Choosing the right life insurance is one of the most significant financial decisions you can make for your family's future. In the bustling UK market, two names consistently stand out: the established giant, Legal & General, and the innovative challenger, Vitality. Both are titans of the industry, yet they offer fundamentally different approaches to protection.
Legal & General represents tradition, reliability, and straightforward, comprehensive cover. Vitality, on the other hand, has revolutionised the market with its dynamic, wellness-linked "shared value" model, rewarding you for staying healthy.
So, which one is right for you in 2025? Is the predictable stability of L&G the smarter choice, or does the interactive, reward-based approach of Vitality offer better long-term value? This is more than just a price comparison; it's a clash of philosophies.
Here at WeCovr, we are independent experts who navigate the entire UK insurance market for our clients every day. We've delved deep into the policy documents, crunched the numbers, and analysed the small print to bring you this definitive, independent comparison.
WeCovr’s independent analysis of cover, pricing, and extras
To determine which provider might be the best fit for your unique needs, we will dissect their offerings across several key areas:
- Core Cover: How do their fundamental life, critical illness, and income protection policies stack up?
- Critical Illness Definitions: A crucial area where their approaches diverge significantly.
- Added Value & Rewards: What do you get beyond the core insurance policy? This is where the real battleground lies.
- Pricing & Premiums: How do their costs compare for different individuals, and what factors influence the price you pay?
- Specialist Cover: How do they cater to the specific needs of business owners, directors, and the self-employed?
By the end of this guide, you'll have a crystal-clear understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of both Legal & General and Vitality, empowering you to make a confident and informed decision.
A Tale of Two Insurers: Who Are Legal & General and Vitality?
Before we dive into the nitty-gritty, let's get to know our contenders.
Legal & General: The Stalwart of British Insurance
Founded in 1836, Legal & General (L&G) is a FTSE 100 company and one of the UK's most recognisable financial services brands. When you think of traditional insurance, you're likely thinking of a company like L&G.
- Reputation: They have built a formidable reputation on trust, financial strength, and reliability. For generations, they have been a go-to provider for life insurance, pensions, and investments.
- Approach: L&G's philosophy is centred on providing clear, comprehensive, and high-quality cover. Their products are designed to be easy to understand and to do exactly what they promise: pay out when you need them most.
- Claims Performance: Their reliability is backed by hard data. In 2023, Legal & General paid out over £883 million in individual protection claims, helping more than 19,500 customers and their families. This equates to an impressive 96% of all claims.
For many, L&G is the "gold standard" of traditional insurance – a safe, predictable, and dependable pair of hands.
Vitality: The Innovative Health & Wellness Pioneer
Vitality entered the UK market as a disruptor. Originally launched as PruProtect in 2007 (a joint venture with Prudential), they rebranded as Vitality in 2014 and have since transformed the conversation around life and health insurance.
- Reputation: Vitality is known for innovation and a proactive approach to health. They operate on a "shared value" model, which posits that what's good for your health is also good for them (as you're less likely to claim) and for society.
- Approach: Their unique selling point is the Vitality Programme. This isn't just an insurance policy; it's a wellness programme that actively encourages and rewards you for making healthy choices. By tracking your activity, you earn points that unlock tangible, everyday rewards and can lead to lower premiums.
- Claims Performance: Despite their modern approach, they are equally committed to paying claims. In 2023, Vitality paid out £126 million across life, serious illness, and income protection claims, with a 97.4% payout rate for life claims.
Vitality appeals to the modern consumer who wants their insurance to be an active, engaging part of their life, not just a policy filed away in a drawer.
Core Life Insurance Products: A Head-to-Head Comparison
At their heart, both companies offer the foundational products designed to provide a financial safety net. The two main types are Level Term and Decreasing Term Assurance.
- Level Term Assurance: You choose a lump sum amount and a policy term (e.g., £200,000 over 25 years). If you pass away within the term, this fixed amount is paid out. It's ideal for covering an interest-only mortgage or providing a lump sum for your family's living expenses.
