Database live | Last synced: Mon 23 Feb 2026, 06:00 | Next check: in 18 hrs
20 PROVIDERS MONITORED 182 CONDITIONS TRACKED
CriticalIQ vs CIExpert: Save £312/yr · 59% cheaper · More providers · Daily alerts
Aviva Aortic Surgery definition expanded — Updated Feb 2026
Guardian 1821 Cardiomyopathy now full-pay — NEW Jan 2026
L&G Low-grade Prostate Cancer partial payment — NEW Dec 2025
Vitality SIC+ now 182 conditions (was 174)
Zurich Enhanced adds Polycystic Kidney Disease — NEW
HSBC CI Plus: 50% additional payment for specified conditions
Canada Life UK individual protection policies transferring to Countrywide Assured
CriticalIQ vs CIExpert: Save £312/yr · 59% cheaper · More providers · Daily alerts
Aviva Aortic Surgery definition expanded — Updated Feb 2026
Guardian 1821 Cardiomyopathy now full-pay — NEW Jan 2026
L&G Low-grade Prostate Cancer partial payment — NEW Dec 2025
Vitality SIC+ now 182 conditions (was 174)
Zurich Enhanced adds Polycystic Kidney Disease — NEW
HSBC CI Plus: 50% additional payment for specified conditions
Canada Life UK individual protection policies transferring to Countrywide Assured
20+ providers · 182 conditions · Daily updates · Updated Feb 2026

The smarter, cheaper alternative to CIExpert

Every UK critical illness, life and income protection policy in one place. Real-time condition tracking, historical benchmarking, and compliance-ready PDFs — at 59% less than the competition.

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vs CIExpert — real savings, per adviser
CIExpert (estimated current rate)~£45–55/month
CriticalIQ Professional£19/month 59% CHEAPER
Annual saving per adviser~£312/year
20+
CI Providers
182+
Conditions tracked
400+
Historical policies
Daily
Auto-updates
CriticalIQ · CI Comparison Engine
3/5 FREE
Male · 44 · Non-Smoker
£250,000 · 25 years
#ProviderIQCondsClaimsPremium
1
Vitality SIC+
97
182
91.9%
£54.20
2
Aviva CIC+
94
73
93.1%
£49.80
3
Guardian 1821
92
55
92.4%
£47.30
4
Royal London
89
73
89.2%
£44.10
5
Legal & General
86
69
91.8%
£41.60
Aviva CIC / CIC+Vitality SIC / SIC+Royal LondonLegal & GeneralGuardian 1821Scottish WidowsZurich Core/EnhancedLV= / LV= BudgetBeagle StreetNFU MutualHSBC CI / CI+Barclays (AIG/Aviva u/w)Nationwide (Royal London u/w)Post Office (Royal London u/w)British FriendlyCirencester FriendlyThe ExeterHolloway FriendlyShepherds FriendlyCanada Life → Countrywide Aviva CIC / CIC+Vitality SIC / SIC+Royal LondonLegal & GeneralGuardian 1821Scottish WidowsZurich Core/EnhancedLV= / LV= BudgetBeagle StreetNFU MutualHSBC CI / CI+Barclays (AIG/Aviva u/w)Nationwide (Royal London u/w)Post Office (Royal London u/w)British FriendlyCirencester FriendlyThe ExeterHolloway FriendlyShepherds FriendlyCanada Life → Countrywide

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CIExpert has been the market leader since 2012, but their pricing hasn't kept up with the market. CriticalIQ was built from scratch to offer more — at a fraction of the cost.

CIExpert (est.)
£50/mo
CriticalIQ
£19/mo
See all plans →
FeatureCriticalIQCIExpert
Monthly price£19~£50
Providers tracked20+11–13
Conditions tracked182+136+
Life cover quotes✓ Built-inVia Iress
Income protection✓ Built-inSeparate zone
Free trial5 full comps1 day only
Daily auto-alerts✓ AutomatedManual news
Complete Market Coverage · Updated Daily

Every UK protection provider, in full detail

20+ providers covering CI, Life Cover and Income Protection. Real data from policy documents and ABI minimum standards.

