Children's critical illness cover is part of a parent's critical illness policy: if a child is diagnosed with one of the conditions the insurer lists, it pays a lump sum to the parent. At Legal & General, Aviva, Royal London and Vitality it comes with an adult's plan instead of being a policy of the child's own, and each sets its own ages, amounts and exclusions.

Should you want help working out which plans include children's cover and on what terms, an FCA-authorised broker can compare how the wording differs for your children; to arrange that call, use the form on this page.

Which children does it cover, and until what age?

Each insurer draws the line in a different place.

Insurer and documentChildren coveredAges
Legal & General, policy summary (QGI14786, October 2026; direct version)A natural, legally adopted or step child, including any children you have in the futureFrom 30 days old up to and including the 18th birthday, or the 21st if in full time education
Aviva, Critical Illness Plan policy summary (DA09001, May 2023)Natural, step and legally adopted children, including future childrenFrom 30 days to the 18th birthday, or the 21st if in full time education
Royal London, Children's Critical Illness Cover page (undated)Includes legally adopted and financially dependent children, born before or after the plan startsBirth until 22 (until 23 for a child still in full-time education)
Vitality, Personal Protection Plan provisions (February 2025)Natural, adopted or step children, or a child you are legal guardian of, looked after by or financially dependent on you; future children includedFrom birth, unless Vitality says otherwise for a specific condition, until the first plan anniversary after the 23rd birthday

A baby under 30 days old is outside the standard children's cover at Legal & General and Aviva, while Royal London and Vitality begin at birth. Newborns and pregnancy are covered in life insurance while pregnant.

What does a children's claim pay?

Legal & General's summary says:

"We'll pay the lower of 50% of the amount of cover at the time our definition is met (original amount of cover if decreasing cover is chosen) or £25,000 for a valid claim."

Aviva's article (last updated 15 May 2026) gives the same sum: "So, after a successful claim, you'll receive either 50% of your full cover amount or £25,000, whichever is lower." Legal & General also pays one claim for each child and ends the children's cover once two claims in all have been made, with a ceiling of £50,000 for one child across its policies.

Royal London's children's cover page offers three levels:

  • Standard covers the main conditions on its Critical Illness Cover, along with total permanent disability and terminal illness, at 50% of your Critical Illness Cover amount with a £30,000 limit, and pays £5,000 if a child dies.
  • Enhanced adds conditions specific to children to the main ones; it pays 50% of the Critical Illness Cover amount, up to £50,000, for total permanent disability and up to £35,000 for the additional conditions, includes terminal illness, and pays £10,000 if a child dies.
  • None: with no children, or no immediate plans for a family, you can leave children's cover off the plan.

If you want the Enhanced payment for the main conditions confirmed for your plan, an FCA-authorised broker can look it up at no cost once this page's form reaches them.

Vitality's Personal Protection Plan Summary (VLTD182053WF_02/25_J8476, February 2025, hosted on Vitality's adviser site, adviser.vitality.co.uk) says: "You can have up to £100,000 of Child Serious Illness Cover. This amount will apply to all of your children and across all plans you have with VitalityLife." The share paid depends on how severe the illness is, from 100% at the most severe level (A) down to 5% at the least severe (G). Which levels apply depends on the core cover you choose: 1X covers A to D, 2X A to E and 3X A to G.

Which conditions can a child claim for?

Legal & General's summary points to the illness definitions and additional cover in its policy terms, and excludes terminal illness for children. Aviva's policy summary says children are covered for the critical illnesses and additional critical illnesses on the plan, terminal illness excepted. At Royal London the list widens from Standard to Enhanced, as set out above and in more detail in Royal London's critical illness policy.

Vitality works differently: each illness in its policy appendix pays a share of the child cover according to severity, and its Plan Provisions (VLTD174857WF_J3779_02/2025, on the same adviser site) say: "We will not pay a benefit for any illness or condition that is not listed in Appendix 1 or Appendix 2 if applicable to your cover type." It also pays a separate £5,000 if a child born living is diagnosed, after the cover starts, with a named condition such as cerebral palsy, cystic fibrosis or spina bifida.

