Diabetes life cover · Royal London
Royal London Diabetes Life Cover explained
Royal London built a life insurance plan just for people with type 1 or type 2 diabetes. Your HbA1c sets the price, and a better reading each year can bring it down.
In short
Royal London Diabetes Life Cover is level life insurance for people with diabetes. It pays a lump sum if you die or are diagnosed with a terminal illness during the plan. Each year you can send a new HbA1c reading. If it has improved, your premium can fall, and it can never rise above where you started.
What the plan is
Most insurers treat diabetes as a loading on a standard plan. Royal London built a separate plan instead, with its own application and pricing.
It pays a lump sum if you die during the plan, or if you are diagnosed with a terminal illness that meets the plan definition. It is not critical illness cover and it is not income protection.
Royal London says the application asks fewer questions and needs less medical evidence than a standard plan. You cannot buy it online. It is sold through advisers only.
How the HbA1c pricing works
- Send a reading when you applyRoyal London must receive it within three months of your application. The test can be dated up to 12 months before you apply.
- No reading yet?Royal London estimates a price, then corrects it when your evidence arrives. Miss the three-month deadline and the plan is cancelled, with premiums refunded.
- Send a reading each yearRoyal London asks every year. Sending it is your choice, but it is how the price comes down.
- Better reading, lower pricePremiums fall by 1.75% to 8% a year, depending on how far your reading has dropped.
- A ceiling on savingsThe most you can save is 40%. That needs a big drop, from an HbA1c of 11% or more to under 7%.
- A ceiling on risesIf a reading worsens or you do not send one, the premium can rise. It never goes above your starting price.
The plan is for people managing an HbA1c below 12.0% (108 mmol/mol).
No fee to you, no obligation
Find out what Royal London would charge you
A few details, and we will come back with real numbers. From Royal London, and from the other insurers that price diabetes properly.
Thanks, that has reached us.
We will call you back, usually within one working day.
Have your latest HbA1c reading to hand if you can find it. It is the number that sets the price.
Who can apply, and how much cover
You can apply between 18 and 88 if you live in the UK, and the plan must end before you turn 90. It can run for anywhere from 1 to 72 years.
The most cover you can have is £1,000,000, and that counts every Diabetes Life Cover plan you hold. The lowest premium is £10 a month.
The cover is level, so the amount does not shrink over time. Each plan covers one person, so a couple needs two plans. There is no cash-in value at any point.
The small print
- Level cover only, so it does not shrink with a repayment mortgage. It suits family and debt cover better than mortgage cover.
- It does not include critical illness cover. That needs a separate plan.
- Royal London will not pay for death from intentional self-inflicted injury within 12 months of cover starting.
- A terminal illness claim must meet the plan definition, and exclusions on your cover summary apply.
- If a payment is five weeks overdue the plan is cancelled. You can ask to restart within six months, but a change in health can block it.
- Declare everything, including blood pressure, cholesterol, weight loss medication and whether you smoke or vape. Gaps get found at claim stage.
Who it suits
It probably fits if you
- Have type 1 or type 2 diabetes and want cover in place quickly
- Were loaded heavily by other insurers because of your HbA1c
- Are improving your control and want the price to follow it down
- Want a fixed sum for your family or your debts
Look elsewhere if you
- Want critical illness cover
- Want decreasing cover that follows a repayment mortgage
- Want one joint plan for you and your partner
- Have stable, strong control, where a standard plan may cost less
- Need more than £1,000,000 of cover
How it compares with a standard plan
The two products solve the same problem from opposite ends. The comparison that counts is your quote against your quote, on the same amount and term.
Royal London Diabetes Life Cover
Built only for people with type 1 or type 2 diabetes. Your HbA1c is looked at every year, so the price can fall as your control improves, and it never rises above where you started. It is level cover for one person, with no critical illness option, up to £1,000,000.
A standard plan, rated for diabetes
Open to everyone, with diabetes priced as an extra loading. Your HbA1c is priced once, when you apply, and nothing changes unless you reapply. You can usually choose level or decreasing cover, joint cover, critical illness and higher amounts.