Aviva
Est. 1696 · Acquired AIG Life UK Apr 2024
CI · Life · IP
34
CIC Std
73
CIC+ (adv)
93.1%
Claims paid
93.1% (2024)
Free children's CIWellbeing SupportCare ConciergeAortic def. updated ↑IP: 65% of first £60kIP market leader 2024
Vitality
Est. 1997 (Discovery) · Serious Illness Cover
CI · Life · IP
153
SIC
182
SIC Plus
91.9%
Claims paid
91.9% (2024)
Severity-based payoutsMultiple claims allowed3 payment levelsIP: save 40% healthy livingVitality Optimiser
Royal London
Est. 1861 · UK's largest mutual · 2.3m members
CI · Life · IP
46
Full pay
27
Additional
89.2%
Claims paid
89.2% (2024)
Helping Hand serviceEnhanced children's CIDual Cover (joint)IP: Trustpilot 4.6★Max £3m benefit
Legal & General
Est. 1836 · 10m+ customers · FTSE 100
CI · Life · IP
37
CIC Core
69
CIC Extra
91.8%
Claims paid
91.8% (2024)
Free children's CIRedArc nurse supportNEW: Low-grade prostate Ca.IP 2nd best-selling 2024Hospital benefit
Guardian 1821
Est. 1821 · Revived 2018 · via Scottish Friendly
CI · Life · IP
47
Full pay
8
Additional
92.4%
Claims paid
92.4% (2024)
No severity req. for heart attacksUp to £50k partialNEW: Cardiomyopathy full payIP: Guardian Protect
Scottish Widows
Est. 1815 · Lloyds Banking Group · 5-star Defaqto
CI · Life · IP
40
Full pay
17
Additional
90.4%
Claims paid
90.4% (2024)
Any CIS — blanket clauseAuto life insuranceAuto children's CI (free)SW Care: RedArc + vGP
Zurich
Est. 1872 (Switzerland) · AA- S&P rating
CI · Life · IP
29
Core
49
Enhanced
90.1%
Claims paid
90.1% (2024)
Children own policy from 16NEW: Polycystic KidneyMulti-fracture add-onCover increase at life events
LV= (Liverpool Victoria)
Est. 1843 · Mutual · Best IP Provider 14yr running
CI · Life · IP
40
Full pay
+50%
Enhanced (9 conds)
90.8%
Claims paid
90.8% (2024)
+50% payout up to £200kIP: #1 provider 2026IP: pay to £250k/yrFracture cover add-on
HSBC Life
Est. 1865 · 42m global customers · 95.5% CI claims paid
CI · Life
~40
CI Std
CI+
50% extra
95.5%
Claims paid
95.5% (2025)
Highest CI claims rateCI+: 50% additional payMax £500k benefitNo partial payments (CI)
Beagle Street
BGL Group · Scottish Friendly backed · Direct
CI · Life
~30
Core
20%
Additional
88.5%
Claims paid
88.5% (2024)
30-day survival clauseMust combine with lifeMax £20k additionalAge 80 max
NFU Mutual
Est. 1910 · 900k customers · Aviva underwritten
CI · Life
24
Standard
48
Enhanced
Aviva u/w
~88% (Aviva data)
Which? Brand of Year 2024Aviva underwrittenChildren's CI extra cost
British Friendly
Est. 1902 · Mutual · 30k members · IP specialist
IP · Life
IP
Specialist
High-risk
Occupations
Good
Claims
~87% (mutual data)
IP: High-risk occupationsBA staff benefit providerOwn occupation def.No CI product
Cirencester Friendly
Est. 1890 · Mutual · No extra for smokers/risky hobbies
IP Specialist
IP
My Earnings
Flexible
Def periods
Strong
Claims
Best Prot. Provider 2025
No extra for smokersNo extra for hobbies/riskMember benefits inc. vGPChildren's CI support
The Exeter
Est. 1927 · Friendly Society · 90k members
IP · Life
IP
Specialist
4.6★
Trustpilot
Good
Claims
5-star rated provider
HealthWise: vGP + MOTNHS Sick Pay mirroringSelf-employed specialist2nd medical opinion
Holloway Friendly
Est. 1880 · Invented income protection in 1875
IP Original
IP
Holloway
Unique
Contract type
135yr
Heritage
~86% claims paid
Original IP inventorsHolloway contract typeManual workers
Shepherds Friendly
Est. 1826 · Mutual · IP and savings
IP · Savings
IP
Core
200yr
Heritage
Mutual
Owned
~85% claims paid
200-year-old mutualShort-term IP availableNo CI product
Nationwide Building Society
Royal London underwritten · High street brand
CI · Life
RL
u/w Royal London
Good
Definitions
RL%
Claims rate
Royal London underwritten
Royal London backingTrusted high-street brandDirect channel
Post Office
Royal London underwritten · NPA · 11.8k UK branches
CI · Life
25%
CI additional
£125k
Max CI benefit
RL%
Claims rate
Royal London underwritten
Royal London backingBest Online Life Ins. 2019Terminal illness included
Barclays
AIG/Aviva underwritten · 325yr heritage
CI · Life
AIG
u/w Aviva
Std
CI Cover
~91%
Claims (AIG)
AIG/Aviva underwritten
AIG (now Aviva) backingMortgage protection focusDirect channel
Canada Life → Countrywide
UK IP policies transferring to Countrywide Assured Plc
CI · IP transitioning
Trans
Migrating
Std
Cover
Good
Claims
~87% claims paid
Policies transferring 2025-26Monitor for client impactHistorical policies tracked
Live Quote Engine

