Quick answer · Updated August 2026
For single mums, life insurance is arguably more important than for couples — there's no second income if the worst happens. The good news: it's cheap. A healthy 30-year-old mum pays roughly £6–12/month for £150,000 of 18-year cover. The two essentials: enough cover for the years until your children are independent, and writing the policy in trust with a named guardian.
What It Honestly Costs (August 2026)
| Age (healthy non-smoker) | £150k, to youngest turning 21 | Family income benefit alternative |
|---|---|---|
| 28 | ~£5–10/mo | £1,200/mo benefit ~£7–12/mo |
| 33 | ~£7–13/mo | £1,200/mo benefit ~£9–15/mo |
| 40 | ~£11–20/mo | £1,200/mo benefit ~£14–24/mo |
Indicative panel pricing, August 2026.
How Much, and Set Up How
- Amount: a common-sense target is enough to clear housing debt plus £10k–£15k per child per remaining dependent year — or use our family calculator.
- Family income benefit deserves a look: it pays a monthly income rather than a lump sum — easier for a guardian to manage, and usually cheaper.
- Trust + guardian: write the policy in trust (free) and name trustees you'd want managing money for your children; pair it with naming a legal guardian in your will. Without this, the payout can sit in probate for months.
- Income protection matters too — as the sole earner, illness is statistically the bigger risk than death: see our single-parents income protection page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Enough to clear housing costs plus roughly £10,000–£15,000 per child per remaining dependent year. For many single mums that's £150,000–£300,000 — costing perhaps £6–15/month at 30.
The trustees you name when writing the policy in trust — pick people you trust to manage money for your kids, and name their legal guardian in your will. Trust-writing is free at every major insurer.
Yes — even £75,000 of cover from ~£4–6/month materially protects your children, and family income benefit stretches a small budget furthest. Some cover always beats none.