- Decreasing Term Assurance: The lump sum decreases over the policy term, usually in line with a repayment mortgage. Because the potential payout reduces over time, these policies are typically cheaper than level term cover.
Let's see how they compare on the core features.
| Feature | Legal & General | Vitality |
|---|
| Cover Types | Level, Decreasing, Family Income Benefit | Level, Decreasing, Family Income Benefit |
| Terminal Illness Cover | Included as standard (12-month diagnosis) | Included as standard (12-month diagnosis) |
| Maximum Age at Entry | Up to 84 (depending on term) | Up to 74 |
| Maximum Term Length | Up to 50 years (not exceeding age 90) | Up to 50 years (not exceeding age 90) |
| Joint Life Options | First Death or Second Death basis | First Death basis only |
| Increasing Cover Option | Available (RPI-linked) | Available (RPI-linked) |
Both providers offer solid, flexible term assurance products. A key differentiator is L&G's option for "Joint Life, Second Death" cover. This type of policy only pays out after the second person on the policy passes away. It's less common for family protection but is a vital tool for inheritance tax (IHT) planning, often used to cover the IHT bill that becomes due on the second death.
Critical Illness Cover: Digging Deeper into the Definitions
This is where the philosophies of L&G and Vitality diverge most starkly. While both aim to provide financial support upon diagnosis of a serious condition, how they do it is very different.
A 2024 report highlighted that cancer, heart attack, and stroke remain the "big three" conditions leading to claims, accounting for the vast majority of all critical illness payouts. How these are defined is therefore paramount.
Legal & General: The Traditional, Comprehensive Approach
L&G offers what is widely considered one of the most comprehensive traditional Critical Illness Cover (CIC) policies on the market.
- Structure: Their model is binary. If your condition meets their policy definition, you receive 100% of your sum assured. If it doesn't, you receive nothing (though they do have smaller "additional condition" payments).
- Coverage: Their core CIC policy covers a large number of full-payment conditions (typically 40+), including the major ones like cancer, heart attack, and stroke. They also include a significant list of "additional payment" conditions (often paying the lower of £35,000 or 50% of your cover amount) for less severe illnesses, without reducing your main cover.
- Children's Cover: This is a real strength for L&G. Their enhanced children's cover is automatically included and is one of the most generous available, covering a wide range of child-specific conditions and even providing a cash sum if a child is hospitalised with an injury for an extended period.
Vitality: The Modern, Severity-Based Approach
Vitality doesn't call their product "Critical Illness Cover". They call it "Serious Illness Cover" (SIC), and the name change reflects a fundamental difference.
- Structure: Vitality's model is based on severity. Instead of a 100% or nothing payout, they pay a percentage of your sum assured (from 5% up to 100%) based on the impact and severity of your condition. For very severe conditions, they can even pay out more than 100% (up to 200% with their optional boosters).
- Coverage: This approach means Vitality covers a much wider range of conditions than any traditional provider – over 180 in total. The argument is that it's better to receive a smaller payout for a less severe condition that still has a financial impact, rather than receiving nothing at all from a traditional plan.
- The Debate: Is this better? It depends on your perspective.
Let's look at an example:
| Condition | Legal & General (CIC) | Vitality (SIC) |
|---|
| Early Stage Cancer | Might qualify for an "additional payment" (e.g., £35k). The main policy remains intact. | May pay out 12.5%, 25%, or 50% of the main sum assured, depending on the specific diagnosis. |
| Major Heart Attack | 100% payout if it meets the full definition. | 100% payout. |
| Less Severe Stroke | May not meet the full definition, resulting in no payout. | Could pay out 25% or 50% based on the level of permanent symptoms. |
The Verdict on CIC/SIC:
- L&G offers certainty. You know that for a defined list of serious events, you will get a 100% payout. It's clear-cut and powerful.
- Vitality offers a wider safety net. You're covered for many more conditions, but the payout for some illnesses might be less than 100%. This can provide crucial financial support earlier in an illness journey.
Income Protection: Securing Your Salary
For most working people, their biggest asset isn't their house or their car; it's their ability to earn an income. Income Protection (IP) is designed to replace a portion of your salary if you're unable to work due to illness or injury.