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CI cover, life insurance and income protection from every major UK provider — compared in seconds.

Showing 12 providers for Male · 40 · Non-Smoker · £200k · 25yr CI
Sorted by IQ Score ↓ | Pro: sort by premium, claims rate
1
Vitality SIC Plus
Serious Illness Cover Plus · 182 conditions · Severity-based
IQ 97
91.9%
£43.80 /mo
2
Aviva Critical Illness+
73 conditions · Adviser-only · Enhanced definitions
IQ 94
93.1%
£39.60 /mo
3
Guardian 1821
47 full-pay + 8 additional · No heart attack severity req.
IQ 92
92.4%
£37.40 /mo
4
Royal London
46 full + 27 additional · Helping Hand · Children's CI inc.
IQ 89
89.2%
£35.20 /mo
5
Legal & General CIC Extra
69 conditions · RedArc · New: Low-grade prostate Ca.
IQ 86
91.8%
£33.10 /mo
+7 more providers shown with Pro subscription · Includes Zurich, Scottish Widows, LV=, HSBC, Beagle Street, NFU Mutual, Barclays
Unlock all 12 results — Free Trial
Conditions Intelligence

182 conditions · 20 providers · Real-time

Every condition tracked across every provider. See exact definitions, incidence rates, and which policies have changed — updated the day changes happen.

ConditionCat.AvivaVitalityGuardianRoyal LL&GScot W.ZurichLV=HSBCIncidence (M40,25yr)
Cancer (specified severity)ABI REVCancer
41.2%
Heart AttackCardiac No sev.
27.4%
StrokeNeuro
18.2%
Coronary Artery Bypass SurgeryCardiac
13.6%
Carcinoma in situ (various)Cancer25%25%25%25% Blanket25%25%
20.4%
Low-grade Prostate CancerNEWCancer25%25%25%25% NEW25%25%
15.8%
Aortic SurgeryDEF UPDATEDCardiac ↑ improved
7.2%
CardiomyopathyNEW Jan'26Cardiac25% Full NEW25%25%25%25%25%
5.2%
Multiple SclerosisNeuro
6.1%
Total Permanent DisabilityDisability
10.8%
Alzheimer's / Dementia (≤65)Neuro
4.5%
Parkinson's DiseaseNeuro
3.4%
Any Neurological ConditionAIG legacyNeuro
9.1%
Kidney FailureOrgan
4.1%
Major Organ TransplantOrgan
2.3%
Polycystic Kidney DiseaseNEWOrgan25% NEW
2.9%
Blindness (both eyes)Disability
2.2%
Deafness (both ears)Disability
2.8%
Loss of Speech (permanent)Disability
1.6%
HIV (occupational/assault)Other
0.9%

