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Can you get life insurance if you have used drugs?
As life insurance experts, we will find the right policy to protect you and your loved ones.
Whatever your history with drug use, whether you’re still an active user or have been in the past, The Insurance Surgery is here to help you find life insurance to support your loved ones. We offer specialist, free advice that is non-judgmental and will guide you throughout the entire process. With experience in finding life insurance for drug users, we can connect you with the right insurer for you.
Obtaining life insurance with a drug history can be difficult but it is not impossible. When you contact us, we will need the following information from you to find the insurer that best suits you:
Step 1: Prepare all the necessary information about your health.
Step 2: Work out how much cover is required.
Step 3: Get in touch with an mental health life insurance expert.
Step 4: You may need to provide a GP report.
Step 5: Browse the available options and with advice from an expert, choose the correct cover for you.
Life insurance for recovering addicts will generally require that you have not actively taken any substances for around two years apart from cannabis which falls under slightly different rules.
Types of substances that will be classified as drug abuse when applying for life insurance:
There are many other types of drugs that will be classified as high risk for life insurance such as legal highs and any other substances that cause similar effects. After we’ve assessed your situation, we can discuss all life insurance options available to you and your specific circumstances, offering support and guidance.
At the moment, it is possible to get drug abuse critical illness cover as long as you are not currently using drugs.
As cannabis use is considered to be a lower risk form of drug use, it is unlikely this will impact your chances of getting critical illness cover. It is often classed as a smoker so you will likely receive the same rate on premiums tobacco users do.
If you are able to get a critical illness cover (CIC) policy, it works by paying out a tax-free lump sum if you are diagnosed with a critical illness defined under your policy wording. Most critical illness policies will cover:
In some cases where we are applying for drug use critical illness cover there are some more specialist insurance providers and products that could be more suitable for some individuals. We can help you to find the ones best suited to you.
It’s easy to make a claim with The Insurance Surgery. Simply follow these three steps:
The easiest way to make a claim is to go through the insurance broker or provider you took the cover with. This not only takes the weight off your shoulders at this stressful time but also helps speed up the claim process.
Depending on the type of policy you have, ways to make a claim can vary. You will initiate the claim process either via telephone, email, or post for Life Insurance, Critical Illness Cover and Income Protection.
Once the claim has been received your insurance provider will then request the necessary evidence in order to assess the claim. This can include but is not limited to death certificates, GP reports and specialist letters.
Income protection for active drug users is also more than likely to be unavailable, especially if you use cocaine, heroin or steroids. Cannabis may be considered with some specialist insurance providers based on a strict underwriting assessment.
Drug abuse income protection cover will also very much depend on which substances you have used and when was the last time that you used those substances.
Almost all drug abuse life insurance applications for income protection and other similar types of cover will specifically ask about any current or histories of drug use to help underwriters accurately assess levels of risk. You will therefore need to disclose information about your own history with these substances to give underwriters sufficient information to make an accurate decision.
Case Study: Female, 37 years old, used drugs recreationally in 2019. She was looking for decreasing life insurance to cover the mortgage for her partner and 3 children.
Cover type: Decreasing life insurance
Term: 30 years
Monthly premium: £36.41
Cover amount: £525,000.00
Case Study: Male, aged 31 used drugs 3 years ago due to a family death. Now looking for life insurance and critical illness cover. Would like to be financially protected as his partner has a baby on the way.
Cover Type: Level life insurance
Term: 75 years
Monthly Premium: £50.00
Cover amount: £300,000
Each application for life insurance is done on a case-by-case basis. The underwriter will look at your medical history and decide how much of a risk you are. Normally you will need to be clean of drug use for at least two years before being offered life insurance. However, your history of drug use may still impact your premiums, especially if you’ve used drugs in the past five years. You may also see an increase in your premiums if there has been any long lasting medical conditions as a result of drug use.
However, every insurer has their own guidelines when considering applications so it can vary. With over 25 years of experience, we are familiar with a range of insurers and will be able to advise on who might offer you the best deal.
As an award-winning specialist Insurance Broker for those with medical conditions, high risk occupations or participating in extreme sports we will never be beaten on price.
We answer your most frequently asked questions.
It is very unlikely that you would be able to get life insurance if you are an active drug user, unless you are using cannabis as that often adheres to the same rules as life insurance for smokers. Owing to the impact that recreational drugs can have on your mental and physical health, most insurance underwriters view life insurance for drug addicts as extremely high risk. Many will only accept applications if you have been clean for at least two years.
Insurance underwriters will want to see a period without drug use to give them some reassurance that you are not still dependent on illegal substances. The use of drugs in itself is not the main issue when applying for life insurance, the more important factors are the prolonged impact that drugs can have on your health. If it has impacted your health, chances are you will probably have higher premiums than the standard rate.
If you are a recovering addict, we can help you to find the most competitive rates. We can also look at any current or previous life insurance cover to see if we can find a better deal, for example
If cover has been accepted with non-standard terms. Speak to one of our experts today for specialist advice.
Yes, it is possible that an insurer will deny you, especially if you’re currently using drugs due to the impact on your mental and physical wellbeing. Life insurance for addicts can be difficult to obtain. If you are offered cover, it will most likely have higher premiums and often an exclusion if your cause of death was due to drug use.
That being said, each case is assessed individually and if you have not used drugs in the past five years and there is no prolonged impact on your health, it is easier to get life insurance with lower or even standard premium rates.
If you have been denied life insurance in the past, get in touch with us and we can see what your options are.
If you are looking for cover such as drug use life insurance, critical illness cover and income protection then you should contact one of our experts to see what we can do to help and save you money.
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