Insurance for carer.

atro1

My wife is a carer, she does it privately.She has one couple and one single woman. its about 35 hrs a week.
Liability insurance has raised its ugly face.
What does she need, and who from? Quotes that I have tried are about £80pa and go on about terrorism tools and the like, none of which is needed.
Welcome any help from all. Many thanks.

forgotmyname

I think they add useless additions to the policy to bulk up the fact they may cover
very little.

What sort of cover does she require?

Does she carry goods, Do shopping etc or does she take them on trips or
journeys to the doctors etc?

Sally_A

Who's asking? Is it the local authority?

There are so many questions before you can get the liability quote you need. does your wife administer medication?, or maybe just prompt them to take medicines as per the dosette box instructions.

£80p.a seems far too cheap to be honest.

More importantly, if she is helping to move these people into bed/baths etc, does she have Personal Accident insurance? What are her back up plans for dealing with the clients if she is injured or sick?

Also, if she is also offering to take them to the doctors, dentists, shopping in her car - this will also affect the motor insurance.

atro1

many thanks for your replies.
yes its the local council.
she does not administer medicines but does remind them about the dosset boxes.
Car has insurance for running people around, because she does take them to hospital, supermarket and the like.And of course she does the shopping for them.
Certainly no back up plans for when and if she is sick.
Personal accident ins. no do not have that.
Two quotes from moneysupermarket. Both around £80,Also Fish advertise at £80.http://www.fishinsurance.co.uk/carer-and-personal-assistant-insurance.php?gclid=COS3-v2Q4LACFW1ItAoddD44yw
and Directcare is £80
some of the others are £140.

Sally_A

Well the Direct Care one is underwritten by Zurich, and seems to cover quite a wide range of activities. It also gives an element of personal accident for your wife - albeit capital benefits rather than weekly payments for being unable to work.

When you work in insurance you have to be a pessimist and ask yourself "What is the worst thing that can go wrong". Also bear in mind, just because your wife does not think the clients she cares for will ever sue her as she has probably become a friend - it does not mean that their relatives would not be looking for a bit of compensation.

So regardless of whether the local authority are asking for the cover or not, for that price, and it still seems very cheap, it would be in her own interest to have the policy in place.

Sally_A

To put things in perspective...have just run a PL quote through for dog sitting.....£110.

35% more than looking after disabled/old folks in their homes.

How does that work out???, well I guess an 80 year old granny is not going to rip her body open chasing a rabbit/deer/hare through a barbed wire fence. But you never know :cool:.

Mad underwriting at it's finest!!!

phill99

atro1 wrote: »

Liability insurance has raised its ugly face..

Why is it ugly?

If you are a professional, then making sure you have liability insurance in place is second nature. It shows you have considered the implications of the worst case scenario.

Imagine your wife drops someone when she is assisting them into a chair or bed. That person then requires long term care in a nursing home. If it is proved she has acted negligently, then your wife will be expected to cover those long term nursing costs. Without liability insurance, she will personally liable and you could very easily end up loosing your home. Even if she is not held liable, the legal costs alone
In defending her case will financially cripple you.

For the sake of £80 a year (which is set against tax any way) is it worth not doing it? You are very naive if you think otherwise.

rs65

Sally_A wrote: »

To put things in perspective...have just run a PL quote through for dog sitting.....£110.

35% more than looking after disabled/old folks in their homes.

How does that work out???, well I guess an 80 year old granny is not going to rip her body open chasing a rabbit/deer/hare through a barbed wire fence. But you never know :cool:.

Mad underwriting at it's finest!!!

Hopefully a granny won't bite a stranger in the park whilst under the carers control.

Sally_A

Aaah that will be it then, a pair of dentures left dangling in a ne'er do wells rump. Too embarrassed to report, but a slightly snagged knee by a dog = solicitor/compo.

Go Grannies!!!!!

A total aside, now have the image of the winalot advert from 15 ish years ago, replaced by happy grannies/granddads.

rs65

Sally_A wrote: »

A total aside, now have the image of the winalot advert from 15 ish years ago, replaced by happy grannies/granddads.

Someone at work had pea and ham soup today. All I can think of now is - Pea and Ham? From a chicken? Now that's clever.

Sorry OP, for going off topic.