Showing 20 of 182 tracked conditions. Full database with Pro →   Incidence: male aged 40, 25-year term. ✓ full · 25% partial · — not covered

Historical Archive

The 40-year story of CI cover


From 4 conditions in 1983 to 182 today. Understanding the evolution is essential for benchmarking old policies against new ones.

1983
Dread Disease Cover Invented
Dr Marius Barnard (South Africa) creates the first product covering 4 conditions: Heart Attack, Stroke, Cancer, Coronary Artery Bypass. Called "Dread Disease" for the conditions people most feared.
Origin · 4 conditions
4
UK
1985
Arrives in the UK
First CI policies issued to UK consumers. Original 4 conditions only. Sold exclusively through IFAs. Renamed "Critical Illness Cover" for more palatable marketing.
UK Launch
Late 80s–90s
The Conditions Race Begins
Insurers compete by adding conditions — MS, kidney failure, organ transplant, TPD. No standardisation. Definitions vary wildly. Advisers struggle to compare products meaningfully.
Expansion · 40+ conditions
40+
ABI
1999
ABI Statement of Best Practice v1
First industry-wide standards. Cancer, Heart Attack and Stroke mandated as minimum. Consistent definitions allow meaningful comparison for the first time.
ABI Standard v1
2003
Peak Sales Year — 992,000 policies
Highest-ever CI sales. Declining after due to rising premiums and mis-selling concerns. Standalone CI falls from 112k (2001) to 19k (2015). Adviser reputation for CI advice improves through the 2010s.
Market peak
992k
23
2006–07
ABI Publishes 23 Mandatory Model Definitions
Mandatory for ABI members from April 2007. Conditions split into two groups. World's clearest benchmark for adviser comparison. CIExpert launches in 2012 using this framework.
ABI Standard v2
2011
TPD Standardised for First Time
World's first standard Total Permanent Disability definitions. Previously 55% of TPD claims were declined. Standardisation dramatically improves outcomes. Major milestone.
ABI Standard v3
TPD
SIC
2014–15
Vitality Launches Severity-Based Cover
Serious Illness Cover — UK's first severity-based product. Partial payouts tied to medical severity not just diagnosis. Friends Life (now Aviva) adds mortgage payment option same year.
Innovation
2018–19
ABI Major Revision — New TPD Definitions
Most comprehensive update since 1999. New TPD definitions, updated cancer and partial payment rules. Mandatory from February 2019. Guardian 1821 re-enters market with unique "no severity for heart attacks" approach.
ABI Standard v4
v4
182
Sep 2022 → Today
Heart Attack Redefined · 182 Conditions
ABI 2022 Standards (effective Sep 2023): heart attack definition tightened. Aviva acquires AIG Life (Apr 2024). Vitality SIC+ reaches 182 conditions. CriticalIQ tracks every change daily across 20+ providers.
ABI Standard v5 · Today
Policy Intelligence Feed

Daily condition change log

Every definition update, new condition or policy change — logged the day it happens. Never miss something that could affect your client's cover.

