What questions do life insurance companies ask?

A UK life insurance application asks about your personal details, your height and weight, whether you smoke or vape, how much alcohol you drink, your personal and family medical history, your job and any risky hobbies, any tests or referrals you are waiting on, and any cover you already hold. Insurers use those answers to decide whether to offer cover, at what price, and on what terms. None of the questions are there to catch you out: each one helps the insurer understand the risk so it can price the policy fairly.

This guide walks through the question categories you can expect, why each one is asked, the time windows insurers use, and how to answer so that a future claim is protected. It applies to life insurance and to critical illness cover, which is underwritten in much the same way. It does not cover how the questions reach you; if you want to know whether you will answer online or on a call, see our guide on life insurance medical questions: online or over the phone.

Why does life insurance ask questions at all?

Life insurance is priced on risk. The insurer is agreeing to pay out a lump sum if you die during the policy term, so it needs a reasonable picture of your health and lifestyle to set a fair premium. MoneyHelper notes that the information you give at application is what the insurer relies on, which is why accuracy matters from the very start.

This is a two-way street. The answers also protect you. When disclosure is full and honest, a future claim is far more likely to be paid without dispute. The Association of British Insurers reported a record GBP 8 billion paid in UK protection claims during 2024, and accurate answers at application are the surest way to keep your own claim straightforward.

Personal details

Every application starts with the basics: your name, date of birth, address, and contact details, plus how much cover you want and over how many years. Your age is one of the biggest factors in the price, simply because risk rises with age. You will also be asked whether you are a UK resident, as cover is usually built around UK residency.

Height and weight

You will be asked for your height and weight, which the insurer uses to work out your body mass index, or BMI. BMI is a rough screen for weight-related health risk. A figure well outside the typical range, in either direction, may lead to more questions or affect the terms, but most people sit within a band that the insurer treats as standard. Give honest figures rather than rounded-down ones, as weight is something a medical screening or GP report can confirm.

Smoking and vaping

Insurers ask whether you currently use any nicotine or tobacco products, and most now ask specifically about vaping and e-cigarettes alongside cigarettes, cigars, and pipes. The usual definition of a non-smoker is someone who has used no nicotine products for a set period, commonly the last 12 months. Smokers typically pay more, because smoking raises long-term health risk.

This is one to answer carefully. If you describe yourself as a non-smoker but later have a claim affected by something a test could reveal, the insurer may treat the answer as a misrepresentation. If you have recently stopped, answer based on the exact wording and timeframe the question uses.

Alcohol

Expect a question about how many units of alcohol you drink in a typical week, and sometimes whether your drinking has ever caused health problems or required treatment. The insurer is looking for patterns that raise long-term risk, not judging a normal social level. If you are not sure how many units you drink, it is worth working it out before you answer rather than guessing.

Personal medical history

This is the largest part of the application. Insurers ask about conditions you have now and ones you have had in the past, including treatment, medication, hospital stays, and ongoing symptoms. Common areas include heart and circulation, diabetes, cancer, mental health, respiratory conditions, and any regular medication.

Pay close attention to the time window in each question, because it changes the right answer:

• Some questions ask about a recent period, such as the last 2 or 5 years. A common example is whether you have seen a doctor or had time off work in the last few years.
• Others ask whether you have ever had a particular condition, such as cancer, a heart condition, or diabetes. These have no time limit.

If a question says “in the last 5 years”, you do not need to report something older than that for that question, but if another question says “have you ever”, you do. Read each one on its own terms. If you are unsure whether something falls inside the window, disclose it and let the underwriter decide.

Family medical history

Insurers ask about illness in your close blood relatives, usually parents and siblings, because some conditions carry an inherited risk. The questions often focus on whether a relative was diagnosed before a certain age, commonly 60 or 65, with conditions such as heart disease, stroke, or certain cancers. You are not expected to know every detail of a relative’s medical record; give the best honest picture you have. A family history does not automatically raise your premium or rule out cover, and many people with one are offered standard terms.

Occupation and hazardous pursuits

You will be asked what you do for work, because some occupations carry a higher risk of injury. You will also be asked about hazardous hobbies and sports, such as scuba diving, motorsport, rock climbing, or flying. If you take part in an activity like these, the insurer may ask follow-up questions about how often and to what level. Many such hobbies are still covered on standard terms; the insurer simply needs the detail to assess them.

Tests, referrals, and investigations you are waiting on

A question that is easy to overlook asks whether you are currently awaiting any test results, referrals, or investigations, or have any symptoms you have not yet seen a doctor about. You should disclose these even without a diagnosis. Pending tests are exactly the kind of detail insurers ask about, and leaving them out is a common reason a later claim runs into trouble. If your situation changes between applying and the policy starting, tell the insurer.

Cover you already hold

Insurers usually ask about life or protection cover you already have, or have applied for, with other providers. This helps them see the total amount of cover across all your policies, which is part of assessing the application. It is a straightforward question, but answer it fully.

How honest answers protect your claim

Under the Consumer Insurance (Disclosure and Representations) Act 2012, you have a legal duty to take reasonable care not to make a misrepresentation when you answer an insurer’s questions. In plain terms, you must answer the questions honestly and carefully, to the best of your knowledge.

The ABI’s guidance on non-disclosure sets out how insurers should treat answers fairly. The practical points to take from it are:

• Answer every question fully and honestly.
• If you are not sure whether something counts, disclose it and let the underwriter decide.
• Do not guess dates, names, or doses. Check them, or say you cannot recall precisely.
• Tell the insurer if anything changes before the policy starts.

A careless or deliberate misrepresentation can lead to a claim being reduced or declined, or a policy being cancelled. An honest mistake, made in good faith, is treated far more leniently. The system is designed to be fair to people who take reasonable care.

What happens if an answer needs more detail?

Disclosing a condition does not mean you will be refused. Often it just prompts the insurer to ask for more. Depending on your answers, an insurer may:

• Ask follow-up questions about a specific disclosure, sometimes by phone with a nurse or underwriter.
• Request a report from your GP, with your consent, about a particular condition.
• Arrange a medical screening or nurse visit, more common for larger amounts of cover.

The outcome might be standard terms, a higher premium to reflect the risk, an exclusion for a specific condition, or, occasionally, a decline. Different insurers can take different views on the same history, which is one reason advice helps. If you want to know how insurers verify what you tell them, see our guide on whether life insurance will check your medical records.

Watch out: common pitfalls

• Misreading the time window. “In the last 5 years” and “have you ever” call for different answers. Read each question on its own.
• Rounding your weight or downplaying smoking or drinking. These are details a screening or GP report can confirm.
• Forgetting pending tests. Awaiting results or a referral is disclosable even without a diagnosis.
• Guessing dates and medication names. Check your NHS App, GP records, or a consultant’s letter instead.
• Assuming a disclosure ends the application. It usually just leads to a follow-up question, not a refusal.

Bottom line

UK life insurance applications ask a predictable set of questions: personal details, height and weight, smoking and vaping, alcohol, personal and family medical history, occupation and hazardous pursuits, pending tests, and existing cover. Each one helps the insurer price the cover fairly, and your honest, checked answers are what make a future claim straightforward. Watch the time windows, disclose anything you are unsure about, and do not guess.

If you want help applying for life insurance, or you are unsure how a particular part of your history might affect your options, GoInsureMe can talk it through and handle the process from quote to cover.