Quick answer · Updated August 2026
The headline UK protection numbers: insurers paid £5.32 billion across individual life, income protection and critical illness claims in 2024, accepting 97.9% of claims — 275,000 of them, averaging £18,700 each (up 10% year-on-year). Including workplace schemes, total protection payouts hit a record £8 billion. All figures ABI; free to cite with a link.
Headline Statistics (ABI, 2024 — latest published)
| Statistic | Figure |
|---|---|
| Individual protection claims paid (life + IP + CIC) | £5.32 billion |
| Individual claims accepted | 97.9% (at or above this level for a decade) |
| Number of individual claims | 275,000 |
| Average individual claim paid | £18,700 (up 10% from £17,100 in 2023) |
| Total protection payouts incl. workplace schemes | £8 billion — record year |
Source: Association of British Insurers, 2024 protection claims data (published 2025).
Claims-Paid Rates by Insurer (2024, life)
| Insurer | Life claims paid |
|---|---|
| Vitality | 99.6% |
| Scottish Widows | 99.5% |
| Aviva | 99.4% |
| LV= | 99.4% |
| Guardian | 99.4% |
| Royal London | 99.3% |
| Beagle Street | 99.0% |
| Canada Life | 98.9% |
| AIG Life | 98.8% |
| Zurich | 98.4% |
| Legal & General | 97.0% |
Each insurer's latest published individual life figures.
Cost & Market Statistics (August 2026)
- Cheapest mainstream starting premium: £4.50/month (Legal & General); direct online from £4/month (Beagle Street).
- Typical healthy 30-year-old: £200,000 of 25-year level term from £5–12/month.
- Smoker loading: typically 70–120% above non-smoker rates; 12 months nicotine-free restores non-smoker pricing.
- Over-50s guaranteed plans: from £4/month, payout caps £10,000–£20,000 by provider.
- UK average funeral cost: £4,141 (SunLife Cost of Dying Report, 2025).
- Decade-long claims-acceptance floor: 97.9% (ABI) — payment reliability is an industry constant, not a differentiator.
Citing These Figures
Journalists, researchers and site owners are welcome to cite this page with attribution and a link. Figures are re-verified against ABI and insurer publications each time this page's "Updated" date changes; primary sources are named throughout.
Frequently Asked Questions
£5.32 billion across individual life insurance, income protection and critical illness claims — and £8 billion including workplace protection schemes, a record (ABI).
97.9% of individual protection claims were accepted in 2024, a level the industry has held or beaten for a decade (ABI).
£18,700 across all individual protection claims in 2024, up 10% on 2023 — term-life lump sums specifically typically run far higher, as the average includes monthly income-protection benefits.