No.
And they should not require life assurance either.
As a single person, I am paying mortgage protection for which I will get no benefit. My estate might.
There are couples in danger of losing their homes, who would be far better off paying the mortgage protection premium off their mortgage rather than to the insurance company.
Brendan
The Consumer Credit Act of 1995 made mortgage protection compulsory except in certain circumstances so it's not the banks themselves that are insisting on it, the blanket requirement did not differentiate between single or joint applicants.