National Friendly review
Updated September 28, 2026 · SumCue Editorial Team · Facts checked September 26, 2026
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Our verdict
National Friendly is a UK friendly society insurer, aimed at seniors and set up in 1868, arranging personal insurance with an adviser rather than online alone. Premiums start at £18.92 a month on a monthly model, so it suits buyers who value a named contact.
Key facts
- Best for
- UK buyers arranging income protection, health or life cover through an adviser, paying monthly.
- Premium from
- £18.92↗
- Insurance types
- Income-protection, Health, Life↗
- Provider type
- Insurer↗
- Monthly payments
- Yes↗
- Cover limit
- Income Protection monthly benefit £500-£6,000 (max 70% of earnings)↗
- Age range
- 18 to 59 when the policy starts↗
- Legal entity
- National Deposit Friendly Society Limited↗
- Headquarters
- United Kingdom↗
- Founded
- 1868↗
- Support channels
- Phone↗
- Audience
- Seniors
- Pricing model
- Monthly
- Official website
- nationalfriendly.co.uk
Facts checked September 26, 2026, 2 sources
Apps and profiles
Pros and cons
Pros
- Monthly payments are available, so cover can start without paying a full year of premium at the outset.
- It is an insurer rather than a broker, so policies are underwritten directly by the provider.
- The range covers income protection, health and life, so several kinds of personal cover sit with a single insurer.
- Support runs by phone through phone, and policies sit with National Deposit Friendly Society Limited.
Cons
- Premiums start at £18.92, above both the site median of €8.31 and the insurance median of €7.95.
- Support runs on phone only, with no email or written help centre route listed for questions.
- The payment model listed is monthly, so there is no single annual payment option for cover.
Who it suits
- UK adults who want income protection, health or life cover arranged through an adviser
- People aged 18 to 59 when the policy starts who want a monthly benefit if illness stops work
- Seniors, the audience seniors names, who want cover from an insurer founded in 1868
Who should look elsewhere
- Shoppers after a free everyday bank account like bunq, where the entry cost is €0
- Linxea, whose starting premium of €25 suits savers building savings rather than buying cover
- People who want personal cover outside GB, where the provider is based
How National Friendly compares
9.1 vs 8.6
9.1 vs 9.4
9.1 vs 9.3
9.1 vs 9.4
9.1 vs 8.7
9.1 vs 8.5
9.1 vs 9.4
9.1 vs 8.7
9.1 vs 9.0
9.1 vs 8.7
9.1 vs 9.4
9.1 vs 9.2
9.1 vs 9.4
9.1 vs 9.4
9.1 vs 9.4
9.1 vs 8.7A savings and investment platform whose starting premium of €25 is lower than £18.92, aimed at people building savings.
9.1 vs 9.0
9.1 vs 8.8An everyday bank account app with a starting cost of €0, useful for day to day banking rather than personal insurance.
9.1 vs 8.9
9.1 vs 8.9
9.1 vs 9.0
9.1 vs 8.3
9.1 vs 9.5
9.1 vs 9.4
9.1 vs 9.4
9.1 vs 9.4
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9.1 vs 9.3
9.1 vs 9.3
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9.1 vs 9.2
9.1 vs 9.1
9.1 vs 9.1
9.1 vs 9.1
9.1 vs 9.1
9.1 vs 9.1
9.1 vs 9.1
9.1 vs 9.0
9.1 vs 9.0
9.1 vs 9.0
9.1 vs 9.0
9.1 vs 9.0
9.1 vs 8.9
9.1 vs 8.9
9.1 vs 8.9- 9.1 vs 8.6
9.1 vs 8.6
9.1 vs 8.5
9.1 vs 8.4
9.1 vs 8.3
9.1 vs 8.3
9.1 vs 8.2- 9.1 vs 8.0
Where National Friendly is available
- Available
- United Kingdom
- Licence in United Kingdom
- Financial Conduct Authority and Prudential Regulation Authority (110008), checked September 26, 2026
Countries from the brand (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of insurance are offered?+
The range covers income protection, health and life. As an insurer, policies are underwritten by National Friendly itself rather than placed through a broker, so cover sits with the provider directly in the United Kingdom.
Can I pay monthly instead of settling in a lump?+
Monthly payments are available, and monthly is the only model listed. That suits people who would rather spread the cost across the year than fund a full year of cover up front.
Who regulates the provider?+
The provider is authorised and supervised in the UK by the Financial Conduct Authority and Prudential Regulation Authority, under reference 110008. The legal entity behind the policies is National Deposit Friendly Society Limited, founded in 1868.
How do I get in touch?+
Support runs on phone, so a phone call is the route listed for questions and claims. The audience aimed at is seniors, and the legal entity behind those policies is National Deposit Friendly Society Limited.
How much would I be paid if I could not work?+
The monthly benefit on income protection cover is set within a range that is capped as a share of earnings, so the payout follows the salary you earn at the point of claim. Age at the start must fall inside 18 to 59 when the policy starts.
Who is this insurer aimed at?+
The provider has covered UK customers since 1868 and names seniors as its audience. It suits people who want an established insurer to handle income protection, health and life cover arranged through an adviser.
Sources
- nationalfriendly.co.uk/adviser/about-us checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Audience, Founded, Insurance types, Legal entity
“We offer a wide range of health, welfare, and protection products including Private Medical Insurance, Income Protection, Over 50s Life Cover and Care Plans”
- nationalfriendly.co.uk/adviser/income-protection checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Age range, Cover limit, Provider type, Headquarters, Pricing model, Monthly payments, Premium from, Support channels
“aged between 18 to 59 when the policy starts”
- register.fca.org.uk checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Licences
Compiled from 3 source pages, checked September 26, 2026. We did not open an account.
National Friendly
UK buyers arranging income protection, health or life cover through an adviser, paying monthly.