"No two experiences are the same, but having protection in place can help remove money worries at an already difficult time and provide a vital financial safety net if the worst happens."
- David Russell - Scottish Widows
New data from Scottish Widows has revealed that it paid £219 million in life and critical illness claims in 2025, equating to 10,967 customers and their families.
The insurer paid 99% of life insurance claims last year, totalling £127 million. For critical illness claims, more than 91.9% were paid throughout the year, with £92 million paid to customers.
People aged 40 and under accounted for £23 million in claims paid, including £22 million to those aged between 21 and 40. The youngest claimant was aged 27 for life cover and 23 for critical illness. £890,000 was paid in child critical illness claims in 2025.
Cancer remained the most common cause of critical illness claims, accounting for 63% of cases, followed by heart attack, which accounted for 11%, and stroke, which accounted for 9%.
For women, cancer was behind 78% of critical illness claims, with 4.7% paid for stroke and 4.3% for heart attack. Meanwhile, half of critical illness claims reported by men were for cancer (52.4%), 15% were for heart attack, and 9.9% for stroke.
Main causes of life insurance claims also included cancer at 30%, with heart attack accounting for 16% and respiratory accounting for 12% of claims.
Cancer was the main cause of death in over a third (34.6%) of claims for women, with respiratory issues at almost 17% and heart at 10%. However, 28.5% of male life insurance claims were for cancer, 20% for heart and 8% for accidents.
Almost half (46.4%) of critical illness claims for cancer in 21-40-year-olds were for either breast or testicular cancer.
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"People rely on protection to be there when it matters most, often at some of life’s most difficult moments," David Russell, claims strategy manager at Scottish Widows, said. "Paying 99% of life and critical illness claims shows how seriously we take that responsibility, helping to ease financial pressure when families need clarity and support.
"Cancer continues to be the leading cause of claims, reflecting the reality that it touches so many lives, and our research with Macmillan shows the number of people living with cancer in the UK is expected to rise significantly by 2045.
"No two experiences are the same, but having protection in place can help remove money worries at an already difficult time and provide a vital financial safety net if the worst happens. We also know support goes beyond the financial, which is why we work with partners such as RedArc, Macmillan Cancer Support and Square Health to provide practical, emotional and medical support throughout the claims journey."
