Compare PAX Life Insurance Quotes Against The Market

For over 23 years, PAX has been a household name for military insurance, originally providing the official MOD-sponsored Personal Accident and Life insurance scheme. However, as of June 1, 2023, the PAX Personal Accident and Life scheme officially ended and was replaced by the new PAL Protect (Personal Accident & Optional Life) scheme.

Today, the PAX brand continues to operate as a specialist military broker, focusing on Kit and Contents insurance for Regulars, Reservists, and Veterans, while the core Personal Accident and Life insurance products have transitioned to the PAL Protect brand.

At a Glance: PAX and PAL Protect

• Status: The PAX Personal Accident & Life scheme ended in 2023; new policies are now issued under the PAL Protect brand

• PAX Underwriter: Kit & Contents insurance is underwritten by Royal & Sun Alliance Insurance plc (rebranded to Intact Insurance UK Limited in late 2025)

• PAL Underwriters: Personal Accident is underwritten by AIG, while Life and Critical Illness are underwritten by MetLife

• Best For: Active military personnel, Reservists, and Veterans seeking cover tailored for high-risk deployments and worldwide military kit protection

Types of Protection Offered

1. Kit and Contents Insurance (PAX)

This remains the core product under the PAX brand , designed for the unique mobility of service life.

• Military Kit: Covers service uniforms, equipment, and kit on permanent issue or owned by you

• Worldwide Coverage: Protection follows you anywhere in the world, including while in transit or on deployment

• March Out Cover: An optional add-on that covers liability for damage to service accommodation (up to £20,000) when moving out

• Personal Possessions: Standard cover for mobile phones and laptops, even away from home

2. Personal Accident Insurance (PAL Protect)

Replacing the old PAX scheme, this provides a tax-free lump sum for life-changing injuries.

• 24/7 Protection: Covers you on and off duty, with no exclusions for war risks, terrorism, or CBRN (Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear) events

• Unit-Based Pricing: Costs approximately £3.99 per unit for Regulars, with up to 15 units available

• No Deployment Exclusions: Immediate cover even if you have already been notified of an upcoming deployment

3. Optional Life & Critical Illness (PAL Protect)

A supplementary plan that can be added to the Personal Accident core.

• Death by Natural Causes: Extends the accident-only cover to include death from any cause for an extra £2.00 per unit

• Critical Illness: Covers specific conditions such as certain cancers, heart attacks, and strokes

Pros and Cons

The Pros

• Tailored for Deployment: Unlike standard high-street policies, these plans explicitly cover military hazards and worldwide deployments

• No Medical Exams: The PAL scheme typically features a seamless transition with no new medical underwriting or exclusions for pre-existing conditions if transferring from the old PAX scheme

• JPA Integration: Premiums for Regulars can often be paid directly through the Joint Personnel Administration (JPA) payroll system

• Living Benefits: Includes access to a Private GP Consultation service

The Cons

• Brand Confusion: The split between PAX (Kit) and PAL (Accident/Life) can be confusing for long-term service members

• Administrative Changes: Future payments for some new schemes may move from payroll deduction to personal Direct Debits, requiring more manual oversight

• Accident Focus: The core Personal Accident product does not cover sickness or disease unless it results directly from a bodily injury

Customer Consensus

The military community remains generally supportive of these specialist products, though the 2023 transition caused some initial friction.

• The Positives: Service personnel value the no jargon approach and the fact that hazardous activities are covered as standard. The quick turnaround on kit claims and the worldwide nature of the cover are frequently highlighted as essential for service life

• The Negatives: Recent reviews for underwriters like AIG and MetLife show mixed results on Trustpilot, with some users reporting complex online claiming processes. Some personnel have expressed frustration when they found they were not automatically transferred to the new PAL scheme and lost cover

How Our Life Insurance Advisers Can Help

The shift from PAX to PAL Protect means many service members may have gaps in their coverage without realising it. Our team of independent life insurance advisers can help you review your military protection. We provide:

• Gap Analysis: We’ll check your JPA pay statement to see if your PAX pa insurance has stopped and ensure you have a PAL or alternative policy in place

• Death in Service Benchmarking: We compare your military benefits against private policies to ensure your family isn't solely reliant on the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme (AFCS)

• Alternative Specialist Comparison: We can stack PAL Protect against other specialist providers like Trinity or Forces Mutual to find the best unit-rate for your specific trade

Want to explore your options with an existing Aegon life insurance policy? Get in touch and one of our protection insurance advisers will run through them with you.