Insurance question - Do i need to canel my policy straight away ?

Convicted Driver Insurance

pete137

New Member
Not sure If I've posted this in the right section.

Hi guys, was wondering if anyone could give me any info on the following. I have been banned for 13 months and my current insurance policy runs out in 4 months. My question is, do I need to cancel my policy immediately as obviously I don't have a licence or can I keep the policy ongoing to protect me from theft or another car hitting it etc - basically the car is off road and will never be driven whatsoever while Im banned so can I keep the policy and still be covered for the things listed above that "may" happen while it is parked. There is a £50 cancellation fee so in money terms its not worth me cancelling it as that is what I would be due back anyway.

My question is, do I simply have no right to insurance while banned. If I am allowed to have insurance will the policy go up for the remaining 4 months even though the car will never be driven. I wont insure after the 4 months, im basically just thinking that I've paid for these remaining 4 months already up front, so I would like to keep it until then if Im allowed. Is it an offence to not tell the insurance company straight away or can I just see out these 4 months and then notify them at the time of renewel that the policy will be cancelled.

Also, how long do no claims bonus stay active for while not having insurance. When I start driving again in 13 months time, will my 16 years of NCD still be allowed ?

Thanks a lot in advance. My head is spinning.
 
There are a couple of things for you to think about.
First is that it is almost certain that it is a requirement of your police that you notify them of any convictions. Some even require notification of impending convictions. Failure to do so will invalidate your cover.
Second is the need to have what is called 'continuous cover', even if your vehicle is not being driven and is off road, so you will need to have some form of insurance in place for the car. This will not apply if you have declared the vehicle to be "off road" to DVLA via a SORN notice.
there is a risk that your insurance company could cancel your policy when you tell them of your conviction, which would then be a problem when you come to apply for insurance again. Providing you have done the SORN then I think you would be best to cancel your policy yourself now, then declare the conviction when you apply again.
your no claims bonus is not affected by a drink drive conviction, and it usually carries forward for 2 years without cover, and 3 years for some insurance companies. Note that this time frame is not from what your current insurer offers, but it is based on the rules in place with the insurance company that you make your next application to. In any case, at 13 months there should be no problem.
 
Last edited:
price1367 said:
There are a couple of things for you to think about.
First is that it is almost certain that it is a requirement of your police that you notify them of any convictions. Some even require notification of impending convictions. Failure to do so will invalidate your cover.
Second is the need to have what is called 'continuous cover', even if your vehicle is not being driven and is off road, so you will need to have some form of insurance in place for the car. This will not apply if you have declared the vehicle to be "off road" to DVLA via a SORN notice.
there is a risk that your insurance company could cancel your policy when you tell them of your conviction, which would then be a problem when you come to apply for insurance again. Providing you have done the SORN then I think you would be best to cancel your policy yourself now, then declare the conviction when you apply again.
your no claims bonus is not affected by a drink drive conviction, and it usually carries forward for 2 years without cover, and 3 years for some insurance companies. Note that this time frame is not from what your current insurer offers, but it is based on the rules in place with the insurance company that you make your next application to. In any case, at 13 months there should be no problem.
Click to expand...

Thanks a lot for your helpful reply. Yes, I have already declared the vehicle as SORN to DVLA today. I agree that it would be logical that I would have to notify the insurance company straight away of my conviction if I chose to keep the policy ongoing, however, in the last few minutes, I have been trawling through the endless pages of their terms and conditions and came across the following -

"Please tell us at renewal about the following changes - If you or any named driver receive a motoring conviction, fixed penalty notice or licence endorsement, are banned from driving or change licence entitlement".

This would suggest I only need to tell them at renewal, which is 4 months away ?

I'm stumped. Don't really want to ring them unless I have to.

Thanks
 
Which insurance company are you with?
i have looked at 3 insurance policy details, and they all say this or similar:

What changes in my circumstances do I need to inform you about?
You should inform us of any changes to the information on which your insurance is based prior to the change being required. This includes (but is not limited to) changes to any of the information detailed on the policy documentation, such as:


replacing your vehicle with another one
modifications or non-standard accessories, including changes to the engine, suspension, brakes, body, exhaust or wheels
ownership or use of the vehicle
the address where any documentation needs to be sent
the address where the vehicle is usually kept overnight
persons who will be driving the vehicle
the number of vehicles in the household
driving convictions relating to any of the insured drivers, other than fixed-penalty parking offences
motor accidents, claims or losses of any insured driver
medical or physical condition changes that affect the ability to drive of any insured driver
the level of motor insurance cover required
the class of use required
any other information on which the insurance is based (i.e. the details you gave when you applied for the insurance).
If we are not informed immediately of any changes to a policy, cover may become invalid. This could result in you not being insured, or claims being rejected. If you are unsure whether we need to be informed of any change not listed above, please ask us for help.


Once we are made aware of the changes, we will assess the new details and adjust the insurance premium if appropriate.

in my experience, on insurance policies there is an obligation to disclose all material facts, and as you know a material fact then you should disclose it.
 
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