Does life insurance cover suicide? UK claims explained

The short answer

Insurers paid 96.7% of life insurance claims in 2025, according to the Association of British Insurers (ABI). The ABI also says protection insurers paid out 7.84 billion pounds in 2025 across life, critical illness and income protection, and that 95.9% of all protection claims were paid. For life insurance specifically, the ABI says 48,055 claims were paid in 2025, with an average life claim of 83,892 pounds.

Whether a life insurance policy pays out after a death by suicide depends on the policy wording and when the death occurred. Most policies only exclude suicide for a limited time at the start of the cover, and that window is often one year. The exact period is written in the policy document. Aviva says its own suicide exclusion lasts 12 months, and that after the exclusion period life insurance normally covers a death by suicide like any other cause of death, provided premiums have been paid and the policy terms have been met. If the death occurred within the exclusion period, the policy may not pay out. If it occurred after, the claim is normally assessed in the same way as any other claim.

How suicide exclusion clauses work

A suicide exclusion is a term in the policy that applies for a set period after the cover starts. The period is commonly 12 months, but the exact period is written in the policy document. Aviva says its own suicide exclusion lasts 12 months. Some insurers set different periods, so the policy wording is the document that governs the claim.

In Financial Ombudsman Service decision DRN-3234609, a term life policy excluded a death by suicide within 12 months of the benefit start date, whatever the person's state of mind. The ombudsman described such exclusions as common in life policies and did not uphold the complaint. In that decision the ombudsman found that the 12 months meant calendar time from the start date, not 12 monthly premiums paid. That means the exclusion period runs from the date cover began, not from the number of payments made. The exclusion applies whatever the person's state of mind at the time of death. It is a time limit, not a judgement about intent. After the exclusion period ends, the policy normally covers a death by suicide like any other cause of death, provided premiums have been paid and the policy terms have been met.

When a claim can still be refused

The most common reason a life claim is disputed is that relevant health information was not disclosed when the policy was taken out. Insurers ask about mental health history on application forms. If a question was answered incorrectly, the insurer may look at the Consumer Insurance (Disclosure and Representations) Act 2012 to decide what it can do.

Under that Act, if an applicant deliberately or recklessly gave wrong information, the insurer may cancel the policy and refuse all claims. If the mistake was careless, the insurer's remedy must be proportionate. If it would not have offered cover at all, it can refuse the claim but must refund the premiums. If it would have charged a higher premium, it can pay a proportion of the claim. If it would have applied different terms, those terms apply. The Act therefore sets limits on what an insurer can do when information was given carelessly, compared with information given deliberately or recklessly. The policy wording and the application answers are the documents that determine which route applies.

Making a claim

Insurers generally ask for the death certificate, the policy details and evidence of the claimant's identity. If the policy was written in trust, the trustees make the claim. When a death is reported to a coroner and an inquest is held, GOV.UK says families can ask the coroner for an interim death certificate. The final certificate comes from the registrar after the inquest. An interim certificate can allow a claim to be started while the inquest is ongoing.

Premiums should be kept up while a claim is being assessed, because the policy terms must be met for cover to apply. Joint policies and policies written in trust are handled in general terms according to the policy wording and the trust deed. In a joint policy, the surviving policyholder usually makes the claim. In a trust, the trustees make the claim on behalf of the beneficiaries. The insurer will confirm which documents it needs. The ABI figures show that the great majority of life claims are paid, with 48,055 life insurance claims paid in 2025 and an average life claim of 83,892 pounds.

If the claim is refused

If a claim is refused, the insurer should give its reasons in writing. A business has up to 8 weeks to consider a complaint, according to the Financial Ombudsman Service. If the complaint is not resolved in that time, or if the insurer's final response is not accepted, the complaint can be taken to the Financial Ombudsman Service.

A complaint can be taken to the Financial Ombudsman Service within 6 months of the insurer's final response. The service is free and no lawyer or claims company is needed. The ombudsman looks at the policy wording, the application answers and the circumstances of the claim. In decision DRN-3234609, the ombudsman considered a suicide exclusion in a term life policy and did not uphold the complaint, describing such exclusions as common in life policies. That decision shows how the ombudsman approaches a dispute about a suicide exclusion, including the point that the 12 months means calendar time from the start date, not 12 monthly premiums paid.

Support

Anyone affected by a death by suicide can get support. Samaritans can be called free on 116 123 from any phone, at any time of day or night. The line is free and available 24 hours a day.

Anyone affected can call Samaritans free on 116 123 at any time.

Source: ABI: Protection insurers pay out 7.84 billion in 2025.

Related coverage on Kael Tripton: Which type of life insurance: level, decreasing, whole of life and family income benefit, Non-disclosure and refused life insurance claims: what the 2012 Act says and how the ombudsman decides, Critical illness cover: what the claims data shows about payouts, refusals and the conditions that matter, NatWest Launches New Life Insurance and Critical Illness Cover, Life insurance vs income protection: what each pays, when, and which risk is bigger.

Frequently asked questions

Does life insurance pay out after a death by suicide?

Usually yes, once the policy is past its exclusion period. The timing of the death and the wording of the policy decide it: a death within the excluded period, often the first year, is not covered, while a later one is generally treated in the same way as any other death.

How long does a suicide exclusion last?

One year is the most common length, but the policy document is the only reliable answer because insurers can choose a different period. The clock runs from the date the cover began, so a year of monthly payments does not by itself end the exclusion.

Can a claim be refused for non-disclosure?

Yes, if health questions on the application were answered wrongly. What the insurer can do depends on whether the error was deliberate or reckless, which can end the cover entirely, or careless, where the law only allows a response in proportion to what the insurer would have done with the right answers.

What documents are needed to claim?

A death certificate, the policy number and proof of who is claiming are the usual starting points. Where an inquest delays the full certificate, the coroner can provide an interim one, and policies held in trust are claimed by the trustees rather than the estate.

What can be done if the claim is refused?

Ask for the reasons in writing and make a formal complaint to the insurer. If it has not resolved things within eight weeks, or the final answer is still a refusal, the ombudsman can review the case at no cost, as long as the complaint reaches it within six months of that final answer.