Insurance policy holder

[GI]

Hiya,

Quick question for anyone in the know. Not sure if right forum.

Do you actually have to hold a valid driving licence to be an insurance policy holder with named drivers on the policy?


Say a wife's licence had expired cos she had a medical condition that meant she needed to renew it every year and she had her husband on her policy who had a valid driving licence.

Would the insurance be void and, therefore, the husband would be driving an uninsured car?

I've looked in the small print on the AA, Admiral etc but none specifically say you have to hold a current licence to be a policy holder.

Any BiBs / insurers on here who can answer this query?


Cheers,

Graham

[mcflurry]

Possible option 2 - Some companies will let you can transfer ncd between husband and wife, so you can insure it in your name instead.

[GI]

Not so much that - I was just wondering if the husband had an accident or was involved in an incident, the insurance would be void and charges would be brought against the husband for driving an uninsured car.

[Cooperman]

It is the responsibility of the policyholder to keep the insurer fully informed in respect of any changes to the details of the policyholder and any other named drivers. thus, if a policyholder has a medical condition and they inform the insurer, explaining the condition and that they won't be driving, the named driver/husband will become the main driver and the risk re-assesed on that basis.
Failure to inform could reduce cover to 3rd party only, or even invalidate the policy.
So long as the insurers are informed of the risk change there should be no problem, but an increase in premium could result, so it would be better for the main driver to take a policy in his own name.

[gilbertd]

Quite how it would work in this situation I don't know, but you can only insure a vehicle if you own it. The argument being that if you don't own it what difference does it make to you if it gets damaged/stolen etc. In your case, the person that owns it doesn't drive but it has named drivers who do. I would have thought that was perfectly OK.

[gridgway]

gilbertd said:

...but you can only insure a vehicle if you own it...

I don't think so, I own my daughter's car and she insures it (with my money of course!)

Graham

[gilbertd]

gridgway said:

gilbertd said: ...but you can only insure a vehicle if you own it... I don't think so, I own my daughter's car and she insures it (with my money of course!) Graham

Check with an insurance broker (not a callcentre monkey), one of the first questions you will be asked is if it is your car. I tried to insure a car I had on long term loan and was told I couldn't, only the owner could insure it as only the owner has pecuniary interest in it.

[TSS]

gilbertd said:

gridgway said: gilbertd said: ...but you can only insure a vehicle if you own it... I don't think so, I own my daughter's car and she insures it (with my money of course!) Graham Check with an insurance broker (not a callcentre monkey), one of the first questions you will be asked is if it is your car. I tried to insure a car I had on long term loan and was told I couldn't, only the owner could insure it as only the owner has pecuniary interest in it.

After selling my Tuscan and while waiting for my Sagaris, I transferred a Tamora to my policy as may main car for 8 weeks even though it was owned by Silverstone TVR. I was sure to tell Privilege several times that I was not the owner of the car, but they insisted they were happy to cover me on it comprehensively. (Admittedly I was talking to a call centre monkey so they could have been wrong, but they sent me an insurance policy!)

They are also happy to add garage courtesy cars fully comprehensively onto my policy temporarily.


>> Edited by TSS on Tuesday 21st February 09:18

[Dwight VanDriver]

You will see if you examine your certificate/policy of Insurance carefully that there will be a clause which states that it covers a driver providing he holds, OR HAS HELD a Licence to drive and is not disqualified. An expired Licence falls within has held.

If however DVLA revoked the Licence because of a medical condition that may well have implications in relation to the Insurance if this has not been declared to the Insurance company.

As stated best be raised with the Insurance Company concerned who are the ultimate authority in saying yeah or nay.

dvd

[Flat in Fifth]

Only thing I can add to this is that last year when renewal time came round for Mrs Fif’s wheels things got complicated when I transferred to a new company and, as usual, declared her as main driver.

Scenario is that her fab Fabia is registered in my name but she is main driver. Other insurance companies just accepted this and said OK but Direct Dial insisted that without her own NCD the quoted premium would go up.

I ended up having to transfer my NCD discount to her, which according to the call centre bod you can only do once. Cannot remember now whether it was once per year or once full stop to be honest.

As an aside wouldn’t describe this chap as a call centre monkey as he really worked hard to explain the possible scenarios and get the best deal out of the options he was allowed in the circumstances, and as he said “At least you know your insurance is now right in respect of required declarations” which was a reference to the industry catch all clause that you must tell them of anything you think they might need to know even if they have not asked for that information. ho hum

The certificate still shows me as the policyholder but her as main driver out of the two of us, so it will be interesting come renewal time to see what happens re NCD and who it belongs to.

Even more interesting in 15 months when ill begotten daughter will desire to be added to list of named drivers. aaarrgghhh I can feel the BP rising in anticipation..

[GI]

Thanks all.

It's just been something I've been wondering, not actually a real life problem.