Refused term life assurance, what now?

duckychick

HI,

I recently applied for a term life assurance too cover a £100k mortgage which I have on interest only. I have no other life assurance as when I priced it up it was too expensive, hence going for the term assurance. However I have been refused this as I was diagnosed with Lymphoma in September 2025. This has now been treated and I have been discharged but they have cited this as the reason. I am 60 years old. Does this mean I cannot get insurance from anyone? And do I need to declare on any other applications that I have been turned down? Are there special brokers who deal with people like me? Many thanks for any advice.

pramsay13

I think you will struggle given your age and medical history to the point where they either won't quote or it will be prohibitively expensive.

You could try speaking to a broker and see if they have any suggestions.

When does your mortgage end and what's your plan for paying it off?

duckychick

Hi, I have 10 years left on the mortgage, there will be savings to pay it off at the end of that, I just wanted to cover in the event of death during the next 10 years.

MyRealNameToo

If diagnosis of cancer was Sep 2025 when did you enter remission? Most insurers start the clock from then and will require you to be clear for a minimum period of time.

Vitor

One refusal doesn't mean nobody will insure you. Given that your lymphoma treatment was only recently completed, the problem may be timing rather than you being permanently uninsurable. I wouldn't make lots of further online applications, though. Speak to a specialist protection broker who deals with cancer/medical-history cases and can approach appropriate insurers before making a formal application. BIBA's Find Insurance service is a good starting point.

duckychick

Thank you for your replies, I will seek advice from a specialist advisor as suggested.

Weighty1

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82151571#Comment_82151571

It really will depend on the stage and grade of the lymphoma and the treatment you had. You may not be able to get cover now but may once you've been in remission for 2+ years, although again, this will be dependent on the stage and grade of the lymphoma and whether it was hogkins or non-hodgkins lymphoma.

With the diagnosis being very recent you may struggle to afford the premiums that are offered due to how insurance providers normally calculate the increased premium for cancer survivors BUT there are specialist brokers out there who can help.