Life insurance with mental health conditions

7 September 2026

Depression and anxiety rarely stop you getting life cover. The problem is an exclusion on income protection, the product most likely to pay for it.

6 min read · Ben Tomlin · Last reviewed September 2026

The short answer

Life cover is usually available at standard rates with a mental health history. Income protection is where a mental health exclusion can appear, and that matters because mental health is a major cause of income protection claims. ABI figures show £39 million paid on those claims in 2025.

Why mental health matters on a life insurance application

Mental health is one of the largest causes of income protection claims in the UK.

ABI figures show £39 million was paid on individual income protection claims for mental health in 2025. That was nearly a fifth of all income protection claims paid.

So this is not a marginal risk that insurers reluctantly consider. It is a mainstream cause of claim that they pay on regularly.

That makes an exclusion expensive. It removes one of the most likely reasons you would ever claim.

The thing to watch for.

Life cover is usually straightforward with a mental health history. Income protection is where a blanket exclusion can appear, and it is worth challenging rather than accepting.

What insurers ask about mental health

The questions are more detailed than most people expect, and vagueness works against you.

When you were first diagnosed, and when your most recent episode was.
What treatment you had, including medication, dosage and any changes.
Whether you have had counselling or therapy, and whether it has finished.
Whether you have taken time off work, and how much.
Whether there has ever been self harm, a hospital admission or a referral to secondary care.
Whether you are currently symptom free and how long that has been true.

Time since the last episode is the single largest factor, in the same way it is for physical conditions.

A single episode of low mood five years ago, treated and resolved, is a very different application from ongoing treatment with recent time off work.

Be precise about dates. An imprecise answer is usually underwritten as the worst reasonable reading of it.

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Likely outcomes for life, critical illness and income protection

Product	Common outcome with a mental health history
Life insurance	Usually standard rates, particularly where the history is historic and resolved.
Critical illness cover	Usually standard rates. Mental health is not itself a listed condition on most policies.
Income protection	The one to watch. A mental health exclusion, a rating, or standard terms depending on history and insurer.

The pattern is consistent. The product least likely to be affected is the one where mental health is least likely to cause a claim.

Income protection is the opposite, which is why the exclusion turns up there.

An exclusion is not automatic and it is not permanent. Insurers differ significantly, and some will review an exclusion after a period of good health.

Ask two questions before accepting one. Is the exclusion reviewable, and on what evidence would it be removed.

What the insurer actually sees in your records

People often assume a mental health history is invisible unless they mention it. It is not.

Anything recorded by your GP is in your medical record, including a short course of medication years ago.

That is not a reason to be anxious about applying. It is a reason to answer the questions properly, because the two will be compared.

A prescription appears with its date, dose and duration.
A referral appears whether or not you attended.
A note of a conversation with your GP appears even if nothing was prescribed.
Private therapy paid for yourself may not appear, but it is still asked about and still has to be declared.

The insurer is looking for pattern and recency rather than a single entry.

One episode, treated, resolved, several years ago, is a very different application from repeated episodes with recent time off work.

Where an insurer explains a decision poorly, ask for it in writing. The ABI has published mental health standards covering how decisions should be communicated and how exclusions are made clear.

How to get better terms with a mental health condition

Apply when you are well and stable rather than during or just after an episode.
Have your dates, medication and treatment history written down before you start the application.
Ask for pre-assessment across several insurers, because underwriting stances on mental health differ more than on almost anything else.
Do not accept the first exclusion offered without asking whether it is reviewable.
If an exclusion is unavoidable now, take the cover anyway and diarise a review, because the rest of the policy still pays.
Check whether your employer already provides group income protection, since group schemes are usually underwritten far more lightly.

The employer point is worth checking first. Group cover often includes mental health without individual underwriting.

The industry has moved on this. The ABI has published mental health standards for insurers covering how decisions are explained and how exclusions are made clear in documents.

That does not guarantee you standard terms. It does mean you are entitled to a clear explanation of any decision, and you should ask for one.

Nothing here is a reason to hide a history. Mental health treatment appears in your medical records, and non-disclosure is one of the most common reasons claims fail.

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Frequently asked questions

Can I get life insurance with depression or anxiety?

Usually yes, and often at standard rates. Life cover is the product least affected by a mental health history, because the connection to the risk being insured is weaker than for income protection.

Will I get a mental health exclusion on income protection?

Possibly, depending on your history and the insurer. Stances vary widely, so a pre-assessment across several insurers is worth doing before any formal application.

Does income protection pay out for mental health?

Yes, and it is a major cause of claim. ABI figures show £39 million paid on individual income protection claims for mental health in 2025, nearly a fifth of all income protection claims paid.

Can a mental health exclusion be removed later?

Sometimes. Some insurers will review an exclusion after a defined period without symptoms or treatment. Ask whether the exclusion is reviewable and what evidence would be needed before you accept the policy.

Do I have to declare counselling I paid for privately?

If the application asks about counselling or therapy, yes. Private treatment is still treatment, and the duty to answer accurately does not depend on who paid for it.

Should I still take a policy that excludes mental health?

Usually yes. The exclusion removes one cause of claim, not all of them. Accident, cancer, musculoskeletal problems and every other cause remain covered, and you can revisit the exclusion later.