With the UK back in lockdown, and driving restricted to ‘essential travel’ only, you may be tempted to cancel your car insurance for a month. However, car insurance is a legal requirement to park on a public road and you could face an on the spot fine of £200, increasing up to £6400 for repeat offenders.
Remember, your insurance covers your vehicle for theft and accidental damage, even when the car is not being used.
However, if you own a private drive, off street parking or some private land, and don’t plan to drive anywhere for a month, you may be able to cancel or put your policy on hold. With the current COVID-19 pandemic, some insurance companies are offering temporary suspension of policies.
If you do decide to suspend your policy, consider declaring your car off the road, known as SORN, and you will receive a refund in road tax for the affected time. You can do this via the Government website here.
Invalidate your policy by driving during lockdown?
You may have seen recent stories in the press, such as “Drivers warned car insurance may be invalid for non-essential journeys in lockdown” Daily Mirror, 7th November 2020.
We want to reassure all customers that this is completely untrue and is nothing more than press scaremongering.
The Association of British Insurers state: “Your cover will not be affected if you drive during the lockdown period. However, all motorists should follow Government advice and avoid non-essential travel.”
If you have any doubt, contact your insurance company directly. However, we’ve checked with a number of insurers on our brokerage, and all have confirmed that car insurance remains valid throughout lockdown, subject to the standard conditions of cover applicable to your policy.
Our call centre is open during lockdown for your car, home and travel insurance needs. We can now provide travel insurance to cover travel to Europe, against FCO advice. For more information, visit PayingTooMuch.com or call us on 01243 784000.
