Price tells you what you'll pay. Wording decides whether you'll be paid.
Here is exactly how we compare policies — and why it looks nothing like a price comparison site.
The problem with comparing on price
Two critical illness policies can sit side by side at the same monthly premium and differ enormously in what they would actually pay out. Industry analysis of condition wording suggests the quality gap between policies for the same person can be very substantial — yet none of that difference is visible in a price table. The premium is the only number a comparison site shows you, and it is the least informative one.
The difference lives in three places most buyers never see.
Layer 1 — Your occupation
Before price is even quoted, your job determines what you can buy. Insurers maintain detailed occupation guides that decide which definition of incapacity you are offered — the strong "own occupation" basis for most professional roles, or a much weaker "work tasks" test for many manual trades. Your occupation can also set minimum waiting periods before a policy pays, and some kinds of work (for example at significant height, or offshore) may not be quotable at all through mainstream channels.
We start every comparison from your occupation, because it changes which policies are genuinely available and how they would treat a claim.
Layer 2 — The condition wording
When professional advisers compare critical illness policies, they assess two things for every condition: the statistical likelihood that the wording would support a claim, and the amount the policy would pay when it does. A "heart attack" definition that requires specific severity evidence is worth less than one that does not. A cancer definition with broad exclusions is worth less than a narrower one. Children's cover, additional payments that don't reduce your main sum assured, and severity-based payments can each move a policy's real-world value substantially.
We compare at this level — condition by condition — using the same class of professional research used across the advice industry, and we explain the differences to you in plain English. Our critical illness quality hub breaks down the wording condition by condition.
Layer 3 — What switching really costs
If you already have a policy, any comparison must be honest about both directions. A newer policy may bring better definitions and children's cover — and may also silently drop conditions your existing policy includes, reprice you at your current age and health, and reset exclusions. Guidance from the Financial Ombudsman Service is clear that a customer replacing cover should understand what is being gained and what is being lost. That is precisely how we present every switching review.
What we don't do
- We don't rank policies by price alone.
- We don't recommend a switch when keeping your existing policy is the better outcome.
- We don't hide commission — we're paid the standard amount by the insurer you choose, and we disclose it.
- We don't pretend a quote is advice. A qualified adviser assesses suitability before any recommendation.
FAQs