Both L&G and Vitality offer high-quality IP policies, and the most important factor for any IP policy is the definition of incapacity. The best definition is "Own Occupation", which means the policy will pay out if you are unable to perform your specific job. Both insurers offer this as their primary definition for many professions.
Legal & General Income Protection
L&G's IP is a solid, reliable product. It focuses on providing a dependable replacement income and support to help you get back to work.
- Key Features:
- Fixed Benefit: The monthly benefit you choose is what you get, providing certainty.
- Rehabilitation Support: Like their other policies, their IP comes with access to Wellbeing Support, offering tailored advice and therapies to aid your recovery.
- Fracture Cover: Often included, providing a small lump sum for specific broken bones, even if you can still work.
It’s a robust, set-and-forget style of income protection.
Vitality Income Protection
As you'd expect, Vitality's IP is interwoven with its wellness programme.
- Key Features:
- Income Booster: By engaging with the Vitality Programme and achieving Platinum status, you can boost your monthly income payout by 20% at the point of claim, at no extra cost. This is a unique and potentially very valuable feature.
- Premium Reductions: By maintaining a high Vitality status, you can earn significant discounts on your premiums over the life of the policy.
- Early Intervention Support: Vitality provides access to physiotherapy and mental health support services without needing a GP referral, potentially preventing a long-term absence from work.
The choice here comes down to engagement. L&G provides a stable, predictable safety net. Vitality offers a dynamic product where your own healthy actions can directly enhance your cover and reduce your costs.
This is where the comparison gets really interesting. A modern insurance policy is no longer just about the cheque on death or diagnosis; it's about the ongoing value and support.
Legal & General: Support When You Need It Most
L&G's value-add services, often bundled under their "Umbrella Benefits", are focused on providing practical and emotional support during difficult times.
- Wellbeing Support (provided by RedArc): This is the cornerstone of their offering. Policyholders and their families get access to a dedicated nurse adviser from RedArc. These are experienced, registered nurses who can provide:
- A friendly ear and emotional support.
- Help understanding a diagnosis and treatment options.
- Guidance on navigating the NHS.
- Arranging second medical opinions, counselling, or complementary therapies.
- Rehabilitation Support: For income protection claims, they provide tailored support to help you get back to work.
- Simple, Powerful Support: The value here is not in weekly freebies, but in expert, human support at the absolute worst moments of your life. It’s a quiet benefit that becomes priceless at the point of claim.
Vitality: Value Every Single Day
Vitality's value proposition is completely different. It's loud, proud, and designed to be used from day one. The Vitality Programme is a comprehensive ecosystem of rewards and benefits.
- How it Works: You earn "Vitality Points" for health-related activities: tracking your steps, going to the gym, completing online health reviews, getting a dental check-up, and more.
- Status Levels: The more points you earn, the higher your status climbs, from Bronze, through Silver and Gold, to Platinum.
- The Rewards: This is the headline grabber. The rewards for a high status are significant and can include:
- Weekly rewards like a free coffee or cinema ticket.
- Up to 50% off membership at Virgin Active and Nuffield Health gyms.
- Significant cashback on healthy food purchases at Waitrose & Partners.
- A discounted Apple Watch to help you track your activity.
- Discounted flights with British Airways.
- Free Amazon Prime membership.
The potential monetary value of these rewards can be substantial, often exceeding the cost of the insurance premium itself for highly engaged members. This turns the insurance premium from a "grudge purchase" into a monthly subscription for a wellness club that happens to include life insurance.
We believe in empowering our clients to live healthier lives, whichever insurer they choose. That’s why, in addition to finding you the best policy, WeCovr provides complimentary access to our own AI-powered calorie and nutrition tracking app, CalorieHero. This shows our commitment extends beyond just the policy; we want to support your wellbeing journey, complementing the support services of L&G or the active rewards of Vitality.
Pricing: A Numbers Game
It's impossible to give a definitive "cheaper" verdict, as pricing depends on your age, health, lifestyle, smoking status, and the level of cover you need. However, we can illustrate the different pricing models.
