Suicidal Thoughts & Life Insurance

We are aware that there are many circumstances that could lead someone to experience suicidal thoughts. Our job is to help you find the best insurance that is available to you, with an insurer who is sympathetic to your circumstances.

Things we need to know:

• How long have you had suicidal thoughts for?
• Have you self-harmed in anyway?
• When did you last have suicidal thoughts?
• Do you take any medication to control these feelings?
• Have you tried any therapies to help you address these thoughts?

Life Insurance after a suicidal thought can be available. Insurers may want to know a few things about the situation that led to you feeling suicidal. They will ask about your mental health and whether you have had anxiety, depression or post traumatic stress disorder. They could ask about any counselling you have undertaken or if you have tried any other treatment methods such as anti-depressants, cognitive behaviour therapy.

The insurer will want to know how long it has been since you felt suicidal and how many times it has happened. You may be able to get Life Insurance after having suicidal thoughts at normal terms with some select insurers, but many on the standard market will offer you special rates in the form of a premium increase. 

If you have taken an overdose or self-harmed in any way, then insurers may want to ask further questions about your health. You may find our page for Life Insurance after a suicide attempt useful.

Critical Illness Cover can be available after suicidal thoughts. As with Life Insurance, insurers are going to want to know details about your current mental health and it can be useful if you can explain the specific cause that triggered your suicidal feelings. Your critical illness application will need to detail how long it has been since you last felt suicidal, how many times you have felt suicidal and if you have taken any medication or undergone any treatments to help you. It is possible with some insurers to arrange Critical Illness Cover after suicidal thoughts at normal terms, but again, many insurers will increase your policy premiums.

If you have self harmed or taken an overdose due to suicidal thoughts, then you will likely see Critical Illness Cover offered at non-standard terms, or need to arrange cover with a specialist provider.

Income Protection following suicidal thoughts may be available with some insurers, depending on your circumstances. Any offer for Income Protection that you are given will most likely come with a mental health exclusion to the policy claims set. If your suicidal thoughts occurred a number of years ago, you may find that some insurers are able to consider Income Protection at normal terms.

For those who have a mental health condition and find that long-term Income Protection that is on offer doesn’t suit their needs, Accident Sickness and Unemployment Cover may be worth considering. This short-term Income Protection policy will pay a monthly income replacement for between 12 and 24 months, if you are unable to work due to disability, long-term injury and unemployment cover. Accident, Sickness and Unemployment policies do not take into account your medical history when you apply for the cover, so your history of suicide attempts will not affect your eligibility for the policy. However, any claim that you place will exclude claims related to any existing medical conditions that you have.

If you are planning on travelling abroad and have had suicidal thoughts, it may be worthwhile speaking to a specialist travel adviser before to discuss your insurance needs. Please visit our dedicated travel page here.