For most of us it’s no secret that smoking is bad for our health, but did you know it could hurt your pockets too? Along with the risk of some pretty serious health issues, smokers could face higher premiums, or even get struggle to secure life insurance at all, depending on the provider.
But what actually counts as smoking when it comes to life insurance, and what do you do if you’re a smoker looking for protection? Let’s have a look at what you would need to consider.
Do I count as a smoker?
At Smart Insurance, we consider you a smoker if you’ve smoked any cigarettes in the last 12 months. For us, our definition of a cigarette is tobacco rolled in a thin wrapper for smoking. If you use other nicotine products like chewing gum, patches, or e-cigarettes, it won’t affect your smoker status if you buy life insurance with Smart. You will be considered a non-smoker on your policy and your premium won’t be affected.
Do I need life insurance if I’m a smoker?
There’s no denying that smoking puts our wellbeing at risk. In the UK, there are around 76,000 deaths every year caused by smoking related illnesses, and according to the NHS, smokers are at higher risk of developing more than 50 serious illnesses.
Statistics like these can be hard to hear, but whether you’re a former smoker or hoping to quit in the future, you can secure life insurance with Smart Insurance. With the right protection in place, you could ensure that there’s money there to help your family pay for outstanding debts, bills, or other future needs. And you could have some peace of mind knowing that if you were to unexpectedly pass away or become seriously ill, there would be a financial safety net in place for your loved ones when it matters most.
How does smoking affect my life insurance policy?
If you’re a smoker it’s likely that it will have an impact on your life insurance rates. When you apply for life insurance, some insurers will ask you a few health and lifestyle questions to help them work out how much of a risk it is to insure you. This in turn can affect how much your monthly premiums will cost.
It’s no secret that smoking can cause a range of health issues, and as a result, smokers are more at risk of suffering or passing away from serious illnesses associated with smoking. Because of this increased risk, you could face a higher rate of premiums than a non-smoker would.
What if I lie about smoking on my application?
When it comes to making an application for life insurance, it’s important to be completely transparent and honest when answering questions. If you were to lie or leave out important information during your application, it could result in your policy being deemed invalid.
When a claim is made on your life insurance, the insurance company will investigate to make sure the claim is valid. If they find that you have lied or provided false information on your application, they won’t pay out. So, even if you only smoke socially, it’s important to be honest about it.
What if I’ve given up smoking since my application?
When you take out a policy with Smart Insurance, it’s flexible. That means that you can apply to make any changes to your policy, free of charge. So, if you have quit smoking, you can request to make a change to the cost of your premiums. You can make this request once it’s been 12 full months since you last smoked a cigarette.
My partner smokes but I don’t. Will this affect my policy?
If you’re applying for life insurance for a single applicant (that is, just for you), then your premiums will be based solely on the information you have provided. So, your life insurance wouldn’t be affected by your partner smoking. However, if you were to apply for a joint policy, both you and your partner would answer the relevant health and lifestyle questions. In that case, your premiums would also be higher as a result of your partner’s smoker status.
We’re here to help
At Smart Insurance, we’re here to help you secure some financial cover to protect the life you’ve built for your family. Whether you’re a smoker or not, our team are on hand to help you find the right policy for your needs, so that you can relax knowing your loved ones are in safe hands.
If you would like to find out what your options are when it comes to securing a policy with us, just reach out to our team of UK-based professionals. They’ll be more than happy to help.
