CIC Severity-Based Payouts Explained

Modern UK critical illness policies divide claimable conditions into two tiers: full-payment conditions that pay 100% of the sum assured, and additional or partial-payment conditions that pay a set percentage — typically 10%, 25% or 50% — for less severe diagnoses. A partial payment does not normally reduce the remaining full sum assured; the policy continues with its headline cover intact.

The most common partial-payment conditions are low-grade prostate cancer, early-stage breast cancer (DCIS), carcinoma in situ, lower-severity heart procedures (angioplasty), single-kidney removal for disease, and some specific neurological diagnoses. The exact list and the payout percentages vary between insurers — Aviva, Royal London and Guardian have different partial-payment ladders and it is worth comparing them carefully at application.

Severity-based structures matter because medical advances mean many conditions are caught earlier and are less severe than they would have been a decade ago. A policy that only pays on "advanced" forms of an illness can leave you uncovered for the exact early-stage diagnoses that are now more common. Look for policies with broad partial-payment ladders and transparent definitions.