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With terminal illness cover, we’ll pay out all of your life insurance benefit if you’re diagnosed with a terminal illness, with a prognosis of 12 months or less. You can use the money however you wish, whether to make memories or plan for after you’re gone.
Qian Huang
International Claims Manager
A terminal illness benefit is included with all our international life insurance policies.
With your terminal illness benefit, we promise to pay all your life insurance payment if:
This is an early payment of your life benefit, not an additional payment.
If you are diagnosed with a terminal illness while living abroad, it’s good to know you’ll have the finances you need to make the most of the time you have left.
Some expats use their terminal illness benefit to finish their bucket list. Others use the money to travel to their home country, to be closer to friends and family. Some put their funds towards private palliative and hospice care. And some use their benefit to prepare contingency plans, ensuring their families and loved ones will be cared for after they’re gone by actively redistributing their estate prior to death.
There’s no right or wrong way to use your terminal illness benefit. It’s simply there to offer you peace of mind at a difficult time.
Your terminal illness benefit is essentially an early pay-out of your life insurance benefit.
With a terminal illness benefit, you are simply taking an early payment of your life insurance benefit.
Instead of paying it to your beneficiaries after you’ve passed, we’ll pay it directly to you.
A terminal illness in this context is any illness or condition included in your life insurance policy which has been diagnosed by a doctor, and which, in their medical opinion, will result in your death within 12 months.
Your terminal illness benefit is subject to the same exclusions as your life insurance policy. Therefore, we cannot pay your terminal illness benefit in situations such as:
For a full list of exclusions, it’s important to read your life insurance policy terms and conditions.
We’re here to make it as easy as possible to claim your terminal illness benefit. To make a claim, simply get in touch and speak to our award-winning team today.
Step 1
Inform us that you have been diagnosed with a terminal illness by calling +44 1276 486 460 or email us at [email protected]
Step 2
We’ll need to get in touch with your doctor to confirm your diagnosis and prognosis.
Step 3
Once we have assessed your claim, we’ll be in touch to confirm the next steps.
Still got questions about your terminal illness benefit? You’ll find answers to the most common questions below, but for anything else, feel free to get in touch and speak to our team.
You don’t need to – all our international life insurance policies include a terminal illness benefit as standard, and at no extra cost.
No, taking your terminal illness benefit is completely optional.
If you would prefer to complete the term of your life insurance policy naturally, you are free to do that.
You can only claim your terminal illness benefit if your prognosis is one year or less from the date of your diagnosis.
Not at all, as this is a separate benefit paid if you are diagnosed with one of a specific list of illnesses.
If you have added critical illness cover to your life insurance policy, you can claim for this prior to, or at the same time as claiming your terminal illness benefit.
Your terminal illness benefit will be paid to you in full, and is not normally subject to income tax or capital gains tax. However, tax treatment can vary, so it’s important to check the local tax laws in the country where you live.
There may be tax considerations if you plan to leave any of the money behind after you’ve passed away. Any funds remaining from a terminal illness benefit could form part of your estate, which may be subject to inheritance or estate taxes depending on the laws in the relevant country. You may wish to check the rules both where your estate is based and where your beneficiaries live.
It’s also worth being aware that the tax treatment of a life insurance payout after death can sometimes differ from a terminal illness benefit paid during your lifetime.
In many cases, life insurance benefits paid directly to beneficiaries are not typically subject to inheritance tax, although this depends on the policy structure and local tax rules.
Because these rules vary between countries and individual circumstances, it’s best to speak to a qualified financial or tax adviser if you are considering the tax implications.
If you claim your terminal illness benefit, this counts as the end of your policy with us. You will no longer be a William Russell member, and you won’t be able to re-apply for international life insurance with us.
Your prognosis typically takes into consideration any treatment that may available and we accept your prognosis regardless of whether you undergo, or intend to undergo treatment.
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The quickest way to reach us is by email.
We show the benefits on this webpage in US dollars, but we can also denominate your policy in pounds sterling or Euros. You won’t find complete information for our plans on this webpage, nor the full T&Cs, limitations, and exclusions that would apply if you purchase a life insurance policy. You can find complete information in the plan agreement, which we suggest you read together with this webpage. We work hard to ensure the information we provide on this webpage is accurate and up-to-date, but inaccuracies are possible. We rectify errors as soon as we become aware of them. The T&Cs that apply to your policy are those found in your plan agreement.
At William Russell, we have over 30 years’ experience of providing international life insurance exclusively for expats like you. Become a member today to enjoy worldwide coverage, giving you total peace of mind wherever you move to live and work.
Joe Holden Global Relationship Manager
If you’re ready to see prices for life insurance, click on ‘Get a Quote’ below to head on over to our online quote tool.
We’ll ask you a few details (your age, your location), and then we’ll show you prices—it only takes a few minutes!
A couple of days after you’ve received you quote, Joe will email or call you to find out how we can help you further. Joe won’t bug you, and you can opt out at any time.
It’s filled with handy information and tips for expats.
We were one of the first insurance providers to cover people living abroad, and we’ve earned a reputation for our wonderful customer service.
The insurer behind our policies is part of the Allianz group
We’re proud of our award-winning service and our members rate it highly
You will get your own dedicated adviser when you join
If you’re not happy with your life insurance policy or the service we provide, and you haven’t yet made a claim, then we’ll refund the premium you’ve paid—no questions asked.
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