Tesco Insurance & Money Services and Aviva have launched critical illness cover, expanding their partnership and aiming to address the UK protection gap by increasing access to cover for millions of Tesco customers.
The new Critical Illness Plan is now available and can be purchased alongside life insurance cover.
The product includes children’s critical illness cover, which pays up to the lower of £25,000 or 50% of the cover amount for children who are diagnosed with and meet one of the listed critical illness conditions.
The offering builds on the Life Insurance Plan provided by Aviva, which launched in 2025, combining Tesco’s brand and customer reach with Aviva’s protection resources.
In 2025, Aviva paid out more than £380 million in individual critical illness and children’s benefit claims, and by offering critical illness cover through Tesco’s digital channels and presence across hundreds of stores, the partnership aims to support the FCA’s call to help more families understand and access the insurance they need.
Customers will also have access to the Aviva DigiCare+ app, an added-value service which offers wellbeing and everyday support services to help people manage their health proactively.
"We’re proud to expand our partnership with Aviva to give Tesco customers access to critical illness cover alongside their life insurance policy," Ban Mahsoub, partnerships director at Tesco Insurance and Money Services, said.
She added: "This launch is another step in helping families protect what matters most, including serious illness, which can have a major impact on everyday life. With Tesco’s reach and Aviva’s expertise, we’re helping more customers understand the importance of protection and making these products easier to access than ever before."
Daren Boys, protection distribution director at Aviva, commented: "The expansion of our partnership through the launch of critical illness cover to Tesco customers is an important step in our strategy to try to help the industry close the UK’s protection gap.
"We hope that through Tesco’s extensive customer reach, more individuals and households will consider the importance of addressing their financial vulnerability to unexpected life events. We have a strong partnership with Tesco and are working closely together on future plans to further raise awareness of the importance of having protection insurance in place."
