Life insurance for the self-employed
A plain-English guide to UK life insurance if you are self-employed in 2026 — whether you are a sole trader, a business partner or the director of your own limited company. What cover costs, why self-employment itself rarely raises your premium, the bigger protection gap you face without an employer, and the tax-efficient route open to company directors.
Can you get life insurance if you are self-employed?
- Yes: the self-employed can take out exactly the same personal life insurance as anyone else — being self-employed is not, by itself, a reason to pay more.
- What sets your price: your age, health, lifestyle, the cover amount and term, and your actual occupation. A hands-on or hazardous trade can add an occupation loading, but the office-based self-employed are usually rated as standard.
- Why it matters more: you have no employer ‘death-in-service’ benefit and no statutory sick pay, so the gap your policy has to fill is often bigger than for an employee.
- Tax point: a sole trader’s own premiums are not tax-deductible, but a limited-company director may be able to fund cover tax-efficiently through a relevant life plan.
How life insurance is priced for the self-employed
| Factor | How insurers treat it | Typical effect on premium |
|---|---|---|
| Being self-employed | Not treated as risky in itself; the price follows your actual job | Usually no uplift versus an employee |
| Your occupation / trade | Rated by occupation class — manual or hazardous work carries more risk | Higher-risk trades may add an occupation loading |
| Age & health | Standard medical and lifestyle underwriting | Younger and healthier means a lower premium |
| Cover type | Level or decreasing term versus whole-of-life | Term cover is typically cheaper than whole-of-life |
| Cover amount & term | A larger sum assured over a longer period is more to insure | Higher sum or longer term means a higher premium |
| Trading structure | Sole trader / partner versus limited-company director | Directors may fund cover tax-efficiently through the company |
Indicative only — every insurer uses its own occupation guide and underwriting, so premiums vary widely for the same person. Not a quote.
The self-employed protection gap
When you work for an employer, you often have hidden safety nets: a ‘death-in-service’ lump sum (typically a multiple of salary), sometimes group income protection, and statutory sick pay if you are off work. The self-employed have none of these by default. If you die, there is no employer payout to clear the mortgage or replace your income; if illness or injury stops you working, there is no sick pay. That makes personally-arranged cover the main thing standing between your family and financial hardship.
The practical upshot is that many self-employed people need to think about how much cover more carefully than employees do, because they are starting from zero. A common approach is enough life cover to repay the mortgage and any business loans, plus a sum to support dependants. Our guide on how much life insurance you need and the cover calculator can help you put a figure on it, and the life insurance hub explains how cover, terms and payouts work.
Sole traders, partners and company directors
How you trade changes your options. A sole trader or business partner takes out ordinary personal life insurance; the premiums are paid from your own pocket and are not an allowable deduction against your trading profits. Because a sole trader is not a separate legal entity and is not an employee, you cannot use a relevant life plan for yourself.
A limited-company director counts as an employee of the company, so a relevant life plan is usually available — the company pays and premiums are generally treated as a business expense, with the payout written into a trust for your family. Where a business has partners or co-owners, key person cover and partnership protection can keep the business itself afloat if an owner dies. These are separate from personal cover and can sit alongside it.
What to expect when you apply
Expect the usual questions about your age, health, smoking status, family history, the cover amount and term — plus your exact job title and duties. Describe your work accurately: understating a manual or hazardous role is a misrepresentation that can let an insurer reduce or decline a claim. Because insurers’ occupation guides differ, it is worth comparing several providers, as one may load a trade heavily while another offers near-standard terms.
Life insurance replaces a lump sum on death, but it does nothing if illness or injury simply stops you earning. For the self-employed with no sick pay, that risk is often best met with income protection, which pays a regular monthly benefit while you are unable to work. Many self-employed people hold both. For related reading, see term vs whole-of-life and the wider life insurance hub.
Self-employed life insurance: FAQs
Information only — not financial advice. Figures are indicative and not a quote. My Insurance Expert is not an FCA-authorised intermediary and does not arrange or sell policies. Tax treatment depends on individual circumstances and may change. Last updated: 2026-08-30
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