Aviva Income Protection Insurance Review

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Alexandre Desoutter updated on October 1, 2020

You are about to take out income protection insurance to make sure you will be able to pay your bills if you are injured or sick. You are not sure if Aviva is the right company to go for?

You've come to the right place.

This is the ultimate review about Aviva income protection insurance. You will find cover details, prices, independent reviews, contact and claim details and much more.

Let's dive in!

About Aviva

Aviva was founded in 1696. It was previously referrred to as Norwich Union but in 2009, it was changed to Aviva. Aviva is one of the largest UK insurance provider with more than 15 million customers. The company provides all kind of personal insurance as well as investment, health and retirement plans. Aviva underwrites insurance policies for several insurance companies.

Aviva has very high financial strength and is known to pay out above 96% of income protection claims.

Our opinion on Aviva income protection

Aviva offers one of the most comprehensive income insurance plan from the market.

Aviva protects you up to £240K per year and you can get covered before you turn 60. The company has the most flexible deferred period scheme with a choice going from 1 month to 104 weeks (2 years). You can get fixed or variable benefits based on the inflation and you will have access to Aviva financial expert. The minimum benefit you can get pet month is £500, so 65% of your gross salary must be at least £500.

You will get as standard cover like Back To Work benefits (if you come back at a lower position and need to cover the bridge before your previous and current earnings) and premium waiver. Additionaly, you can choose to apply for Fracture Cover, Global Treatment or a range of optional extras depending on what you need.

Your monthly income protection benefits will not be affected by any sick pay or support allowance you receive in case you are sick or injured, nor pension, mortgage or any other investment income.

You will be able to claim several times for the same condition. Aviva will not make out wait for the deferral period to be finished if you are claiming again within 12 months after you received your last payment. If you haven't received any payment yet because you went back to work before your deferral period ends, but you suffer from the same illness a few months after, you will be able to count this first deferral period.

Key benefits at Aviva are:

Lenient on deferral period if you claim for the same injury or illness within a policy period
Claim duration when claiming overseas up to 3 years
Indexation of premium on RPI
No impact of other allowances on monthly benefits
Large range of cover, as well as additionnal benefits included as standard
Back to work benefit if you come back at work with lower earnings
Financial strength of the company for paying out claims
Increase of policy with Life Change Benefit with no medical proof required

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What does Aviva income insurance cover?

Income Protection+Policy terms
Premium Type

Reviewable or guaranteed premiums

Core benefits
  • Main benefits
  • Restricted benefit
  • Back to work benefit
  • Waiver of premium (your premium will be covered from after your deferral period to the end of the claim period)
Additional benefits
  • Hospital benefit: £100 per night up to 90 nights
  • Family carer benefit
  • Trauma benefit: pays 6x the monthly benefit (up to £40,000) if the policyholder suffers from one of the listed trauma (blindness, loss of hand or foot etc.)
  • Life change benefit: you can increase your policy if your marital status change, have a baby etc. with no medical proof asked
Extras
  • Fracture cover: up to £6,000 lump sum if you suffer from a specified fracture (+£4 per month)
  • Global treatment: up to £1 million for overseas treatment for certain illnesses (+£4 per month)
  • Increasing cover
  • Get active (gym discounts)
  • Support plus: Support Plus: access to BUPA HealthLine, physio and counselling/carer support, Best doctors appointment etc.
Maximum CoverUp to 65% of your annual salary before tax, up to a maximum limit of £60,000 per year.
45% of any gross income of above £60,000 including dividends, sick pay, pensions, other income received because of incapacity
Age terms
  • Minimum entry age: 18
  • Maximum entry age: 59
  • Maximum cease age: 70
Maximum duration of claim
  • Full Cover to Term or Long Term: Aviva will pay your benefit for the full duration of your incapacity.
  • Limited Payment Term: Aviva will pay your benefit for a maximum of 24 months for each incapacity. If you’ve gone back to work for six consecutive months, you’re able to claim again for the same illness or injury.
Deferral period4, 8, 13, 26, 52 or 104 weeks (the longest deferral period existing)
Incapacity DefinitionOwn occupation
IndexationOptional and capped at a maximum of 10%. You can decline the inflation increase after the policy period ends.
Guaranteed BenefitThe minimum income protection benefit is £500 / month (65% of your annual salary before tax must be at least £500 to be eligible)
Claim overseas6 months to 3 years depending on the country
Income Protection+ cover

Aviva Income Protection+ terms and conditions

What does Aviva income protection insurance not cover?

Income protection insurance at Aviva covers most injuries and illnesses. However, as for any insurance product, income protection also comes with some standard exclusions such as any injury or sickness due to:

  • criminal activities or acts of war;
  • illicit drugs consumption or abuse of alcohol;
  • attempted suicide;
  • pregnancy and childbirth;
  • pre-existing medical conditions (unless you’ve paid additional premium and it is stated in policy terms).

