COVID-19 - How we can help

How we can help you

Thank you for doing your bit to tackle COVID-19, whether that’s going to work as an essential worker, or staying home.

We’re doing what we can to help too. We want to do simple, practical things that help you and the wider community.

Here are some of them.

If you’re worried about paying for your insurance, please get in touch

We know lots of our customers are worried about the impact of COVID-19 on their finances.

There are lots of things we can do to help if you’re struggling to make your payments. We  may be able to offer a payment holiday or spread a proportion of your payments over the remaining months of your agreement. We can also look at reducing your cover if your needs have changed or look at other measures we can take to support you.

If your financial circumstances have changed as a result of the COVID-19 crisis, please let us know. The sooner you talk to us, the sooner we can help.

Call us on 0333 005 7450

Please help us to support our vulnerable customers – go online first

Our phone lines are really busy right now because of COVID-19.

We’re trying to make sure our vulnerable customers, those in financial difficulty and key workers get to talk to us if they need to. You can help us to help them by using our webchat or  visiting our FAQs page first.

Of course, we’re still here if you need us – but you might have to wait a little bit longer than normal before your call is answered. Thanks for your patience and support.

Are you coming up to renewal? We’re working to keep our premiums low

As a broker we don’t financially benefit from the fact that fewer people are driving and making fewer claims on their car insurance right now.

Being a broker means we can negotiate with our wide panel of insurers on your behalf to pass on the benefits they’re seeing from less claims, therefore keeping renewal premiums as low as possible.

Don’t worry if you’re using your vehicle to support your community or the NHS

If you’re using your vehicle to deliver supplies to vulnerable people, or if you’ve started volunteering to help the NHS by taking people to and from appointments, we want to support you.

You don’t need to let us know about the change in use of your car or motorbike, because you’ll automatically be covered. Thank you so much for what you’re doing.

Are you a key worker? We’re here for you when you need us

If you’re a key worker, we’d like to thank you for everything. A quarter of our customers are key workers and you’re our priority on the phones. We want to help you get to work – not keep you on hold.

We’ve invested heavily in new technology to keep many of our brilliant call centre specialists safe at home and have webchat services and FAQs available to you. If you still need to talk to us, we’re not answering calls quite as quickly as before, but we’ll get to you as soon as we can.

Thank you for all the sacrifices you’re making. Stay safe.

We recommend that all our customers follow the latest Government guidance on coronavirus

The Association of British Insurers has also published some information to help insurance customers – along with answers to commonly asked questions.

Vehicle Maintenance Hints and Tips

Here are some hints and tips on how to maintain your vehicle during the self-isolation period to limit any potential issues caused by the vehicle being used less frequently.

You should only attempt these actions if they comply with government restrictions on social distancing and it is safe to do so.

  • Run the engine every couple of days for a couple of minutes to ensure that the battery isn’t flat once the isolation period is over Check the pressure in your tyres using a pressure gauge for this if you have one – or take your car to a petrol station and use their air compressor. The correct pressure will be printed on a label on the opening of the driver’s door and in your user manual. Often front tyres need higher pressure than rear ones.
  • Check your car has a spare wheel and that the tyre isn’t flat. Many car manufacturers now supply a repair kit (usually including tyre sealant and a tyre-inflator pack) instead of a spare wheel, so make sure they are in working order.
  • Check your indicators, brake lights, side lights, headlights and fog lights, and replace any bulbs that have gone.
  • Look under the car for any fluid leaks. A leak could mean a serious problem, so you should really consult a mechanic if you find one.

Before you leave the house: Remember to charge your phone and take a charger with you, also make sure you’ve saved your breakdown provider’s details in your phone.

Help for Motorbike Insurance customers

Supporting those who use their motorbike to help their communities

If you need to use your motorbike for voluntary purposes (including NHS volunteering), supporting others who are impacted by COVID-19, your cover will not be affected and you do not need to tell us.  Please note this does not include paid delivery work.

Supporting our key workers

If you have been defined as a key worker by the UK Government as part of the national response to COVID-19 and need to use your motorbike to get to work including different work locations e.g. hospitals, your cover will not be affected and you do not need to tell us.

Extended MOT due dates

Due to the current COVID-19 situation, the government has extended MOT due dates for cars, motorcycles and light vans which are due on or after 30th March by six months. For more information please visit the government website.

Help for Travel Insurance customers

  • Our Travel Insurance Policies have an exclusion which prevents you for claiming for any circumstances known prior to purchasing a policy or booking a trip which may cause a claim. Late on 11th March 2020 the World Health Organisation confirmed coronavirus (COVID-19) has reached pandemic status. Therefore, it is reasonably foreseeable that it may give rise to a claim.
  • Any new policy purchased After Friday 16th March 2020 will not cover any cancellation claim in relation to coronavirus, including but not limited to, cancellation due to your diagnosis of coronavirus, FCO advice or flights being cancelled.
  • We will continue to cover any medical claims because of coronavirus if you are travelling to an area where no FCO advice against travel exists (if the FCO advise against travel whilst you are in that affected country we will cover you against medical claims).
  • new policy purchased will benefit from all other cover including Emergency Medical Costs, Cancellation (excluding coronavirus), Baggage, Disruption to Travel and all the remaining covers within our policy.
  • existing policy purchased are unaffected and full cover remains in place including cover for coronavirus for all trips booked prior to 16th March, any new trips booked from 16th March 2020 will not be covered for Cancellation in relation to COVID-19 (coronavirus).
  • Renewals – If the policy is renewed cancellation cover continues including cover for coronavirus for any pre-booked holidays/trips prior to 11th March (this date is when WHO classified COVID-19 as a pandemic), all other trips booked after this date are covered as usual but excluding cancellation for coronavirus. 

Help for Car Insurance customers

Supporting those who use their cars to help their communities

If you need to use your car for voluntary purposes (including NHS volunteering), supporting others who are impacted by COVID-19, your cover will not be affected and you do not need to tell us.

Supporting our key workers

If you have been defined as a key worker by the UK Government as part of the national response to COVID-19 and need to use your car to drive to work including different work locations e.g. hospitals, your cover will not be affected and you do not need to tell us.

Extended MOT due dates

Due to the current COVID-19 situation, the government has extended MOT due dates for cars, motorcycles and light vans which are due on or after 30th March by six months. For more information please visit the government website.

Help for Van Insurance customers

Supporting those who use their Van to help their communities

If you need to use your Van for voluntary purposes (including NHS volunteering), supporting others who are impacted by COVID-19, your cover will not be affected and you do not need to tell us.

Supporting our key workers

If you have been defined as a key worker by the UK Government as part of the national response to COVID-19 and need to use your Van to drive to work including different work locations e.g. hospitals, your cover will not be affected and you do not need to tell us.

Extended MOT due dates

Due to the current COVID-19 situation, the government has extended MOT due dates for cars, motorcycles and light vans which are due on or after 30th March by six months. For more information please visit the government website.