Life insurance for new parents

Becoming a parent changes everything. Suddenly, you're responsible for a little person who depends on you every day. And that usually means thinking about the future too.

If you're busy with feeds, nappies and sleepless nights, life insurance might not be top of your to-do list. But it’s one of the easiest things you can do to help protect your family in case you can’t be there for them.

To make things even easier, you can get started with free parent life cover.

In this guide, we’ll explain:

Before having children, you probably only needed to think about your own finances. But once you become a parent, other people rely on your income, care and support.

If you die during the term of a life insurance policy, it could pay out a lump sum to your loved ones. And that could give them some much-needed financial support.

The payout could help with things like:

No amount of money can replace a parent. But life insurance can help to reduce financial worries for your family at a difficult time.

Many families rely on one or two incomes to cover their monthly costs. If one parent dies, the one who's left might need help covering the bills while they look after their child.

A life insurance payout could help to provide that financial support.

Parenthood comes with enough worries. With a life insurance policy, you can make sure your family has financial help if the worst happens.

Many people are surprised by how affordable life insurance can be. Especially if they take out cover when they're younger and in good health.

Getting cover early might also mean you have more options available to you.

Tesco Life Insurance starts from £5 a month. You’ll get a discount with your Clubcard. And you'll get a £100 Tesco Gift Card and money-off coupons to spend in-store (terms and conditions apply).

Bear in mind, the actual cost of life insurance depends on the cover you want. It also depends on your own individual circumstances.

If you’re a new parent, check if you’re eligible for free parent life cover. It’s quick to sign up online - and you could be covered in minutes.

Free Parent Life Cover is free life insurance for new parents. There’s no cost and no catch. It’s just a little help from Tesco Insurance to get you started.

The policy’s provided by Aviva, experts in life insurance. And it provides cover of £15,000 for each parent, for each child under 4, for 1 year.

Tesco Life Insurance is a paid life insurance policy. It offers more flexibility and more cover for new parents. And it can be taken out at the same time as Free Parent Life Cover or when your free year of cover ends.

Tesco Life Insurance is provided and administered by Aviva. They have a 5-star rating for life insurance and pay out on 98.7% of claims*.

Tesco Life Insurance is a term life insurance policy, which means it covers you for the length - or term - of the policy.

When you take out this policy, you can choose:

Your premium’s based on your choices. It’s also based on things Aviva, our life insurance provider, need to know about you.

For more info on joint and single policies, see our guide - Joint vs single life insurance.

With Tesco Life Insurance, you can choose from two types of term life insurance policy. The options are Family Protection or Mortgage Protection.

Family Protection - Level term life insurance

Level cover pays a fixed lump sum if you die during the policy term. And the amount of cover stays the same throughout the policy.

As a parent, you might choose this type of cover if you want to help protect your family's general living costs or day-to-day finances.

You can learn more in our guide - What is level term life insurance?

Mortgage Protection - Decreasing term life insurance

Decreasing cover is designed to help pay off a repayment mortgage. The amount of cover reduces over time, broadly in line with your mortgage balance.

This cover might suit you if your main concern's helping your family stay in the family home if you die.

You can learn more in our guide - What is decreasing term life insurance?

You can take out critical illness cover alongside a Tesco Life Insurance policy.

This cover pays out a tax-free lump sum if you’re diagnosed with a critical illness and survive for 10 days during the term of the policy. Terms apply.

You can learn more about critical illness cover in our guide - What is critical illness cover?

People often start to look for the best life insurance for new parents when they:

Life events also prompt people to think about life insurance. For example:

The earlier you put cover in place, the sooner you can have protection for your loved ones.

If you're expecting, it can be worth looking at life insurance sooner rather than later.

Sorting it out while you're pregnant means you can put the right cover in place. And it’s one less thing to think about when your baby arrives.

You can sign up for Free Parent Life Cover as soon as you know your baby’s date of birth.

A year of free cover can be a good starting point. But it's also worth thinking about longer-term protection - like Tesco Life Insurance - for when it ends.

It's a good idea to review any life insurance policies you have when your family grows.

You might want to check:

The arrival of a baby can be a good time to make sure your cover still meets your needs. Even if you already have life insurance through work or an existing policy.

Good to know: You can take out Free Parent Life Cover in addition to a policy you already have.

You should review your cover again when there are major changes in your life. Like moving home or having another child.

Life rarely stands still once you become a parent.

As your family grows, your financial needs may change too. That's why it's important to review your life insurance from time to time. So you can make sure it still reflects your circumstances.

Having the right cover in place can help to give you peace of mind. Whether you're expecting your first child, moving to a larger home or planning for the future.

At Tesco Insurance, we want to help you with the things that matter most. That’s why Tesco Life Insurance comes with a Big Win and lots of Little Helps.

As well as your Tesco benefits, you’ll also get Aviva DigiCare+ - a health and wellbeing service from Aviva that includes unlimited Digital GP consultations and the Bupa Anytime HealthLine.

Tesco Life Insurance is provided and administered by Aviva, who have a 5-star Defaqto rating for life insurance and pay out on 98.7% of claims*.

*Aviva 2025 Claims report. This covers claims made across all life insurance policies in 2024.

**All figures are taken from an online survey conducted by WALR on behalf of Tesco Insurance between 11 and 25 July 2025. The survey included a sample of 2,008 UK consumers under 55 years of age.