Car insurance employment status - "house-husband"?

Car insurance employment status - "house-husband"?

Author
Discussion

Dr Mike Oxgreen

Original Poster:

4,101 posts

164 months

Thursday 29th September 2016
quotequote all
I have just received my car insurance renewal, and realise that I have overlooked informing them of a change in my employment status.

I want to do the right thing, but I also don't want to get unnecessarily shafted by declaring the wrong thing.

Until Christmas last year, I was a software developer. I got fed up with various aspects of the way my job was developing, and I voluntarily quit my job. Since then, I have not been seeking employment - I have been thinking about various options of what I might want to do in the future, and I am currently following a course of distance learning at home for the ATPL theory exams - these are the 14 exams you have to take if you want to become a professional pilot. I am paying for this myself and nobody is sponsoring me in any way.

From what I've read, anyone who declares themselves "unemployed" is likely to receive a nasty shock in their premiums. But I'm not convinced that's a fair representation of my circumstances. As I say, I am not seeking employment, not claiming any benefits, not going to interviews - and my (un)employment status is completely voluntary. My current lifestyle involves staying at home, reading up about meteorology, air law, flight planning, etc etc, feeding the cat and generally looking after the house. My car usage has reduced dramatically and the majority of my journeys are currently short and local - so much so that I now keep my two cars cars plugged into battery conditioners to prevent their batteries going flat.

It strikes me that my circumstances are rather similar to a stay-at-home "housewife". Is it possible and correct for me to declare myself as a "home-maker" or whatever the phrase is? I am, after all, staying at home while my wife goes out to work.

The other possibility would be to declare myself as a student, but I'm not sure that's really correct either. I'm not at a recognised educational establishment - the training I'm doing is distance learning from a private company that specialises in ATPL theory training. I don't think I'd be eligible to join the NUS, for example.

My car usage will change dramatically again around May/June 2017 when hopefully I will have finished the exams and I will be driving between Woking and (probably) Gloucestershire Airport most days for the flight training that I will have to do. But again, that won't be 'work' because nobody will be employing me or paying me - and I wouldn't class it as being any kind of student either, not in the sense that most people would think of it. I propose that I might reduce my mileage for now, and then declare the increase if and when it happens next year.

If the insurers' profile of an "unemployed" person includes driving to interviews in unfamiliar locations, and possibly financial hardship due to loss of job, then neither of those things applies to me.

I've just looked, and my current insurer has "househusband" in their list of occupations. Do you think it would be reasonable for me to declare that as my occupation? My honest opinion is that this is the best description of my circumstances. What do you think?

Edited by Dr Mike Oxgreen on Thursday 29th September 13:26

hornetrider

63,161 posts

204 months

Thursday 29th September 2016
quotequote all
Aren't you still a software developer.... looking for work? No changes required, etc.

KevinCamaroSS

11,555 posts

279 months

Thursday 29th September 2016
quotequote all
Not unemployed, you are a student.

Nimby

4,572 posts

149 months

Thursday 29th September 2016
quotequote all
Just curious - which jobs / employment status would attract the lowest premium?

Dr Mike Oxgreen

Original Poster:

4,101 posts

164 months

Thursday 29th September 2016
quotequote all
hornetrider said:
Aren't you still a software developer.... looking for work? No changes required, etc.
Not really. I don't currently wish to find work as a software developer; I'd rather do something else. And I'm not currently in employment - that's what worries me. Would the insurance company get sniffy in the event of a claim?

Ultimately I may have to return to software development, because the path I've chosen is hugely competitive and I may never succeed in actually getting a flying job. But that will be in the future. For the time being, I will not be seeking employment until at least the autumn of 2017.


KevinCamaroSS said:
Not unemployed, you are a student.
Well, 'student' is probably going to be almost as expensive as 'unemployed', if not more so. So I'm reluctant to declare myself as a student. And I think I'm justified in not calling myself a student, because it's not what most people would think of as an educational establishment. I'm undergoing a course of professional training in much the same way that you would if you were in a job - except that I'm not in a job.

Edited to add: I have looked at the NUS web site to see if my training organisation is listed in their recognised establishments, and it's not. So if the NUS don't recognise me as a student, then I reckon that's a fairly good indicator that I'm not a student.

Edited by Dr Mike Oxgreen on Thursday 29th September 13:47

PorkInsider

5,877 posts

140 months

Thursday 29th September 2016
quotequote all
What about 'retired'?

There's no specific age requirement for that and nothing to say you must be claiming a pension to have that status.

I would say that being retired is as close to what you're actually doing as anything else you could put down.

