Will vaping affect my life insurance policy?
Having life insurance is a hugely ethical decision for you and those close to you. Leaving something behind for your loved ones after you pass on can alleviate a huge financial burden and ease their recovery process as they won’t have to worry about logistics during an extremely stressful time.
However, there’s a seriously unfortunate reality for those who are looking to pay monthly premiums for life cover when they consume nicotine in any form.
If you clicked on this page you’re likely wondering, does vaping drive up the cost of life insurance? The short answer to this question is yes. This is a disparaging trend that we hope will change over time. But let’s break it down…
It’s best if we start at the beginning; smoking is and has been the biggest killer on earth for some time, so naturally, when smoking was one of the only ways to consume nicotine frequently, life insurance companies held higher premiums for nicotine users. As we all know, smokers predominantly have far more health issues, find themselves more frequently diagnosed with a terminal illness, and often die sooner than non-smokers. These high-rate reflections are still in effect today and are measured/confirmed after your death as your bloodwork is checked and cross-referenced. Because of this process, your expected sum of assured financial support which can be accessed 12 months after your death certificate is received, may not be paid out to your next of kin even if you spent your life consistently paying life insurance premiums and other insurance costs.
For this reason, you should never ever lie on your life insurance forms as these companies can refuse to pay out if they find you were an avid smoker when you claimed you were not. This could result in your life insurance payout being significantly reduced or even halted altogether; which would likely be extremely unfortunate for your loved ones.
However, as times have changed and other methods of consuming nicotine have become more prevalent – vaping, but also nicotine chewing gum, patches, and other methods – insurance companies have still maintained this same system. As a result, even though vaping – as well as other cited methods of consuming nicotine – are widely regarded as being far healthier than smoking, they are usually kept in the category as smokers. While this disparity is different from company to company, the fact that you consume nicotine period is enough for the cost of your policy to rise.
Will my insurance rates go up if I vape with no nicotine?
This is an important question to consider, but unfortunately, most insurance policy companies will automatically encapsulate vapers – of any calibre or frequency – into the same category. Unfortunately, as of 2023, these policies will remain as they are and will not likely change.
However, it’s important to remember that each proprietor of life insurance policies will have different guidelines that vary depending on your lifestyle and age. So, it’s well worth it to do your research and reach out to your chosen purveyor and find out your options. You can easily take out 30 minutes of your life to compare life insurance companies and find a company that suits your needs by providing critical illness cover that will eventually produce a family income benefit that will help your loved ones when they need it. Compare life insurance if you’re eager to find out more. We absolutely implore & encourage you to contact your policyholder so you don’t find out you’re being charged more than you ought to.
Also, if inheritance tax is a worry of yours vis a vis your life insurance and vaping, you don't have so long as the value of your estate is below £325,000 or you leave everything above the £325,000 threshold to your spouse, civil partner, a charity or a community amateur sports club.