Definition of business use.

[Dr Jekyll]

If I'm driving to a job interview for a permanent job then although it could be regarded as a business trip I tend to assume I'd be OK without business insurance.
If I'm driving to an interview for a contract which should I get it will go through a LTD co I've already set up, then I'd regard that as requiring business use insurance.

But where do you draw the line? I use an umbrella company and so far I've never been working through the umbrella when I've interviewed for another contract, but could a sufficiently zealous copper still decide I'm on a business trip? And what if I'm not working through an umbrella or my own LTD when driving to see a potential contract client.

When working through my umbrella I have both commuting (theoretically unnecessary) and business use insurance just to be sure. But my renewal comes up when I'm between contracts I might not bother with business use insurance straight away.

[Dr Jekyll]

Ki3r said:

My insurance company says commuting is to a single place of work.

That said, business use was less than £20 extra a year.

Mine says something similar, but I'm claiming travelling expenses on the basis that it's a client site and I'm not anticipating being there 2 years. So not having business insurance sounds risky, I have commuting cover as well in case I get confused in the heat of the moment and say I'm going to work.

[Dr Jekyll]

Sheepshanks said:

Dr Jekyll said:

But my renewal comes up when I'm between contracts I might not bother with business use insurance straight away.

In such circumstances, what would you declare your occupation as?


More generally, as others have pointed out, Class 1 business use is often no extra cost - indeed there's a couple of companies where it's included as standard.

The one time it's happened I said unemployed. Then when I got a contract added both commuting and business use as well as changing my status.