Insurers Pledge to Protect Home Workers Until October

British insurers have pledged to go easy on customers affected by the COVID-19 crisis until the end of October.

The Association of British Insurers said on Friday that it will extend special measures put in place at the start of lockdown until 31st October, to help protect customers with home, motor or pet insurance at a 'stressful' time.

Under normal circumstances, many home insurance policies could be invalidated by working from home; as many policies prevent the use of residential buildings for business purposes.

Similarly, most motor insurance policies require that the holder must state whether or not they use their car to commute.

Under these circumstances, any claims made while the home was being used as an office, or while a car was being used to drive to work would not be paid out.

However, some 43% of the workforce shifted to home working during lockdown according to researchers from Cardiff University, meaning millions of insurance policies were thrown into a grey area before the ABI assurance.

Insurers are committed to helping customers throughout these challenging times. If you are an office-based worker who is working from home or an employee driving to your workplace because of the pandemic, you are covered. The insurance industry plays a vital role as a final safety net for customers, and the extension of these customer pledges demonstrates the industry's commitment to supporting those impacted by the crisis

Said: Assistant Director of ABI, Mark Shepherd

The pledge assures customers with existing insurance policies that they do not need to update their insurance or contact their insurer to be guaranteed extended cover arrangements.

This applies to anyone who has been affected by lockdown restrictions from going about their essential day-to-day business.

It includes people who have started to use their vehicles to commute safely as well as those out and about delivering medicines and groceries in their vehicles, to people shielding through the lockdown.

The pledge also extends to key workers, such as checkout staff and postal employees, who will automatically have their home and motor insurance extended to allow them to perform their work safely.

The Association also highlighted special exemptions for pet owners, which are still in place.

People with pet insurance who have been unable to get a check-up or vaccinations for their animal will not have their policies invalidated if their pet gets sick as a result of missed treatments.

This pledge was made separately to the promises on home and motor insurance and will be reviewed again on 30th September.

The Association of British Insurers is the voice for its members, which include many of the UK’s largest insurers. You can check whether the pledge applies to you by going to the ABI website and seeing whether your insurance provider is a member.