To compare family income benefit quotes, line up the monthly amount, the end date of the term, whether the amount stays level or rises, and what happens if you ask for a lump sum, before you look at the premium. Two quotes with the same monthly figure can pay very different totals if their terms end in different years. If you would like several insurers' quotes laid out on the same terms, an FCA-authorised broker can ring you back at no charge once you complete the short form here.
This page covers how to compare. What the cover is, in full, is on family income benefit explained, and sizing it is on how much you need. The documents below are two insurers' own, not a ranking and not a full list of providers.
What do two quotes have in common, and what can differ?
Aviva's key features document for YourLife Plan Family Income Benefit (print code EDCO0871-0126, January 2026) describes a policy that pays a monthly benefit and says "We’ll pay the monthly benefit for the remaining term of the cover." Legal & General's Family and Personal Income Plan policy terms (LG2030, October 2026), which L&G publishes in its adviser area, are built the same way: a monthly benefit during the term, after which the policy ends. So the shared idea is a monthly income from the date of a valid claim to the date the term would have ended, rather than one lump sum. It is a different shape from the decreasing term cover used for a repayment mortgage, and from the single sum in life insurance for a family.
What differs is in the settings: how long the term can be, whether the monthly amount rises, whether a lump sum can replace the income, and who the policy covers. Those are what a quote has to state, and the next sections take them in turn.
How much is left to pay as the term runs down?
Because the income runs to the end of the term, a claim made later pays for fewer months. Aviva's Cover Details (print code EDCO1063-0126, January 2026) say a level benefit pays "the same amount of benefit each month", so the effect is simple arithmetic. This table is our own hypothetical working, not an insurer's example and not a premium: a level £1,000 a month on a 20-year term, with a claim at four points.
| Claim made after | Months of payments left | Total of payments left |
|---|---|---|
| Start of the policy | 240 | £240,000 |
| 5 years | 180 | £180,000 |
| 10 years | 120 | £120,000 |
| 15 years | 60 | £60,000 |
That falling total is why the term end date matters when you compare, and why a term chosen to match when your children are independent, or a mortgage ends, can matter more than the headline monthly figure (how long you need life insurance). The same documents pay on a diagnosis that meets the insurer's terminal illness definition. If that is close to home, Marie Curie offers practical information and emotional support on 0800 090 2309, and terminal illness benefit covers what a policy pays.
Which features should you set side by side?
This table sets two insurers' documents side by side, on the dates shown. It is not a ranking and not a full list of providers, and the documents may have changed since. The Legal & General column comes from policy terms hosted in L&G's adviser area.
| Feature | Aviva YourLife Plan Family Income Benefit (EDCO0871-0126 and EDCO1063-0126) | Legal & General Family and Personal Income Plan (LG2030 2026/10, adviser area) |
|---|---|---|
| Pays on | Death, or a terminal illness diagnosis that meets its definition | Death, or a terminal illness diagnosis that meets its definition |
| Level or rising | Level, or rising by 5% of the current monthly benefit each year | Level, or rising with the Retail Prices Index (RPI) where that option is offered; the rise is capped at 10% a year |
| Lump sum instead | Can be requested; less than the remaining payments added together | Can be requested; based on the months remaining, then reduced because payments come in advance |
| Term | Any number of years between 3 and 70, ending before the 90th birthday; apply from age 17 to 86 | Ask the broker or insurer for the term and age limits |
| Extra at extra cost | Waiver of Premium, if 54 or under at the start | Waiver of Premium, chosen at the start |
| Joint policy | Cover stops after the benefit is paid for one person | Pays when either person dies or meets the terminal illness definition; the policy then ends |
Critical illness is worth asking about. Both documents describe cover for death and terminal illness, so ask of any quote whether critical illness cover can be added and on what terms (life and critical illness cover compared). Joint cover is covered on joint family income benefit.
How do the rising option and the lump sum change a quote?
Rising benefits cost more each year. With Aviva, the amount you pay will "increase by a higher percentage than the amount of your insurance", and the 5% rises carry on while a claim is being paid. Under L&G's terms, premiums rise by the change in RPI multiplied by 1.5, up to 15% a year; you can decline a rise, but declining it three years in a row removes the option. For comparing, ask each quote whether the premium shown is the first year's figure or fixed.
On the lump sum, both insurers pay less than the sum of the remaining payments, so it is not a way to get the whole remaining total at once. Aviva's key features warn there "could be tax implications" in taking one, so see whether family income benefit is tax-free and putting it in trust.
How do you compare the prices?
A premium depends on your age, health, smoking status, monthly amount and term, so a real figure needs your details. A premium tends to be higher for a larger monthly benefit, a longer term, an older applicant or someone who smokes. Compare two quotes only when the amount, term, level or rising setting, and joint or single basis match; otherwise the cheaper one may simply cover less. Asking a broker to quote several insurers, with the same monthly amount and term each time, makes the comparison fair; the form here is how you reach one.
Provider limits matter too. Age limits vary (maximum age for family income benefit), and a mortgage-sized need may suit a different cover (mortgage life quotes). More on the hub: critical illness and income.
Frequently asked questions
Is family income benefit cheaper than ordinary life insurance?
The two pay out differently: ordinary term cover pays one sum, while family income benefit pays a monthly income that totals less the later in the term a claim comes. The way to see the price difference for your own details is a quote for each shape over the same term.
Can I compare providers online?
You can request quotes from insurers or from a broker. Check each shows the same monthly amount, term end date and level or rising choice before reading the premium.
Does family income benefit pay if I outlive the term?
Aviva's key features say it "only protects you against events that happen during the term of your policy", and the cover has no cash value unless a valid claim is made.
Which providers sell family income benefit?
Aviva and Legal & General both publish policy documents for it, and those are the ones used on this page. If a quote names another insurer, ask for its key features or policy terms and check them against the features in the table above.
With your amount and term decided, filling in this page's form is the quickest route to real figures.
Sources
- Aviva Life & Pensions UK Limited, YourLife Plan Family Income Benefit key features (EDCO0871-0126, January 2026), read 20 October 2026. protection.aviva.com
- Aviva, YourLife Plan Family Income Benefit Cover Details (EDCO1063-0126, January 2026), read 20 October 2026. protection.aviva.com
- Legal and General Assurance Society Limited, Family and Personal Income Plan Policy Terms and Conditions (LG2030 2026/10, in its adviser area), read 20 October 2026. legalandgeneral.com
- Marie Curie, Information and support, read 20 October 2026. mariecurie.org.uk