Aviva life insurance review
An independent look at the UK’s largest life insurer. We cover Aviva’s claims record, policy range, ratings and costs, and where it may or may not be the right fit, so you can compare it fairly.
Compare quotesSurely helps you compare and get quotes online; we do not give advice ourselves; where advice is appropriate, a qualified protection adviser from our panel partners may contact you.
Is Aviva any good?
Aviva is the largest life insurer in the UK and one of the oldest, with a strong claims record and top marks from the main review bodies. For term cover and mortgage protection it is a reliable, well rated choice.
The honest caveat is that Aviva is not always the cheapest, and its highest rated product is sold through advisers rather than direct. So it is well worth comparing Aviva against other insurers before you decide.
Who Aviva is
Aviva is a FTSE 100 insurer whose history stretches back more than 325 years, to a London coffee house in 1696. The modern company was formed in 2002 when Norwich Union and CGU merged, and it took the Aviva name in 2009. Today it serves more than 19.5 million customers across the UK, Ireland and Canada and is the UK’s largest life insurer.4 It holds an A+ financial strength rating from Standard and Poor’s, which points to a strong ability to pay claims over the long term.5 Aviva is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.
What Aviva offers
Aviva sells a full range of term life cover, plus optional critical illness. Its flagship product, Life Insurance+, carries the highest ratings, while simpler products are available for those who want a quick, direct purchase.
| Product | What it is | Defaqto rating |
|---|---|---|
| Life Insurance+ | The flagship term product, offering level, decreasing, increasing and family income cover, with an optional critical illness upgrade.6 | 5 Star |
| Life Insurance Plan | A more basic term life product that can be bought direct. | 3 Star |
| Simple Life Insurance | A pared back, easy to buy option. | 2 Star |
On the critical illness side, Aviva’s standard option covers 32 full payment conditions, rising to 47 on the upgraded version, and children’s cover is added automatically when you hold life and critical illness together.6 Cover can run for up to 50 years, ending by age 77.
Aviva’s claims record
A claims record is the clearest measure of whether an insurer delivers, and Aviva’s is strong.
In 2024, Aviva paid 98.8% of life and terminal illness claims, totalling £862.1 million across more than 40,000 claims.1 That sits comfortably above the industry average, where 97.9% of individual protection claims were paid across the market.2 As with every insurer, the small share of declined claims is mostly down to non disclosure, so answering the medical questions honestly is what keeps your cover valid.
Ratings and reviews
Aviva scores well with the independent bodies that assess policy quality and customer experience.
Aviva’s main term products hold a Defaqto 5 Star rating, the top tier for policy features, along with Fairer Finance gold ribbon status.34 On Trustpilot, Aviva is rated Great, at around 4.3 out of 5 from more than 50,000 reviews.5 It is worth noting that these top ratings apply to the flagship Life Insurance+ product; the simpler, direct buy options score lower, so the product you choose matters.
Added benefits
Aviva includes its DigiCare+ app with eligible policies at no extra cost. It gives you access to a digital GP, nutrition consultations, mental health support and an annual health check kit you use at home. For families navigating long NHS waits, this is a genuinely useful extra rather than a token perk. Bear in mind that DigiCare+ is a non contractual benefit, which means Aviva could change or withdraw it in future, so it should be a bonus on top of good cover, not the reason you buy.
What it costs
Aviva cover starts from a few pounds a month for a healthy younger applicant, but your actual price depends on your age, health, lifestyle, the cover amount and the term. We do not publish a fixed Aviva price here, because real premiums are only confirmed when you apply.
The fair summary on cost is that Aviva is competitive but not always the cheapest, and its highest rated product, Life Insurance+, is sold through advisers rather than bought direct.3 That makes comparing Aviva against other insurers, for your exact cover, the sensible step before committing.
Pros and cons
Where Aviva is strong
- The UK’s largest life insurer, with 325 years of history and A+ financial strength.
- An excellent claims record, paying 98.8% of life and terminal illness claims in 2024.
- Defaqto 5 Star and Fairer Finance gold ribbon on its flagship product.
- A broad product range, including level, decreasing, increasing and family income cover.
- The DigiCare+ health app included at no extra cost.
Things to weigh up
- Not always the cheapest, so comparing quotes is worthwhile.
- The top rated Life Insurance+ is sold through advisers, not bought direct.
- Joining ages can be tighter than some rivals, including for adding critical illness.
- The simpler, direct buy products score lower than the flagship.
- DigiCare+ is a non contractual extra that could change in future.
Should you choose Aviva?
