Insurance at 80+
Insurance at 80+
Author
Discussion

Terminator X

Original Poster:

20,762 posts

234 months

Saturday 8th March 2025
quotequote all
Are there any specialist companies? Swmbo's Dad is getting crazy prices when he just drives an old Honda.

TX.

TownIdiot

3,527 posts

29 months

Saturday 8th March 2025
quotequote all
As a starting point Age UK and Saga.

But it does get more expensive at that age

Mr Tidy

31,560 posts

157 months

Sunday 9th March 2025
quotequote all
It gets difficult to find an insurer who will quote for anyone 80+, so my Mum was pretty much stuck with her existing insurer.

By the time she reached 88 they wanted over £500 for a 10 year old 2000 Fiesta 1.3 - but it did help my sister and I talk her into selling the car as her driving had become a bit "sketchy"!

200Plus Club

13,668 posts

308 months

Sunday 9th March 2025
quotequote all
Is it still the case of retaking a driving test at 80 or did I miss hear that?

21TonyK

13,347 posts

239 months

Sunday 9th March 2025
quotequote all
200Plus Club said:
Is it still the case of retaking a driving test at 80 or did I miss hear that?
No retests based on age.

Riley Blue

23,205 posts

256 months

Sunday 9th March 2025
quotequote all
200Plus Club said:
Is it still the case of retaking a driving test at 80 or did I miss hear that?
All that's required as you age is to renew your driving licence every three years after you reach 70. As it's free to do so and no health checks are required other than the minimum eyesight test which you're not asked to prove it seems pointless:

https://www.gov.uk/renew-driving-licence-at-70


200Plus Club

13,668 posts

308 months

Sunday 9th March 2025
quotequote all
Ah nice one. Elderly relative was talking about having to pack in at 80 rather than take another test.

WPA

14,731 posts

144 months

Sunday 9th March 2025
quotequote all
Be warned it will be expensive, my dad was 80 last year and is now paying around £700 a year for a Puma 1.0 ST Line, that was the cheapest we could find.

This is based on him doing less than 2000 miles a year

GeniusOfLove

5,774 posts

42 months

Sunday 9th March 2025
quotequote all
An old boy I know turns 99 in a couple of months, he paid £7.5k to AXA to insure his Audi A3 last year but they've declined to renew it.

Given his year old car is shaped like a 50p piece from all the impacts probably not a bad idea hehe

anonymous-user

84 months

Sunday 9th March 2025
quotequote all
My Mum is 83. No issues at all with LV. Clean licence for 60 odd years might help and never had a claim.

dcb

6,068 posts

295 months

Sunday 9th March 2025
quotequote all
WPA said:
Be warned it will be expensive, my dad was 80 last year and is now paying around £700 a year for a Puma 1.0 ST Line, that was the cheapest we could find.

This is based on him doing less than 2000 miles a year
Free buses, cheap rail fares and selling the car will pay for a lot
of taxis.

To say nothing of petrol, insurance, car tax & maintenance.

A 92 year old family member has just sold their Skoda for £5K.
At £1K a year (or £20 a week) that's 5 years of taxis.


Pica-Pica

16,634 posts

114 months

Sunday 9th March 2025
quotequote all
dcb said:
A 92 year old family member has just sold their Skoda for £5K.
At £1K a year (or £20 a week) that's 5 years of taxis.
Nearer 8 or ten years when running costs and depreciation (even of minimal) are considered.
Life expectancy at 92 is about 4 years, and a 1 in 10 chance of reaching 100.

Wacky Racer

41,363 posts

277 months

Sunday 9th March 2025
quotequote all
My 89 year old FIL pays £900 limited to 2,000 miles in his brand new Picanto which cost 16k..

He has done 500 miles in the last two years going to Tesco etc.

I said it would be cheaper to sell it and get taxis, he said he wants his independence.

Fair enough.

Bobtherallyfan

1,516 posts

108 months

Sunday 9th March 2025
quotequote all
dcb said:
Free buses, cheap rail fares and selling the car will pay for a lot
of taxis.

To say nothing of petrol, insurance, car tax & maintenance.

A 92 year old family member has just sold their Skoda for £5K.
At £1K a year (or £20 a week) that's 5 years of taxis.
You do realise that £20 would basically get you a trip into town and a trip back…..what are old people supposed to do the rest of the week. Free buses sound great except most villages in the UK don’t have a bus route anymore.

steve2

1,868 posts

248 months

Sunday 9th March 2025
quotequote all
My father in law is 95 in June and drives his Honda Jazz 2014 to the local shops 5 times a week, doing about 600 miles a year.
His insurance renewal was £800 and he wanted to ring around to try and get a cheaper quote which we told him might not be a good idea

silentbrown

10,927 posts

146 months

Sunday 9th March 2025
quotequote all
My mum's 93 and still (just....) driving. Physical driving skills and awareness seem still good - the only problem is that she's likely to forget where she's meant to be going....

I found that adding myself as a named driver on her policy the premium dropped about significantly. Still eye-watering, though.


Zippee

14,133 posts

264 months

Sunday 9th March 2025
quotequote all
Terminator X said:
Are there any specialist companies? Swmbo's Dad is getting crazy prices when he just drives an old Honda.

TX.
The type of car has nothing to do with it. The fact he's over 80 makes him statistically higher risk hence increased premiums

dcb

6,068 posts

295 months

Monday 10th March 2025
quotequote all
Bobtherallyfan said:
You do realise that £20 would basically get you a trip into town and a trip back…..what are old people supposed to do the rest of the week.
Whatever they want. Folks aged 90+ aren't that active.
Staring out the window at the garden seems a big job for
some of them.

Bobtherallyfan said:
Free buses sound great except most villages in the UK don’t have a bus route anymore.
Quite right too. Buses go where the people go. Villages have fewer folks,
so less revenue.

I live in a suburban area and it's rare to see more than ten folks in
a non-rush hour bus. What a waste of resources to have all these
buses circulating nearly empty.


TwigtheWonderkid

49,133 posts

180 months

Monday 10th March 2025
quotequote all
Bobtherallyfan said:
You do realise that £20 would basically get you a trip into town and a trip back…..what are old people supposed to do the rest of the week. Free buses sound great except most villages in the UK don’t have a bus route anymore.
This basically makes the point are argue on other sections of PH, like the retirement thread. Far too many people have it in their heads that retiring to somewhere peaceful is a good idea. It's a crap idea. As you get older, you need to be moving to towns or cities. I'm 62, retired and live in the London suburbs. 2 tube stations with 3 lines and Network rail, and a variety of buses are within a 10 min walk. I rarely drive now, let alone when I'm in my 80s or 90s. When I get older, I might sell the house and buy a flat closer to central London (if I can get the wife onboard). Sell the car.

GreatGranny

9,519 posts

256 months

Monday 10th March 2025
quotequote all
When my Dad became bedridden we had to change my Mum as named driver to main driver.

She has a 2016 Fiesta 1.25 Zetec and cheapest we could get was £1200.

She obviously has 0 NCB and is 91 which acts against her but only does very limited miles and short journeys.

She's happy to pay that for some independence.