The Lemon Fool

Hi Folks,

As you know probably I'm looking to change my Fiesta for an 'old person's' car, Honda Jazz, to extend my driving years and help with Mrs B's mobility. Mrs B has had to surrender her licence for six months after a recent brain operation (which went well) and with all that going on I hadn't thought about the consequencies for the insurance.

I am the main driver on my Fiesta and Mrs B is a named driver. Mrs B is the main driver on her Ka and I am a named driver.
As she has had to surrender her licence for six months do I need to tell both insurance companies? Depending on her progression she may decide not to start driving again. She doesn't 'enjoy' driving but accepts it's usefullness. I am well into free bus pass age she is not there yet since they moved her pension age (Feb 2023).

Ray.

If you've reported the licence suspension to one policy, it would be as well to report it to both. Insurers have access to each other's records through the confidential central database that they all share, and they can get a bit stroppy if one of them thinks you're not declaring something on a named driver.

I had some serious grief from my insurer about ten years back, after my wife (who is a named driver on my policy) was involved in a no-fault shunt in her own car but I didn't declare the incident to my own insurer. My insurer accused me, in writing, of concealing risk information from them, and they effectively suspended my no-claims and my excess waiver until her own matter had been sorted out. It could have cost me a lot of money if I'd been in a shunt of my own.

That's pretty rough, considering that the other party in my wife's shunt had already conceded liability! But I can see why my insurer didn't like the feel of it. And we were a married couple! Consider how it must look for car policies where there are many named drivers - such as office pool cars, etc. Are you supposed to report every speeding ticket, every busted windscreen claim, and every licence point for every one of them? Yes, it would seem that you are.

BJ

I had to surrender my licence following a brain injusy abot 5 years ago. When I was eventually allowed to drive again I was issued with a 3 year licence. I notified my insurers who just checked that I'd been cleared to drive by DVLC. No special terms were applied and the premium wasn't affected.

When I've changed insurers since I've notified the insurers and none of them have applied terms or premium increases.

After 3 years I had to re-apply for my licence, I had a telephone conversation with my doctor where she asked me a series of questions from the form DVLC had sent her. I'd had no problems since the injury so the doctor was able to say I was ok to drive. I was issued with a new licence up to my 70th birthday. As far as I'm aware that's normal so in future I don't think I need to disclose the injury.

I hope that helps.

Hi Folks,

Thanks for the replies. I will notify both insurers, it wasn't on list of important things to do with hospital, consultants, operation etc. etc. Now I need to do it. Hopefully if Mrs B is back driving soon it won't affect her NCB.

Cheers,
Ray.

raybarrow wrote:Hi Folks,

Thanks for the replies. I will notify both insurers, it wasn't on list of important things to do with hospital, consultants, operation etc. etc. Now I need to do it. Hopefully if Mrs B is back driving soon it won't affect her NCB.

Cheers,
Ray.

As far as I'm aware NCB is retained for a 2 year period.

Hi Folks,
Insurers notified. Very painless. Her policy stays in Mrs B's name but I am now the main and only driver. On my policy she is no longer a named driver. I just need to call them when Mrs B starts driving again.

Cheers,
Ray.