Aviva is a strong, reliable choice, particularly for term cover and mortgage protection, and its claims record and ratings back that up. Whether it is the best choice for you comes down to price and the specific terms you need, which is exactly why comparing matters. Put Aviva side by side with other well rated insurers for your exact cover, weigh the price against the features, and choose the policy that fits.
“Aviva is one of the names I am always happy to see on a shortlist. The claims record is excellent and the flagship product is genuinely well built. But largest and best known does not always mean cheapest for you, and the top product runs through an adviser. Treat Aviva as a strong benchmark, then compare it against two or three others before you commit.”
Frequently asked questions
Is Aviva life insurance any good?
Yes. Aviva is the UK’s largest life insurer, with an A+ financial strength rating, a Defaqto 5 Star flagship product and a strong claims record, paying 98.8% of life and terminal illness claims in 2024.1 It is a reliable choice, though not always the cheapest, so it is worth comparing.
Does Aviva pay out on claims?
Yes, and reliably. Aviva paid 98.8% of life and terminal illness claims in 2024, above the market average of 97.9%.12 The small share declined is mostly down to non disclosure, so answer the medical questions honestly when you apply.
How much is Aviva life insurance?
It starts from a few pounds a month for a healthy younger applicant, but your price depends on your age, health, lifestyle, the cover amount and the term. The only way to know your figure is to get a quote for your exact cover.
Can I buy Aviva life insurance direct?
You can buy Aviva’s simpler products direct, but its highest rated product, Life Insurance+, is available through advisers rather than directly.3 Comparing through a service that covers a panel of insurers can help you reach the right Aviva product or a better fit elsewhere.
Is Aviva the cheapest life insurer?
Not usually. Aviva is competitive and well rated, but rarely the outright cheapest. Because prices for the same cover vary by 20% to 40% between insurers, comparing a few for your exact details is the way to find your best price.7
Does Surely advise on Aviva?
Surely helps you compare and get quotes online; we do not give advice ourselves; where advice is appropriate, a qualified protection adviser from our panel partners may contact you.
For impartial money guidance you can use MoneyHelper, the government backed service.
This is an independent editorial review. Surely is not affiliated with, endorsed by or acting on behalf of Aviva, and Aviva and related marks are trademarks of the Aviva group. Figures are as published by Aviva, the ABI or the named rating bodies and were correct at the time of writing; ratings and benefits can change. We do not attach a fixed price to Aviva, because real premiums depend on your details and are confirmed only when you apply. Surely helps you compare insurance and does not provide regulated financial advice.
How We Researched This Review
We base our provider reviews on named, public sources and the insurer’s own published data, cross checked across more than one source. This review drew on:
- Aviva’s 2024 claims data, for the payout rate and total paid.
- Association of British Insurers and Group Risk Development, 2024, for the market average.
- Defaqto and Fairer Finance product ratings, and Trustpilot customer reviews, for the ratings.
- Aviva product literature, for the cover types and critical illness conditions.
- Surely analysis of typical UK term life prices, for the cost context.
We name insurers alongside their own published figures and the named rating bodies, and we do not attach prices to a named insurer, because real per insurer prices are not publicly referenceable. Surely helps you compare and get quotes online; we do not give advice ourselves; where advice is appropriate, a qualified protection adviser from our panel partners may contact you.
Written and reviewed by Paul Gillooly, Founder of Surely. Last reviewed June 2026.
Sources
- Aviva, 2024 claims data: 98.8% of life and terminal illness claims paid, totalling £862.1 million across more than 40,000 claims.
- Association of British Insurers and Group Risk Development, 2024 protection claims: 97.9% of individual protection claims paid across the market.
- Defaqto product star ratings for Aviva life insurance, 2026: 5 Star for Life Insurance+, lower ratings for the simpler direct products.
- Aviva company information and Fairer Finance ribbon ratings: UK’s largest life insurer, more than 19.5 million customers across the UK, Ireland and Canada, history dating back more than 325 years, Fairer Finance gold ribbon.
- Standard and Poor’s financial strength rating (A+) and Trustpilot, Aviva reviews: rated Great, around 4.3 out of 5 from more than 50,000 reviews, as at June 2026.
- Aviva product literature: Life Insurance+ cover types and critical illness conditions (32 standard, 47 upgraded), children’s cover and term limits.
- Surely analysis of typical UK term life insurance premiums for a healthy applicant, June 2026, including the 20% to 40% variation between insurers for identical cover. Illustrative, not quotes.
Surely is a trading style of PJG Financial Ltd, authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, firm reference number 919697. This page is a financial promotion and is for general information, not personal advice. Life insurance has no cash in value at any time and cover ends if you stop paying premiums. Tax treatment depends on your individual circumstances and may change in the future.
