Serious Illness Cover
Cover that reflects modern illness trends
As a nation, we're living longer but not necessarily in better health1. As a result, conditions are progressing over time, recurring unexpectedly, and often they fall outside the narrow definitions of traditional critical illness plans. Unique in the market, Serious Illness Cover offers severity-based payments across a wider range of conditions to protect against earlier onset and to last longer into later life. It also allows members to claim in full more than once. This enables you to offer the most comprehensive cover available in the market1.
total amount paid
of all claims paid
Largest claim
Average claim paid
Oldest claimant – Cancer
Breakdown of Serious Illness Cover claims in 2025
Cancer accounted for 65% of female claims and 42% of male claims - making it the most common reason overall. In contrast, Heart and Artery conditions represented nearly 25% of male claims but just 4% of female claims.
Stroke and Nervous System conditions were the second most common cause for both sexes, while Complications of Pregnancy made up 6% of female claims, reinforcing the value of including this benefit as standard. The spread of claims across Connective Tissue Disease, Respiratory, Gastrointestinal and Endocrine conditions also underlines why broader cover matters - many of these would fall outside a traditional critical illness plan.
Cover for a wider range of conditions
Designed differently to traditional critical illness cover, Serious Illness Cover pays out a percentage amount for illnesses across a wide range of severities, not just set amounts. This means broader protection across a wider range of illnesses - including up to 60 conditions unique to Vitality that no other plan in the market covers. In 2025, this is reflected in our claims statistics, with one in seven not covered by a typical critical illness 'enhanced' plan and one in five not covered by a typical 'core' plan.
up to 60 conditions unique to Vitality
1 in 7 Claims paid for conditions not covered by a typical critical illness 'enhanced' plan
1 in 5 Claims paid on conditions not covered by a typical critical illness “core” plan
Percentage of claims not typically covered by 'enhanced' critical illness plans by age group
Under broader, severity-based cover, younger claimants are more likely to need cover that traditional plans don't provide. For members under 30, almost a third of claims fall outside a typical enhanced critical illness plan and around a quarter for those aged 30 to 39 - highlighting the importance of broader protection from the very start of a plan. Meanwhile, around 15% of members over 60 claimed for a condition not typically covered by an 'enhanced' critical illness plan.
Top 5 conditions paid out unique conditions:
Pulmonary Embolism
Moderately severe inflammatory bowel disease (without the requirement for surgery)
Irregular heartbeat (Cardiac arrythmia)
Acute renal dialysis
Rheumatoid arthritis (on diagnosis)
As clients get older, the need for cover increases only for it to end. Meanwhile, later‑life conditions such as dementia and frailty are rising. Dementia and FrailCare Cover (DFCC) was introduced to plug this gap.
According to Vitality research2, concern about developing dementia, Alzheimer’s or frailty is widespread, yet confidence in covering care costs is low. Despite this, only a small minority expect insurance to play a role and many are unclear whether their cover would extend into later life at all (see below).
Available automatically to Serious Illness Cover planholders at the end of their term, DFCC allows cover to transition into later life without further underwriting. It ensures protection remains in place as risks evolve, rather than stopping at an arbitrary age.
For advisers, DFCC supports earlier, more confident conversations about long‑term financial protection. It also reflects Vitality’s Shared Value philosophy: that protection needs to evolve with people’s changing lives.
2025 by the numbers: Dementia and FrailCare Cover
Around 55% worried about dementia and frailty
49% unconfident they could afford later‑life care
Only 6% expect protection would cover later‑life conditions
SIC planholders covered by DFCC
Breakdown of claims by decision type in 2025
Declined Claims
A small number of Serious Illness Cover claims are declined each year, most commonly where the severity threshold has not been met. Given the breadth of conditions our cover assesses, occasionally claims will be declined that have not met the threshold. Advisers who take time to explain how severity-based payments work, and who encourage full disclosure at application, are best placed to support clients through the claims process.
1. Healthy life expectancy, UK, ONS, February 2026 2. More conditions covered than any other insurer, Defaqto 2026 3 Consumer research carried out by Opinium on behalf of Vitality, with 2,000 UK adults, weighted to be nationally representative, between 5 and 9 March 2026
