Life insurance prices are partially determined by your health and lifestyle, which includes whether or not you smoke. Depending on the insurer, as a smoker your premium payments could be almost double that of a non-smoker.

An insurer will usually consider you a smoker if you have ‘smoked’ at any time in the last 12 months to 5 years. The definition of smoking usually expands beyond just nicotine and includes electronic cigarettes, vaping and other nicotine or nicotine replacement products like patches. It is important to be honest about your smoking history when applying for life insurance, as lying or withholding information could invalidate any claim.

If you stop smoking for 12 continuous months after purchasing your life insurance policy the insurer may allow you to reduce your premium payments, subject to a cotinine test. However, this is not always the case and you will either be stuck with the higher premiums or need to reapply for life insurance to benefit from lower premiums. If you are a Protect Line customer simply contact our Customer Care team to discuss your options.