We’ve got them covered: Our critical illness cover has been enhanced for families

Earlier this year, we asked for your feedback, and we've acted on the clear message asking for development in children's cover, in particular pregnancy complications. In response, Jonathan Cater explains our new critical illness enhancements off the back of your feedback. 

With them along their pregnancy journey

Getting pregnant is the start of the journey into parenthood. It can be an exciting, magical time, but sadly, not every pregnancy goes smoothly and not every pregnancy ends happily. We recognise that these situations can be incredibly difficult for those involved.

This is why we've enhanced our adult upgraded critical illness benefit by including cover for six forms of pregnancy complications. This new benefit pays out £5,000 per affected pregnancy per policy, on both parents’ policies, to give them the financial breathing room to come to terms with their situation.

Why children’s critical illness cover matters?

Serious illnesses are always difficult to deal with, but they are never more heartbreaking than when children are involved.

Comprehensive critical illness cover provides a safety net to families, offering financial peace of mind to parents during unexpected and challenging times. This cover ensures families can focus on their child’s recovery without the added stress of day-to-day financial burdens. For an additional cost, your clients can choose our upgraded children’s critical illness cover.

Why choose upgraded children’s critical illness cover?

While our standard children’s critical illness benefit covers a range of conditions and includes many benefits, our upgraded children’s critical illness benefit, for an additional cost, goes even further:

·         Covers more conditions, including child-specific illnesses

·         Fixed cover amounts of £25,000 or for 11 higher impact illnesses £50,000, regardless of the adult cover level

·         Covers children from birth up to age 22

·         Pays out per child per policy

We’ve enhanced our cover under children’s upgraded critical illness benefit by:

·         Adding four new child-specific conditions, totalling 20 child-specific conditions

·         Increasing the children’s death benefit from £5,000 to £10,000
 

What types of claims does children’s critical illness cover include?

It typically covers a wide range of conditions. Common claims include:

-          Cancer: particularly blood cancers, which are prevalent among children¹

-          Benign brain tumours: non-cancerous growths that can still have significant health impacts

-          Strokes: though rare, strokes can occur in children and require extensive medical care

-          Heart surgery: congenital heart defects often need surgical intervention

-          Intensive care benefit: for children requiring prolonged hospital stays due to severe illness
 

In 2023, Aviva paid over £5.9m for 283 children’s critical illness claims, with an average claim amount of £20,926. The most common reason for claims was cancer, accounting for 30.6% of cases. ¹

These statistics underscore the prevalence of serious illnesses among children and the critical role that insurance plays in providing necessary support.
 

Project Teddy: Going the extra mile

Aviva’s Project Teddy is a heartwarming initiative designed to support families during their most challenging times. Launched in 2019, the project aims to bring a smile to children who have been diagnosed with, or are undergoing treatment for a serious illness.

Under Project Teddy, Aviva’s claims team send personalised gifts to children and their families, based on their likes and needs. It could range from cuddly toys for younger kids to vouchers for older ones.
 

Case study: a real-life impact for Iain and Claire and their daughter Anna

Iain and Claire Greer, parents to Maisie and Anna, faced significant challenges when Anna was diagnosed with Trisomy 21 (Down’s Syndrome) shortly after birth in December 2020. You can see how upgraded critical illness helped them on their journey here.

The financial support from Aviva allowed the Greers to focus on Anna’s care without worrying about expenses.
 

Other reasons to recommend Aviva

Our upgraded critical illness cover for children is not just about financial protection; it’s about offering comprehensive support to families during their most vulnerable moments.

With a payout track record, claims that cover a wide range of conditions, and initiatives like Project Teddy, our cover can provide peace of mind and stability when it is needed most.

¹Source: Aviva’s 2023 individual protection claims data.

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