Good to know

You may also not be covered for injuries made as result of travel in countries under FCO ban (terrorism, pandemic etc.). Check with Aviva to make sure.

How much is Aviva income protection?

Tables below will give you indicative quotes of what you will need to pay for Aviva income protection depending on your profile.

If you are a non-smoker office worker:

Short-term plan
13 weeks deferral
Short-term plan
26 weeks deferral
Long-term plan
13 weeks deferral
Long-term plan
26 weeks deferral
25 years old£9.02£7.32£32.12£27.54
35 years old£13.24£10.65£45.62£41.02
45 years old£17.82£10.65£56.72£64.57
Aviva income protection quotes

If you are a smoker, your premium will raise from 30 to 40% approximately.

Your income protection insurance premium at Aviva will widely vary depending on a set of criteria including:

  • your age
  • your position
  • your medical record
  • your smoking habits
  • the cover you choose
  • the type of premium you choose
  • the number of accidents or/and illnesses covered in policy terms
  • the date you’d like to first payment to be made in case you are injured or sick (known as deferral period)
  • the claims period chosen (one week or until retirement for instance)
  • the guaranteed income you’d like to receive.

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How to claim on your Aviva sick pay insurance?

If you've taken out an income protection insurance at Aviva and you can no longer work because of illness or injury, you can claim on your insurance to start getting the financial support you've applied for.
The process is split in three steps:

  • You make your claim
  • Your claim is reviewed by a financial adviser
  • If your claim is valid, you will be getting a dedicated claim manager for the time of your recovery.

Aviva is particularly understanding with deferral period. If you claim for the same incapacity again within 12 months after you receive your last payment for the same condition, you will be entitled to get your payment straight away, without waiting your deferral period. If you have been suffering from a condition but you haven't got any payment because you went back to work before the end of your deferral period and you are suffering again from the same thing, you will be allowed to add the first deferral period you already did up to the next one and minimie the number of days before you get your first payment.

But to get paid, you will first be asked to provide:

  • your policy number
  • your name and contact details
  • your General Practitoner's details
  • your annual gross salary (with pay slips proofs)
  • your position
  • your diagnosis, symptoms, or what happened
  • an updated medical screening from your GP for instance.

You can claim online through the Online Form.

Or you can call the Aviva claims service team at 0800 158 3105 from monday to friday, 8.30am to 5pm.

If you bought your income protection through another provider, we list below the contact details. You've taken out your policy with:

  • Friends Provident: call at 0345 266 2255 from monday to friday 8.30am to 6pm or email at [email protected]
  • Bupa Health Insurance or Friends Life: call at 0800 001 4276 (if your policy starts by F, H, R or L) from monday to friday 8.30am to 6pm or email at [email protected]
  • AXA, call at 0345 070 7099 from monday to friday 8.30am to 6pm
  • Axa Sunlife Direct, call at 0345 366 1645 from monday to friday 8.30am to 5.30pm
  • Winterthur, call at 0345 304 1401 from monday to friday 9am to 5pm

Good to know

You will get paid only if you are showing good faith, are actively trying to get better, are following doctors advices etc.

How to cancel my Aviva income protection?

You can cancel your income protection policy for free and get a full refund within 30 days after purchase. After that, you won't get any refund.
To cancel your policy at Aviva you will need to:

  • call the service team at 0800 092 5367
  • or send your cancellation letter mentioning your policy number at the address: Aviva Life, Norwich BCC, PO Box 520, Norwich, NR1 3WG.

Watch out!

If you cancel your income protection insurance policy, you won't be able to make a claim if something happens to you in the coming months.

How to contact Aviva income protection insurance?

You can contact Aviva Income Protection Insurance service team mainly by phone.

For policies that have been taken out before March 2015, you can call at 0800 158 3119 from Monday to Friday: 8:30am - 5:30pm.
For policy that have been taken out after March 2015, you can call at 0800 285 1098 from Monday to Friday: 8:30am - 5:30pm and Saturday from 8:30am - 2:00pm.

Phone calls are free of charge.

You can also ask the website chatbot for quick question and assistance.

What else can I take at Aviva?

There are several other financial and life insurance products available at Aviva such as:
Aviva Life Insurance
Aviva Mortgage Insurance

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Alexandre Desoutter
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Alexandre Desoutter has been working as editor-in-chief and head of press relations at HelloSafe since June 2020. A graduate of Sciences Po Grenoble, he worked as a journalist for several years in French media, and continues to collaborate as a as a contributor to several publications.

In this sense, his role leads him to carry out steering and support work with all HelloSafe editors and contributors so that the editorial line defined by the company is fully respected. and declined through the texts published daily on our platforms.

As such, Alexandre is responsible for implementing and maintaining the strictest journalistic standards within the HelloSafe editorial staff, in order to guarantee the most accurate, up-to-date information on our platforms. and expert as possible. Alexandre has in particular undertaken for two years now the implementation of a system of systematic double-checking of all the articles published within the HelloSafe ecosystem, able to guarantee the highest quality of information.