What counts as a critical illness is explained in critical illness cover, and the two insurers' own lists in the Legal & General policy and Vitality's serious illness cover. If one condition matters to your family, the broker can read its definition with you on a call-back.

What stops a children's claim being paid?

This is the part to read slowly if your child already has a health condition, because Legal & General, Aviva and Vitality each leave out conditions that began before the child was covered. Legal & General will not pay for a condition present at birth, or where the symptoms arose before the child was covered, and Aviva leaves out an illness present at birth whether or not it had been diagnosed, and one whose symptoms came before cover. Legal & General also leaves out a death within 14 days of diagnosis, Aviva requires the child to survive 10 days, and Vitality's summary asks that the child survive 14 days or more after the event that led to the claim.

Vitality's summary puts its exclusion this way:

"Child Serious Illness Cover does not cover any pre-existing medical conditions that existed before any one of the following: • The cover’s start date; • If your child is adopted, their legal adoption; and • If you are their legal guardian, the date when this happened. This exclusion applies regardless of whether or not the illness or condition had been diagnosed, or the child was showing symptoms."

If your child has a condition already and Royal London is on your list, ask an FCA-authorised broker to explain how it would be treated; the short form on this page begins that free check. Pre-existing health conditions are covered in critical illness cover with pre-existing conditions.

What happens to your own cover after a child's claim?

At Aviva a children's claim is a partial claim, so your policy carries on and the full amount could still be paid later; each child can claim once, and cover for your other children continues while premiums are paid. Royal London says a child's claim does not affect your main Critical Illness Cover, and Legal & General says your amount of cover and premiums are not affected by the payment.

At Vitality each payment reduces the child cover remaining for that child and overall. Whether a payout is taxed is covered in are critical illness payouts taxable.

What the same children's cover pays if a child dies is set out in life insurance for children. How a claim is assessed is in when critical illness cover pays out, and the wider set of guides on this cover is in critical illness and income.

How do you decide whether to pay for more children's cover?

No page can say what your family should buy, but the options differ. At these four insurers the children's benefit comes with your own critical illness or life and critical illness cover. At Legal & General and Aviva, children's cover is part of the critical illness plan at no extra cost. Royal London lets you choose a level, and its page says: "And if your needs change, you can add or remove it easily over the phone – without giving us any medical information." At Vitality you can apply to add Child Serious Illness Cover at any time during the term, with a higher premium, and its provisions say: "This cover does not need underwriting."

Some questions to weigh:

  • Do you want cover to run past 18 or 21, as Royal London's and Vitality's do?
  • Does cover from birth matter, given the 30-day start at Legal & General and Aviva?
  • Would the extra conditions at an enhanced level be ones you would want, and what do they add to the premium?

What each option adds to the premium depends on you, so it is a question for a quote. Someone can set the options side by side for your family if you send the request through this page; the broker rings you, and it costs nothing.

Frequently asked questions

Can you get critical illness cover for a child on their own?

In the plans described above, children's cover sits on an adult's plan; Vitality's provisions describe the cover as being "for all adult persons insured on the plan". Cover written on the child's own life is another matter, which life insurance for children deals with.

Does children's critical illness cover include children born later?

Legal & General, Aviva and Vitality each say it covers future children, and Royal London's definition includes children born before or after the plan starts. Children are covered from their own start age, so a baby's cover begins at 30 days at Legal & General and Aviva.

Does children's critical illness cover cost extra?

Aviva says "You don’t have to add it on, or pay extra", and Legal & General includes it with critical illness cover at no extra cost. Royal London offers three levels "to meet your needs and budget", and Vitality raises the premium according to the amount and type of child cover you choose. What it would add to your premium is something the broker can work out for you.

Do other insurers, such as Zurich or Scottish Widows, offer it?

Each insurer sets its own terms. Zurich's plan is covered in Zurich's serious illness cover, and several insurers' children's terms sit side by side in best life insurance and critical illness cover.

Whenever you feel ready, sending your details through the form is the one step: a broker will ring to talk it through, with no charge.

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