What applying involves
- Get your latest HbA1cYour GP surgery, diabetes clinic or the NHS App will have it. Applying without it works, but it delays the real price.
- Speak to an adviserThe plan is not sold direct. There is no fee to you for our advice.
- Answer the diabetes questionsRoyal London says the application takes under 30 minutes.
- Get the decisionIn many cases cover starts as soon as the application is accepted and payment details are in.
- Send the evidence within three monthsMiss the deadline and the plan is cancelled, so set a reminder on the day you apply.
- Send a new reading every yearBook it for the week after your annual diabetes review.
Ask for the plan to be written in trust where it suits you. A trust keeps the payout outside your estate and usually gets money to your family faster.
If you have diabetes and no cover
Diabetes UK’s 2024/25 figures count almost 6 million people in the UK living with diabetes, including nearly 1.3 million who do not yet know.
Several UK insurers price diabetes properly, and one built a plan for it. If one insurer said no, that is not the end of it.
For the wider market, read life insurance with diabetes and cover with a health condition.
Short form, then we call you
Been declined or loaded for diabetes before?
Leave your number and we will ring you. We will ask the questions, so there is nothing for you to work out before you get in touch.
Thanks, that has reached us.
We will call you back, usually within one working day.
Have your latest HbA1c reading to hand if you can find it. It is the number that sets the price.
What comes with the plan
Every Diabetes Life Cover plan includes Royal London’s Helping Hand at no extra cost, including support from a RedArc nurse. You do not have to claim to use it.
Helping Hand is provided by third parties, is not regulated by the FCA or PRA, sits outside your policy terms, and can be changed or withdrawn. See Royal London Helping Hand explained.
Royal London paid 98.4% of protection claims in 2025, £821m across 62,412 claims. Do insurers actually pay out?
Royal London’s own documents
These are Royal London’s customer documents, checked as the latest versions in October 2026. They are the final word on what is and is not covered.
Questions people ask about Royal London Diabetes Life Cover
Can I buy Royal London Diabetes Life Cover online?
No. It is sold through advisers only, so you need someone who can access Royal London’s diabetes application.
Do I need my HbA1c result before I apply?
It helps but is not essential. Without it Royal London estimates a price and adjusts it when your evidence arrives. The evidence must reach them within three months of applying, and the test can be dated up to 12 months before.
How much can the premium come down?
Premiums can fall by 1.75% to 8% a year as your HbA1c improves, up to 40% in total. The full 40% needs a drop from 11% or more to under 7%.
Can the premium go above my starting price?
No. It can rise if your readings worsen or you stop sending them, but never above your original starting price.
Does it include critical illness cover?
No. It pays on death, or on a terminal illness that meets the plan definition. Critical illness cover needs a separate plan.
Can my partner and I take one joint plan?
No. It is single life only, so you each need your own plan.
Will Royal London beat a standard insurer on price?
Sometimes. Well controlled type 2 with no complications can get close to standard rates on an ordinary plan. If your readings are high, this plan is often the stronger option. Compare both.
What happens if I stop paying?
The cover ends with no cash value. If a payment runs five weeks overdue the plan is cancelled. You can ask to restart within six months, though a change in health may block it.
Added value benefits
Each insurer adds different extras. They can tip the choice between two policies that cost about the same.
Zurich AccelerateFaster specialist help for cancer, heart and neurological conditions.Read the guide
Aviva Global TreatmentTreatment abroad for six serious conditions, with travel arranged.Read the guide
Vitality rewardsPoints for staying active, with rewards and a premium linked to them.Read the guide
Royal London Helping HandVirtual GP, mental health and physio apps, plus a nurse when life gets hard.Read the guide
L&G Wellbeing SupportNurse-led support included with Legal & General protection plans.Read the guide
Want to know what Royal London would charge you?
We get your price from Royal London and from the other insurers that price diabetes properly. There is no fee to you for our advice.
We are not Royal London. This page is based on Royal London’s published customer and adviser material. Always check its own documents for current details.
Sources: Royal London, Diabetes Life Cover; Royal London product detail; Royal London 2025 claims statistics; Diabetes UK statistics.
Related: Royal London Helping Hand, life insurance with high blood pressure, life insurance on weight loss injections, family protection.