20 Feb
Updated
Aviva — Aortic Surgery definition expanded
Now includes endovascular aortic repair (EVAR) procedures, not just open surgery. Significantly broadens claimable aortic events in line with modern surgical practice.
Aviva CIC / CIC+ · From 20 Feb 2026
14 Jan
New
Guardian 1821 — Cardiomyopathy added as full-pay condition
Moves from 25% partial to full benefit. Now one of only two providers offering full payout for cardiomyopathy without severity qualifier.
Guardian Protect · All new policies from Jan 2026
10 Jan
Updated
Royal London — DCIS Cancer definition tightened
Now requires Grade III (high grade) DCIS for partial claim. Lower-grade DCIS excluded. New policies only — existing holders unaffected.
Royal London Protect · New policies only
5 Dec
New
Legal & General — Low-grade Prostate Cancer added
25% partial payment (up to £25k) for Gleason ≤6, stage T1/T2 prostate cancer. Significant — 15% of all male CI claims involve prostate cancer.
L&G CIC+ · Policies from 5 Dec 2025
3 Dec
New
Zurich Enhanced — Polycystic Kidney Disease added
ADPKD resulting in renal impairment now covered. Affects ~1-in-400 individuals who carry the gene.
Zurich Enhanced only · Not Zurich Core
Sep '23
ABI
ABI 2022 Standards — All providers implement by deadline
All ABI member insurers confirmed implementing 2022 Guide by 16 Sep 2023 deadline. Heart attack definition updated. 16 conditions revised industry-wide.
Industry-wide · Affects all new policies from Sep 2023
View Full Change History →
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£19/mo
Save ~£31/month vs CIExpert ~£50/mo
Everything an active adviser needs — unlimited comparisons, all product types, full historical archive and daily automated alerts.
  • Unlimited CI comparisons
  • All 20+ providers tracked
  • 182+ conditions database
  • Life cover quotes built-in
  • Income protection quotes built-in
  • 400+ historical policies archive
  • Daily condition change alerts
  • Branded PDF compliance reports
  • Children's CI comparison tool
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Always Up to Date

You'll never miss a definition change again.


Policy definitions change constantly. A condition that paid out under your client's 2019 policy may now be excluded, restricted, or significantly improved. CriticalIQ makes sure you always know.

🔔
Daily Change Alerts
Every policy document across all 20+ providers is monitored daily. The moment a definition changes — new condition added, wording tightened, partial payment introduced — you receive a clear, specific alert by email. No trawling insurer websites.
📋
Full Change History
Every change is logged and dated. You can look back at exactly what any provider's definition said on any given date — invaluable when reviewing a client's existing policy or handling a claim dispute.
📄
Compliance-Ready PDFs
Every comparison generates a branded, dated PDF report — suitable for your client file and compliant with FCA suitability documentation requirements. Includes provider rankings, condition coverage, claims rates and your rationale.
🏦
Historical Benchmarking
Compare a client's existing policy — taken out in 2010, 2015 or 2019 — against today's best cover. Show them exactly what conditions have been added or improved since they last reviewed. A powerful conversation tool.
ABI Standard Tracking
When the ABI updates its minimum standards — as it did in 2019 and 2022 — CriticalIQ flags every provider's implementation status and timeline. Know immediately which policies meet the new benchmark and which don't.
👶
Children's CI Comparisons
Children's CI definitions differ significantly across providers — and are often where the most meaningful improvements have been made. CriticalIQ tracks children's cover separately so you can identify the strongest policies for family clients.
What Advisers Say

From the advisers using it


★★★★★

"The historical benchmarking is worth every penny. Being able to show a client exactly how their 2015 policy compares against today's best cover — conditions added, definitions improved — makes the conversation so much easier."

TN
Thomas Nicholls
Protection Adviser, Lifetime Assure
★★★★★

"The daily alerts changed how I work. I get a notification the moment a provider changes a definition so I can proactively contact clients whose cover might be inferior. And at £19 a month it's a no-brainer vs the alternative."

JT
Jordan Thomas
Protection Adviser, MAB
★★★★★

"Having life cover and income protection quotes alongside CI in one place has genuinely changed my client conversations. I run a full protection review in one session now rather than bouncing between tools."

SR
Simone Riley
Elite Force Mortgages

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20+ providers · 182 conditions · Life cover · Income protection · Daily updates. Everything in one place, for less than one client meeting covers.

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