family history
What you smoke (for example, cigarettes, pipes, e-cigarettes)
How many years you’ve smoked
If your health has already been affected by smoking.

According to our partners at LifeSearch, for every £10 a non-smoker pays each month, smokers could expect to pay between £1 and £10 extra.

A younger smoker in their 20s probably won’t see as big a rise as an older smoker in their 50s. An older, long-term smoker taking out a policy might have to pay two to three times more than a non-smoker.

Different insurers may not charge so much extra, so it’s always worth shopping around to compare prices. Just make sure you compare like-for-like products with the same level of cover.

Do I need to tell my insurance provider that I smoke?

Yes, you definitely should. When you apply for a life insurance product, the provider will ask if you are a smoker or have ever smoked. 

It’s essential to answer any questions honestly and accurately. Don’t be tempted to say you’ve never smoked just to get cheaper life insurance, it’s not worth the risk. If your provider finds out you haven’t been entirely truthful about your smoking habits, they could reduce or refuse any pay out after you die, hitting your family hard.

But don’t wait to get life insurance until you’ve given up smoking for a year. You won’t be covered if something happened to you while you were waiting, and this could put your dependants at financial risk.

What if I only smoke occasionally?

If you only have the occasional cigarette on a night out with friends, you might not consider yourself a smoker. But you could still be seen as a smoker in the eyes of insurance providers.

In the past, insurance providers tended to lump all smokers together, so whether you smoked a packet a day or just had the occasional puff on a cigarette, it was all the same to them.

But nowadays, premiums from some providers are starting to reflect the fact that some people only smoke socially and therefore aren’t so much of a health risk. So if you are an occasional smoker it can pay to shop around. Definitions of what a ‘regular’ smoker is can vary between providers, so it’s important to check the small print.

Do I need to tell my insurance provider if I vape?

Yes, most insurance providers will class e-cigarettes and vaping in the same bracket as smoking. That’s because the jury’s still out on whether it’s as harmful as smoking in the long term.

As more research is done into the effects of vaping, this position may change. But, for now, life insurance premiums for vapers are on a par with smokers. And this is the same if you chew nicotine gum or use nicotine patches. That said, it’s possible to find providers who take a more lenient view of vaping and will offer cheaper life insurance.

Top tip

When applying for life cover, remember that insurers take a broad view of smoking. Smoking can include not just cigarettes and cigars, but pipes, roll ups, e-cigarettes and nicotine replacements, such as patches and gum. Be honest on your application to prevent any problems later.

Will quitting smoking reduce the cost of life insurance?

Giving up smoking doesn’t only help your health, it could also make a big dent in the cost of your life insurance. But you won’t qualify for cheaper rates straight away. Typically, you’ll need to have stopped using all nicotine products for at least 12 months before you’ll see your premiums drop.  

Before reducing your insurance bill, your provider may want to see evidence that you’ve quit the habit for good. For instance, they might ask your permission to consult your GP about your overall health. In some cases, you may have to provide a chest X-ray or a saliva or urine sample to prove that you’re nicotine-free. 

By quitting smoking, you may be able to reduce your monthly premiums by up to 50%, LifeSearch says.

Some providers may reduce the premium of your existing policy, while others would consider you eligible to take out a new policy as a non-smoker. So it may be worth getting quotes to see how they compare. With a new policy your current health and age will be taken into account too.

If you’re replacing your life insurance cover, it is normally a good idea to wait until your new cover starts before cancelling existing policies.

Top tip

Get help with quitting smoking on the NHS website. It’s worth knowing that smokers who get the right support are three times more likely to quit successfully.

How can I find the best life insurance as a smoker?

Start a life insurance quote with us to see if you can save on a policy that will suit your circumstances and support the people you love. By paying a bit extra, you could also add critical illness cover to your policy. This could pay out following the diagnosis of a serious illness listed on the policy, such as cancer, stroke or heart attack, but be careful to check what you’re not covered for. This is doubly important if you’re a smoker.

Frequently asked questions

Will I have to undergo a medical if I smoke?

Sometimes when you apply for life insurance, the provider might ask permission to see your GP records or ask you to undergo a medical exam. This could be in the form of a saliva, urine or blood sample to test the levels of nicotine in your system.

Can smokers get no-exam life insurance?

Yes, guaranteed acceptance is a type of life insurance where you don’t have to provide medical information or answer questions about your health. Typically, this is known as over 50s life insurance. It could be an option for older smokers who may otherwise have difficulty getting life cover.

But life insurance with no medical will have limitations. The maximum payout on death is significantly lower than a standard policy and premiums are usually much higher. Depending on how long you live, you may also pay in more than the final payout.

How will smoking affect a joint life insurance policy?

A joint life insurance policy covers two lives under one premium, so if one person smokes, it will push up the cost.

Joint policies can be a way of saving money on life cover, but if one of you is a smoker, it may well be cheaper to take out two separate policies.

What if I start smoking after I’ve taken out life insurance?

Your policy is based on the information you gave at the time of your application. So, in theory, you shouldn’t have to tell your provider if you start smoking. But if you die within the first two years of the policy, your provider has the right to investigate the cause of your death.

If it’s found to be related to smoking, your policy could be invalidated. In fact, many providers make it part of their terms and conditions that you must tell them if things change and you take up the habit. Otherwise your policy may no longer be valid.