Commuting vs Business Use - car insurance

[AudiMan9000]

I understand that to drive to and from work would require SDP+C.

But when does work related driving reach the threshold for needing business use?

Suppose you normally work at a particular office. But your employer required you to work at one of their other offices one day, or asked you to attend a work event held at an external venue, or asked you to attend a sister organisation to deliver some training?

I can imagine for people who mainly drive to work and back, any trip so someone other than their usual place of work could catch them out if business use is needed.

[Pit Pony]

If you are claiming 45p a mile.

[7 5 7]

Pit Pony said:

If you are claiming 45p a mile.

This

[RSTurboPaul]

Business Class 1 (or whatever it is called) is only about 20 quid extra IME, so might as well just add it on and be done with!

[Evanivitch]

RSTurboPaul said:

Business Class 1 (or whatever it is called) is only about 20 quid extra IME, so might as well just add it on and be done with!

This.

[BlindedByTheLights]

SDP with commuting is usually for a SINGLE place of work. Anything else is business use and requires the additional business insurance. Don’t risk it.

[AudiMan9000]

BlindedByTheLights said:

SDP with commuting is usually for a SINGLE place of work. Anything else is business use and requires the additional business insurance. Don’t risk it.

I imagine so many people are caught out by this. Why does the industry not just consolidate the two?

[Sheepshanks]

AudiMan9000 said:

I understand that to drive to and from work would require SDP+C.

But when does work related driving reach the threshold for needing business use?

Suppose you normally work at a particular office. But your employer required you to work at one of their other offices one day, or asked you to attend a work event held at an external venue, or asked you to attend a sister organisation to deliver some training?

I can imagine for people who mainly drive to work and back, any trip so someone other than their usual place of work could catch them out if business use is needed.

There isn't a threashold as such. It's a binary thing - you either work in one place or you don't.

A neighbour's brother is a traffic cop - he said if stops a bloke driving on his own during the day then it's very common for them to say I'm just driving to our other branch, or the warehouce or dropping something off etc. They hardly every have class 1, but some companies do include it as standard.

[AudiMan9000]

Sheepshanks said:

AudiMan9000 said:

I understand that to drive to and from work would require SDP+C.

But when does work related driving reach the threshold for needing business use?

Suppose you normally work at a particular office. But your employer required you to work at one of their other offices one day, or asked you to attend a work event held at an external venue, or asked you to attend a sister organisation to deliver some training?

I can imagine for people who mainly drive to work and back, any trip so someone other than their usual place of work could catch them out if business use is needed.

There isn't a threashold as such. It's a binary thing - you either work in one place or you don't.

A neighbour's brother is a traffic cop - he said if stops a bloke driving on his own during the day then it's very common for them to say I'm just driving to our other branch, or the warehouce or dropping something off etc. They hardly every have class 1, but some companies do include it as standard.

It seems to me it isn’t well known or understood. My issue is my employer is now requiring me to make trips away from our office. But I tend to use my father in law’s car to get to work. I’m a named driver on his policy, but only for SDP+C, and as it’s not my policy I can’t make changes myself. I’m told his previous insurer wouldn’t allow named drivers to drive business use, and the quotes he got this time round were coming back an extra £500 to take me as his named driver from commuting to business use. So it seems for each of these business trips I’m going to have to get 24 hour cover which will be about £20 each time.

I can’t imagine people usually have this hassle, so just wondered if I was over thinking the whole thing.

[Pit Pony]

Sheepshanks said:

AudiMan9000 said:

I understand that to drive to and from work would require SDP+C.

But when does work related driving reach the threshold for needing business use?

Suppose you normally work at a particular office. But your employer required you to work at one of their other offices one day, or asked you to attend a work event held at an external venue, or asked you to attend a sister organisation to deliver some training?

I can imagine for people who mainly drive to work and back, any trip so someone other than their usual place of work could catch them out if business use is needed.

