Car insurance questions
Car insurance is fairly easy to ignore until something unusual happens. A policy gets cancelled, a job changes, a claim is marked as fault, or an insurer asks a question you have never had to think about before. This section deals with those awkward bits.
My car insurance has been cancelled. What happens now?
A cancelled policy can make the next insurance application more awkward. Here is what to do first, what you may need to declare and why guessing on a proposal form is a bad idea.
Insurance problemsWhat does it mean if a car insurance policy is voided?
Being told that a policy has been voided sounds similar to cancellation, but it can have a different meaning. The first job is to establish what the insurer says happened and from what date.
Insurance problemsWhy would a car insurer refuse to insure me?
A refusal does not always mean that you have done anything wrong. Insurers choose the types of risk they want to cover, and sometimes one detail is enough to put a driver outside an insurer’s normal rules.
Insurance costsWhy has my car insurance renewal gone up?
A higher renewal can be frustrating, especially when nothing obvious has changed. There is rarely one universal reason: insurers price a mixture of your own details, the car, local claims experience and their view of future costs.
Insurance basicsWhen is temporary car insurance useful?
Temporary car insurance can be useful when you genuinely need cover for a short period, but it is not automatically the cheapest or most suitable answer to every short-term situation.
Insurance problemsDo car modifications have to be declared to your insurer?
If a car has been changed from its standard specification, the safest approach is to tell the insurer rather than deciding for yourself that the modification is too small to matter.
Life changesDoes being unemployed affect car insurance?
Insurers usually ask about occupation because it forms part of their assessment of risk. If you are not working, the right answer depends on your actual circumstances rather than the label you think will give the cheapest quote.
Life changesWhat changes with car insurance as you get older?
There is no single age at which car insurance suddenly works differently. What does change is the way insurers assess risk, and some companies have age limits for new business or renewals.
Insurance costsWhy is car insurance so expensive for young drivers?
Young-driver premiums can be eye-watering. Insurers are pricing expected claims rather than making a judgement about an individual’s character, so the trick is to give accurate information and compare realistic options.
Driving historyHow do penalty points affect car insurance?
Penalty points can affect both the price and the number of insurers willing to quote, but the effect depends on the offence, how many points you have and how long ago it happened.
Driving historyGetting car insurance after a driving ban
Returning to the road after a ban can be expensive and sometimes frustrating, but it is usually better to approach the quotation with complete information than to try to minimise what happened.
Claims & accidentsWhat happens to car insurance after a fault accident?
A fault claim can affect your premium and no-claims discount, but “fault” in insurance does not always mean that you were blamed in the everyday sense.
Claims & accidentsDoes a non-fault accident affect car insurance?
It can. A non-fault claim does not necessarily leave your next premium untouched, even if the other side paid for the damage.
Claims & accidentsSomeone hit my parked car. What should I do?
Finding fresh damage on a parked car is annoying enough without making the insurance side harder than it needs to be. Start by gathering evidence before anything is cleaned up or repaired.
Claims & accidentsWill a windscreen claim affect my car insurance?
Windscreen cover is often handled differently from an ordinary accident claim, but policies vary. Check your own documents before assuming that a repair is free or has no effect on future insurance.
Claims & accidentsMy car has been stolen. What happens with the insurance?
After a theft, the first few hours are mostly about reporting and records. The settlement process comes later.
Claims & accidentsCan car insurance cover flood damage?
Flood damage can range from wet carpets to a car that is beyond economical repair. Whether your insurer pays depends on the cover you bought and the circumstances of the loss.
Life changesDo I need to tell my car insurer when I move house?
Yes, in most cases your insurer will want to know your new address. Where the car is kept is part of the information used to assess the risk.
Life changesDo I need to tell my car insurer if I change jobs?
Occupation is commonly part of a car-insurance quotation, so a job change is something to check with your insurer rather than assuming it can wait until renewal.
Insurance basicsWhat can I use as proof of no-claims discount?
When you move insurer, the new company may ask for evidence of your no-claims discount. Usually this is straightforward if the names, dates and number of years line up.
Insurance basicsWhat is fronting in car insurance?
Fronting is when a policy is arranged to make a lower-risk person look like the main driver even though somebody else really uses the car most.
Insurance basicsDo I need business use on my car insurance?
If you use your own car for work journeys beyond ordinary commuting, you may need business use. The exact definition varies by insurer, so describe what you actually do.
Insurance basicsWill my UK car insurance cover me abroad?
A UK policy may provide some cover when you drive abroad, but the level, countries and time limits can differ. Check before leaving rather than at the ferry terminal.
Looking for car insurance?
If you want to shop around, compare the cover and excess as well as the premium. We may earn a commission from some insurance links.
About our insurance linksPowered by Quotezone ⓘWe are an introducer appointed representative of Seopa Ltd (FCA FRN: 313860). Seopa Ltd, trading as Quotezone, provides the insurance comparison service and we receive a commission for any policies purchased, at no cost to you. We do not offer financial information.