Claims paid by Irish Life Assurance in 2025 - key trends and insights
In 2025, Irish Life Assurance (“Irish Life”) paid out a total of €404.3 million in protection claims across 7,907 individual claims. On average, that is over €7.7 million paid every week to customers and their families facing bereavement, serious illness or loss of income.
Nearly two‑thirds (63%) of all claims by volume were for living benefits, accounting for 34% or €138m of the total amount paid, while 37% of claims were death benefit claims, making up 66% or €265m of the total payout. Overall, 98.7% of death claims and 92.8% of Specified Illness Cover claims were paid.
The largest individual Life Insurance claim paid in 2025 was €12.7 million, with the largest Specified Illness claim at €666,000.
These numbers obviously underline the need for families to take out life insurance, but they also tell another story. The average payouts remain lower than what is needed and so they illustrate how professional financial advice plays a crucial role in helping families understand how much protection they really need, and in tailoring cover to their changing circumstances over time. An adviser can guide clients through complex choices – from deciding on the right level and type of cover, to structuring benefits around mortgages, children, and future plans – so that protection fits both their budget and their long‑term security goals.
We publish our claims report annually to support you in those conversations.
Death claims – support when families need it most
Life insurance remains a cornerstone of family protection, providing financial stability at the most difficult of times. In 2025, Irish Life paid 2,838 life insurance death benefit claims, amounting to €265 million. The average age of a person claiming on death cover was 68, and the average claim amount was €84,780. Cancer was the single biggest cause of life insurance claims, followed by heart‑related conditions, respiratory illness, stroke (permanent symptoms), and accidents.
Specified Illness Cover (“SIC”) - a lifeline during serious illness
In 2025, Irish Life paid 1,145 SIC claims with a total value of €68.23 million. The average age of a SIC claimant was 54, reminding us that serious illness is very much a mid‑life risk rather than something confined to older age. The average claim amount was €59,626, money that can help cover treatment costs, replace income, or simply give families breathing space at a stressful time.
Cancer (malignant) was by far the leading cause of SIC claims, followed by heart‑related conditions, permanent and total disablement or loss of independence, multiple sclerosis, stroke (permanent symptoms) of specified severity and a range of other conditions.
Income Protection claims
Income Protection (“IP”) claims in 2025 were driven mainly by three conditions: cancer, musculoskeletal issues and mental health problems. Together, these three causes account for a significant proportion of IP claims, underlining the importance of having a robust replacement income in place for a wide range of health challenges.
Cancer was also the leading cause of claims under Irish Life Bill Cover benefits, and it remained the number one cause overall for both Specified Illness and Life Insurance claims on our Oneplan product. The average age of a SIC claimant on our Oneplan product was just 42. This reinforces the importance of building sufficient cancer and serious illness protection into every comprehensive financial plan regardless of the clients ages.
Different experiences by gender
The 2025 claims figures also reveal clear differences between men and women in both Specified Illness Cover and Life Insurance claims. Among male SIC claimants, the main causes of claim were prostate cancer (malignant), heart attack and stroke (permanent symptoms). For female SIC claimants, the leading causes were malignant breast cancer, stroke (permanent symptoms) and heart attack. Heart attacks represented 27% of female specified Illness claims but 73% of male specified illness claims.
Two out of three death claims paid in 2025 were paid in respect of male lives whereas specified illness claims were evenly divided between males and females. Cancer was the most common cause of death claims for both men and women, accounting for 32% of male deaths and 45% of female deaths in the claims data. Heart‑related conditions and respiratory illness were also key causes of death claims for both genders.
Non-disclosures
There were examples of non-disclosures in the data where we were unable to pay claims. Thankfully, with the introduction of our direct to client underwriting platform, we have seen an increase in disclosures, reducing the risk for those clients that a claim would not be paid. This is a welcome advancement which protects both you and your client.
- Common non-disclosures include:
- Failing to disclose pending investigations
- Obesity, high blood pressure and high cholesterol
- Smoking and vaping
- Excess alcohol
- Serious mental health occurrences
- Income Protection - back and joint disorders
Thankfully, with the introduction of our direct to client underwriting platform, we have seen an increase in disclosures, reducing the risk for those clients that a claim would not be paid. This is a welcome advancement which protects both you and your client.
What can advisers do to help reduce these risks?
- Make sure to ask about both smoking and vaping habits
- Use our Direct to Client Underwriting (“D2C”) applications supports better customer disclosures
- Make customers aware of the benefits of automated underwriting – ensures customers are asked the right follow-up questions
- Ensure customers are aware of the potential impact of non-disclosure
- Encourage customers to review their answers to the health questions
A simple, trusted claims process
Behind every claim detail is a family or individual going through a difficult time. At Irish Life we have over 80 years experience paying claims. Since the pandemic, we have paid over €2 billion in claims to families in Ireland. We operate a simple, trusted claims process designed to be as supportive and straightforward as possible. Customers can start a claim by contacting the customer services team via telephone or email, where a dedicated team member explains exactly which documents are needed and guides them step by step. Trained claims assessors, all based in Ireland, manage claims on a case‑by‑case basis and are there to help throughout the journey. We continue to operate a transparent, pro-payment claims ethos and remain committed to supporting you in advising your clients and their families.
Source: Irish Life Claims Data, 2025