Health and Protection news

Aviva partners with CALM to offer additional support to its customers

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Aviva is proud to announce a new partnership with the suicide prevention charity Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM), reinforcing our commitment to mental health and wellbeing. The collaboration aims to provide meaningful support to Aviva’s customers, their families, and advisers.

Everyday in the UK we lose about 18 people to suicide.[1] 

The initiative, led by Aviva’s group protection business, was introduced following the identification of an increase in online searches to find out if suicide is covered by life insurance. 

In 2024, suicide was the second most common reason for claim on Aviva’s individual life insurance policies among people under 39. It was the third most common cause of claims for individuals aged 40–49.

When broken down by gender, 4.7% of all claims made for males and 2.3% of claims made for females related to suicide[2].

In Aviva’s Group Life insurance, 2% of claims were attributed to suicide.[3]

As part of this initiative, Aviva is launching a series of resources designed to help customers and their families navigate the complex and emotional challenges surrounding suicide. These include articles covering topics such as:

  • Worrying about someone else
  • Supporting young people
  • Recognising the signs
  • Feeling suicidal
  • Loneliness
  • Money worries
  • Losing someone to suicide
  • Helplines and further resources

These resources have been developed in collaboration with CALM.

To mark the beginning of this important work, Aviva and CALM are hosting a webinar titled “Let’s Talk About Suicide” on 22 September, open to all advisers and customers. The webinar aims to break the silence around suicide and encourage open, honest conversations.

Our partnership with CALM is about offering hope, understanding, and practical support to those who are struggling, and to those who have lost someone.

Additional content will be rolled out from October, with the ambition to help more people talk openly about suicide and access the help they need. 

Jason Ellis, Distribution Director, Aviva Group Protection, said: “Suicide is a deeply personal and painful experience that touches many lives. Our partnership with CALM is about offering hope, understanding, and practical support to those who are struggling, and to those who have lost someone. By working together, we can help break the stigma, start conversations, and ensure that the individuals covered on our protection schemes and their loved ones are not alone.”

We encourage advisers to share this initiative with their clients and networks, and to join us in supporting suicide prevention efforts this September and beyond.

Register here for the Let’s Talk About Suicide webinar.

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References:

1. According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), the number of registered suicide deaths in England alone has ranged from around 5,000 to 6,000 annually in recent years. 

This averages to approximately 13–16 deaths per day in England. When including the rest of the UK (Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland), the total number of suicides rises, making the estimate of 18 deaths per day across the UK a reasonable approximation.

2. Aviva’s 2025 Protection Claims and Wellbeing Insight Report. Data based on paid claims and excludes 50+ life insurance and claims where the cause of death was not reported in enough detail. Data period 1 January 2024 to the end of December 2024.

3. Aviva’s 2025 Group Protection Claims and Wellbeing Insights Report. Data period 1 January 2024 to the end of December 2024.

Enquiries:

Amber Scott

Protection and Health, Regulation

Notes to editors:

  • We are the UK's leading diversified insurer and we operate in the UK, Ireland and Canada. We also have international investments in India and China.
  • We help 25m+ customers (including Direct Line) make the most out of life, plan for the future, and have the confidence that if things go wrong we’ll be there to put it right.
  • We have been taking care of people for more than 325 years, in line with our purpose of being ‘with you today, for a better tomorrow’. In 2024, we paid £29.3 billion in claims and benefits to our customers. 
  • In 2021, we announced our ambition to become Net Zero by 2040, the first major insurance company in the world to do so. While we are working towards our sustainability ambitions, we recognise that while we have control over Aviva’s operations and influence over our supply chain, when it comes to decarbonising the economy in which we operate and invest, Aviva is one part of a far larger global system. Nevertheless, we remain focused on the task and are committed to playing our part in the collective effort to enable the global transition. The scope of our Climate ambitions and the risks and opportunities associated with our Climate strategy are set out in our Transition Plan published in February 2025: www.aviva.com/sustainability/taking-climate-action. Find out more about our sustainability ambition and action at www.aviva.com/sustainability
  • Aviva is a Living Wage, Living Pension and Living Hours employer and provides market-leading benefits for our people, including flexible working, paid carers leave and equal parental leave. Find out more at www.aviva.com/about-us/our-people/
  • As at 30 June 2025, total Group assets under management at Aviva Group were £419 billion and our estimated Solvency II shareholder capital surplus was £8.1 billion. Our shares are listed on the London Stock Exchange and we are a member of the FTSE 100 index.
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