Let's imagine two scenarios. All quotes are illustrative and will vary.
Scenario 1: Alex, a 35-year-old non-smoker, office worker, seeking £250,000 of level term life insurance over 25 years.
| Insurer | Indicative Monthly Premium | Pricing Model |
|---|
| Legal & General | £11.50 | Fixed. This price will not change for the 25-year term. |
| Vitality | Starts at £14.00 | Dynamic. This initial premium can be reduced by up to 15-25% through engagement. Highly active members could pay less than L&G. Inactive members will pay more. |
Scenario 2: Sarah, a 42-year-old non-smoker, marketing manager, seeking £150,000 of Life & Critical Illness Cover over 20 years.
| Insurer | Indicative Monthly Premium | Pricing Model |
|---|
| Legal & General | £48.00 | Fixed. Predictable cost for comprehensive CIC. |
| Vitality | Starts at £55.00 | Dynamic. This higher initial premium comes with access to all rewards. An engaged 'Gold' status member could see their premium reduce over time, plus gain hundreds of pounds in annual rewards value. |
Key Takeaway on Pricing:
- Legal & General offers price certainty. You know exactly what you'll pay every month for the entire term.
- Vitality offers a potential for savings and value, but requires active participation. You are betting on your own ability to stay engaged and healthy. If you do, the overall value proposition (premiums + rewards) can be exceptional. If you don't, you may end up paying more than you would with a traditional insurer.
For Business Owners, Directors, and the Self-Employed
Protection isn't just for individuals; it's a critical tool for business resilience.
Legal & General for Business
L&G is a market leader in the business protection space, leveraging its reputation for rock-solid, straightforward cover.
- Key Person Insurance: If a business would suffer financially from the death or critical illness of a key employee, L&G's standard life and CIC policies are perfectly suited to provide a lump sum to cover recruitment costs, lost profits, or clear debts.
- Relevant Life Cover: This is a highly tax-efficient way for a limited company to provide death-in-service benefits for its directors and employees. L&G is one of the biggest and most trusted providers in this market. The premiums are paid by the business and are typically an allowable business expense, with no P11D benefit-in-kind implications for the employee.
Vitality for Business
Vitality extends its wellness philosophy into the business world, arguing that a healthy workforce is a more productive and resilient one.
- Executive Income Protection: Vitality offers a company-paid income protection plan for directors. This is paid for by the business (again, as an allowable expense) but pays a benefit directly to the individual, tax-free under current rules. The link to the Vitality Programme is a powerful tool for encouraging senior leaders to stay healthy, reducing sickness absence and improving performance.
- Small Business Health Insurance: Vitality also has a strong presence in the business health insurance market, with plans specifically designed to support the wellbeing of a whole team.
For the self-employed and freelancers, the choice between the two for Income Protection is a classic head-vs-heart dilemma. Do you want the predictable safety net of L&G, or are you motivated by the interactive rewards and income booster from Vitality? This is where a detailed chat with an adviser at WeCovr can help align the right product with your personality and work ethic.
The Verdict: Which Insurer is Right for You in 2025?
There is no single "winner" in this contest. The best insurer is the one that best aligns with your needs, your lifestyle, and your personality.
You should choose Legal & General if:
- ✅ You want a simple, robust, "set-and-forget" policy from a trusted household name.
- ✅ You value the certainty of a fixed premium that will never change.
- ✅ You aren't interested in tracking your activity or using apps to get discounts.
- ✅ You want the reassurance of comprehensive, traditional critical illness definitions.
- ✅ The value of expert nursing support during a claim is more appealing than weekly rewards.
- ✅ You're a business owner looking for straightforward Key Person or Relevant Life Cover.
You should choose Vitality if:
- ✅ You are already active and health-conscious, or you are looking for motivation to become so.
- ✅ You are excited by the idea of being rewarded for healthy living with tangible benefits like free coffee, cinema tickets, and discounted gym memberships.
- ✅ You are willing to engage with the programme to actively manage and reduce your premiums.