There isn't a threashold as such. It's a binary thing - you either work in one place or you don't.

A neighbour's brother is a traffic cop - he said if stops a bloke driving on his own during the day then it's very common for them to say I'm just driving to our other branch, or the warehouce or dropping something off etc. They hardly every have class 1, but some companies do include it as standard.

So important to say "I'm out for a social pleasure drive"

[Pit Pony]

7 5 7 said:

Pit Pony said:

If you are claiming 45p a mile.

This

Company I used to work for wouldn't pay it unless they'd seen your driving licence and proof of business use insurance. Which I think very sensible.

[Rough101]

I changed my wife’s cover on my car to full business use and the quote was £25 lower!

I think in many cases it costs nothing at renewal, just to cover the odd visit to someone else’s premises.

[popegregory]

Pit Pony said:

Sheepshanks said:

AudiMan9000 said:

I understand that to drive to and from work would require SDP+C.

But when does work related driving reach the threshold for needing business use?

Suppose you normally work at a particular office. But your employer required you to work at one of their other offices one day, or asked you to attend a work event held at an external venue, or asked you to attend a sister organisation to deliver some training?

I can imagine for people who mainly drive to work and back, any trip so someone other than their usual place of work could catch them out if business use is needed.

There isn't a threashold as such. It's a binary thing - you either work in one place or you don't.

A neighbour's brother is a traffic cop - he said if stops a bloke driving on his own during the day then it's very common for them to say I'm just driving to our other branch, or the warehouce or dropping something off etc. They hardly every have class 1, but some companies do include it as standard.

So important to say "I'm out for a social pleasure drive"

In your suit

[mike9009]

I work at two sites five miles apart. I 'usually' commute to one site a day which I understood does not need business insurance.

However, I also move between sites during the day. I absolutely have business insurance.

I used to drop stuff at a local machinist on my way home. I understand I also need business insurance for this.

I never bother raising paperwork to claim the 5 miles (45p) back each time I do it.... From the above posts that seems to indicate I don't need business insurance. But I suspect that is not true??

The issue comes that my employer does not like me cycling between sites as I don't have business insurance to cycle. So on those days I don't move between sites.

[BlindedByTheLights]

mike9009 said:

I work at two sites five miles apart. I 'usually' commute to one site a day which I understood does not need business insurance.

However, I also move between sites during the day. I absolutely have business insurance.

I used to drop stuff at a local machinist on my way home. I understand I also need business insurance for this.

I never bother raising paperwork to claim the 5 miles (45p) back each time I do it.... From the above posts that seems to indicate I don't need business insurance. But I suspect that is not true??

The issue comes that my employer does not like me cycling between sites as I don't have business insurance to cycle. So on those days I don't move between sites.

Yea you do need business insurance. Whether someone claims mileage rate or not is immaterial.

[7 5 7]

Pit Pony said:

7 5 7 said:

Pit Pony said:

If you are claiming 45p a mile.

This

Company I used to work for wouldn't pay it unless they'd seen your driving licence and proof of business use insurance. Which I think very sensible.

Yup, I have to provide insurance docs annually stating business cover or when there is a change, or I cant submit expenses for mileage.

[AudiMan9000]

I’m not interested in claiming 45p per mile.

But is it normally problematic insuring a named driver for business use? As it insurers not offering it, or charging extremely high prices?

[Mr Tidy]

Business Use is usually only offered for the Policyholder.

[croyde]

When I was freelance I had to have business use as I would be driving to different locations each day to work. Whether once a month/week/day or two or three places in a day.

It didn't seem to add much to the cost over SDP+C if at all.

These days it does increase the costs for me, as does changing the channel the radio is tuned to, or swapping out the old floor mats.

[blank]

Mr Tidy said:

Business Use is usually only offered for the Policyholder.

I've never had that restriction? My wife and I both have business use for each other on our cars. Must be pretty normal?

Neither of us do significant business mileage but the cost is negligible.