Jabbah

1,331 posts

153 months

Thursday 29th September 2016
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Sounds like you've retired to me. You can always come out of retirement at a later date of course...

DRFC1879

3,437 posts

156 months

Thursday 29th September 2016
quotequote all
Can't you put "pilot" in there. If you were on a welding apprenticeship surely you'd select "welder" and it seems like you're on an equivalent scheme albeit self-funded...

AH33

2,066 posts

134 months

Thursday 29th September 2016
quotequote all
Nimby said:
Just curious - which jobs / employment status would attract the lowest premium?
I'd be interested in this too. Anything to provide a bit of lube for my annual shafting.

essayer

9,011 posts

193 months

Thursday 29th September 2016
quotequote all
I wonder if you qualify as 'living from independent means' i.e. Income not from work

Dr Mike Oxgreen

Original Poster:

4,101 posts

164 months

Thursday 29th September 2016
quotequote all
Retired? Hmmm... I would say that if you call yourself "retired" you have an intention to remain permanently out of work, even though that situation might change. I don't feel comfortable declaring myself retired, although I'd love to if I could!


DRFC1879 said:
Can't you put "pilot" in there. If you were on a welding apprenticeship surely you'd select "welder" and it seems like you're on an equivalent scheme albeit self-funded...
Generally speaking, insurance companies consider "pilot" as one of the riskiest occupations. Pilots generally have to go to specialist insurers to get life insurance, for example. My instinct is that they probably pay through the nose for car insurance.

Of course, if this crazy idea succeeds then I might find myself forced to declare it in the future, but for now I think I'll avoid it.

bigandclever

13,750 posts

237 months

Thursday 29th September 2016
quotequote all
Nimby said:
Just curious - which jobs / employment status would attract the lowest premium?
Probably pilot. Ironically smile

https://www.theguardian.com/money/2011/oct/25/pilo...

Dr Mike Oxgreen

Original Poster:

4,101 posts

164 months

Thursday 29th September 2016
quotequote all
bigandclever said:
Gosh, that really does surprise me!

Mind you, my example of life insurance is a little different from car insurance. I hope it's true that professional pilots get good prices on car insurance!

I don't think it would be truthful to declare myself as a pilot yet. I have a PPL, and I've passed the first four of the ATPL theory exams, but that's as far as I've got. There's a very long way to go yet: 10 more exams, about 70 hours of flying training, and at least two flight tests.

kowalski655

14,599 posts

142 months

Thursday 29th September 2016
quotequote all
Stick each possibility into the meerkats & see which is best, you can probably justify all options.
Or call an insurer & explain,see what they think
Either way,good luck with the ATPL

ZOLLAR

19,908 posts

172 months

Thursday 29th September 2016
quotequote all
There should be an option for "independent means".

TwigtheWonderkid

43,248 posts

149 months

Thursday 29th September 2016
quotequote all
Nimby said:
Just curious - which jobs / employment status would attract the lowest premium?
They can't discriminate by gender but they can discriminate by occupation, hence stuff usually done by women is good. Especially if it's a responsible job done by educated women. Librarian is a winner, or midwife.

Vroom101

828 posts

132 months

Thursday 29th September 2016
quotequote all
I think 'house-husband' or 'home-maker' is the closest thing to your circumstances at the moment. I doubt this would increase you premium like student or unemployed would. I'd imagine the fact that you've reduced your annual mileage so much would have more bearing on the cost.

akirk

5,376 posts

113 months

Thursday 29th September 2016
quotequote all
there is a great tool on money saving expert:
http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/insurance/car-ins...
lets you see how rates change with job!

however, it is a rough guide / and doesn't include 'of independent means' or 'idle rich' etc. smile

anonymous-user

53 months

Thursday 29th September 2016
quotequote all
MOST EXPENSIVE PROFESSIONS
Job
Cost
Motor racing drivers
£1,591
Footballer
£1,554
Other sportsmen
£1,444
Funfair employees
£1,326
Canvasser
£1,319
Scrap dealer
£1,198
Exotic dancer
£1,118
Disc jockey
£1,080
TV presenter
£1,065
Students and apprentices
£1,059

LEAST EXPENSIVE PROFESSIONS
Job
Cost
State enrolled nurse
£255
Guest house proprietor
£264
Reflexologist
£273
Distillery worker
£280
Coastguard
£280
Bursar
£284
Magistrate
£291
Matron
£294
School crossing warden
£301
Headteacher
£302


Read more: http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/cars/article-22...

TwigtheWonderkid

43,248 posts

149 months

Thursday 29th September 2016
quotequote all
The Spruce goose said:
Funfair employees
£1,326
I got the sack from working on the dodgems. I'm doing them for funfair dismissal.