Short answer: Vitality has the highest published UK life insurance claim-paid rate at 99.6% in 2024. Closely followed by Scottish Widows (99.5%), Aviva (99.4%), LV= (99.4%), Guardian (99.4%) and Royal London (99.3%). All major UK insurers pay above 97%.
For who: applicants picking between insurers.
Reviewed by: Ben Darke, lifecoverfor.com · Last updated: 2026-06-03
Reviewed by: Ben Darke, lifecoverfor.com · Last updated: 2026-06-03
Key facts (2026)
| Vitality 2024 claim-paid | 99.6% — highest published in the UK |
| Aviva 2024 claim-paid | 99.4% — the largest UK protection insurer by market share |
| Legal & General 2024 claim-paid | 97.0% — slightly lower but consistently among the cheapest premium-wise |
| How claim-paid % is calculated | Industry-standard: paid claims / submitted claims in the calendar year, on individual term life policies. Published annually under ABI guidance. |
Sources
2024 protection reports from Vitality, Aviva, Legal & General, LV=, Royal London, Scottish Widows, Guardian, AIG, Zurich.
Get a real quote
The figures above are 2026 industry averages. Your personalised quote takes 60 seconds and shows you exactly what every major UK insurer would charge for your age, health and cover amount.