- ✅ You prefer the wider safety net of severity-based illness cover, which pays out for more conditions.
- ✅ You're a director who wants to link your personal income protection to your health and wellbeing.
How to Get the Right Advice
Comparing two major insurers is a great start, but the UK market is full of excellent providers like Aviva, Royal London, AIG, and Zurich, each with their own strengths. Navigating this landscape alone can be daunting.
This is the value of independent advice. An expert broker like WeCovr doesn't just sell you a policy; we provide a service. We can:
- Assess Your Needs: We take the time to understand your family, finances, and future goals.
- Compare the Whole Market: We run a comprehensive comparison of all leading insurers to find the most suitable cover at the most competitive price.
- Explain the Details: We cut through the jargon and explain the crucial differences in policy definitions.
- Handle the Application: We help you complete the forms accurately, ensuring a smooth underwriting process.
- Place Your Policy in Trust: We provide invaluable guidance on writing your policy into trust, which can ensure the payout goes to the right people quickly and outside of your estate for inheritance tax purposes.
Choosing between Legal & General and Vitality is a choice between two different philosophies of protection. One offers quiet, steadfast security; the other offers dynamic, interactive engagement. The right choice is deeply personal, and we're here to help you make it.
Is Vitality always more expensive than Legal & General?
Not necessarily. While Vitality's initial or "headline" premium can sometimes be higher than a comparable policy from Legal & General, this doesn't tell the whole story. Highly active Vitality members who achieve Gold or Platinum status can earn significant discounts, potentially bringing their premium cost below L&G's. Furthermore, when you factor in the monetary value of the rewards and benefits (like gym discounts or cashback), the overall value proposition for an engaged member can be very strong. Conversely, an inactive member may end up paying more than they would with L&G.
What happens if I have a Vitality policy and I stop exercising?
If you stop engaging with the Vitality Programme, your Vitality status will drop. This means you will lose access to the top-tier rewards and your premiums may increase at your annual review. However, these increases are capped and your premium will never exceed a pre-agreed maximum amount stated in your policy documents. You will not lose your insurance cover, but you will lose the financial benefits associated with being an active member.
Is Legal & General's critical illness cover better than Vitality's?
They are different, and "better" depends on your personal preference. Legal & General's traditional Critical Illness Cover (CIC) is built on providing a 100% lump sum payout if you suffer a condition that meets their specific, full definition. It's powerful and clear-cut. Vitality's Serious Illness Cover (SIC) is severity-based, meaning it covers a much wider range of conditions but may pay out a smaller percentage (e.g., 25% or 50%) for less severe forms of an illness. Some people prefer the certainty of L&G's 100% payout for major events, while others prefer the broader safety net of Vitality that can provide a payout for conditions a traditional policy might not cover at all.
Do I need a medical exam to get a policy with either insurer?
It depends on your individual circumstances. For many applicants who are young, healthy, and applying for a moderate amount of cover, the policy can often be issued based on the answers on the application form alone. However, you may be asked to undergo a medical screening, a GP report, or a nurse medical if you are older, applying for a very large sum assured, or have pre-existing health conditions. The insurer will always pay for any medical evidence they require.
Can I switch my existing life insurance policy to L&G or Vitality?
Yes, you can apply for a new policy with L&G or Vitality at any time. However, it is crucial that you seek professional advice before cancelling any existing cover. When you apply for a new policy, it will be based on your current age and health, so it may be more expensive. You will be fully re-underwritten. Never, ever cancel an existing policy until your new one has been fully accepted and is in force, otherwise you risk being left with no cover at all.
Why should I use a broker like WeCovr instead of going direct to the insurer?
Going direct only gives you one option. An independent broker like WeCovr provides whole-of-market advice, meaning we compare products and prices from all the UK's leading insurers, not just one or two. The price you pay is the same, but with a broker you get expert, impartial guidance to ensure the policy is perfectly tailored to your needs. We also provide crucial assistance with the application and can help you place the policy in trust, a vital service that ensures the money is paid out efficiently and tax-effectively.