Protect the mortgage, not just the property.

Mortgage protection in the UK covers four core needs. Buildings insurance is mandatory from exchange of contracts. Life insurance repays the outstanding balance on death, with decreasing term cover from around £6 a month. Critical illness cover pays a tax-free lump sum on diagnosis of a listed condition — cancer, heart attack and stroke drive roughly 80% of claims — from around £25 a month. Income protection replaces 50–70% of gross earnings as a monthly tax-free benefit after a chosen deferred period, from around £20 a month. Life and critical illness policies should normally be written in trust so proceeds fall outside the estate and bypass probate.