Preserving non-drivers NCD?

meantime

Car insurance coming up for renewal. Up until two years ago Mrs meantime and I were running two cars, one insured in each name. A little over two years ago Mrs m stopped driving on doctor's orders and so voluntarily surrendered her licence to the DVLA. We let the policies both run to completion (without telling insurers she was no longer driving) then sold one of the cars. Mrs m therefore had full NCD at renewal date two years ago.

There's scope for her medical condition to improve so I'm wondering if there's any way to preserve her NCD for that eventuality. I have three ideas - I suspect they're all bad ones but would welcome any thoughts.

1) Insure car in her name with me as named driver without telling insurer she's not currently driving (swap back into my name in one or two years time, rinse and repeat). We're both around 60 so I don't think fronting is an issue? Problem arises if insurer wants to see her licence, either at inception or following a claim. (Would they want to see her licence at the time of a claim, as I would of course be the driver?) Also, if and when her voluntarily surrendered licence is returned would its start date be unchanged or would it be reissued with a new start date?

2) Find an insurer willing to insure in her name with me as named driver (she would have an insurable interest as co-owner). If I found one would this actually preserve her NCD? And is such an unconventional arrangement likely to cost significantly more (if only by restricting choice of insurer) which wouldn't be worth it for a hypothetical future saving? (I would put the chance of her returning to driving at 25% or less, and she'd only need the NCD if I were no longer driving or we went back to running two cars, which is unlikely).

3) Insure car in my name with her as named driver in the hope that she could get an introductory discount in the future based on record as named driver. Similar issues to 1) about insurer wanting to see her licence, and what its start date would be if returned to her.

forgotmyname

Or try the CO-OP who may take upto 3 years from the last time the no claims was used?

meantime

forgotmyname wrote: »

Or try the CO-OP who may take upto 3 years from the last time the no claims was used?

Certainly worth bearing in mind if she's able to start driving again within the next twelve months. (Just to be clear, it's said that most companies accept NCD from the last two years. Does that mean that the NCD stated on the renewal notice for a policy expiring on, say, Jan 20th 2015 can be used for a policy commencing Jan 21st 2017?)

Quentin

Yes .

Quentin

Don't attempt to add your wife as a named driver etc - insurers often do require copies of all licences involved (not necessarily just at a claim)

meantime

Quentin wrote: »

Don't attempt to add your wife as a named driver etc - insurers often do require copies of all licences involved (not necessarily just at a claim)

Something I was surprised to discover from reading it on this forum, as I've never been asked for a copy (though it's 40 years since I had a non-glass claim). Recent insurers have been LV, Aviva, Admiral and Churchill.

meantime

Quentin wrote: »

Don't attempt to add your wife as a named driver etc - insurers often do require copies of all licences involved (not necessarily just at a claim)

If they asked at inception I could cancel and move my insurance elsewhere? At time of claim would they want to see named driver's licence unless named driver was the driver (and of course my wife wouldn't be)? (And if the named driver was driving would they want to see the insured's licence?)

What about my option 2)?

Quentin

Making a false application leaves you open to the possibility of the insurer rejecting a claim, and if you got found out when a third party made a successful claim against you then the insurer would come to you to reimburse them any costs they incur. (When you apply you are asked if any drivers have conditions that should be reported to dvla )

meantime

Quentin wrote: »

Making a false application leaves you open to the possibility of the insurer rejecting a claim, and if you got found out when a third party made a successful claim against you then the insurer would come to you to reimburse them any costs they incur. (When you apply you are asked if any drivers have conditions that should be reported to dvla )

Thanks, rather the answer I anticipated hence saying in my OP that I thought my ideas were probably bad ones - any thoughts on my option 2) though?

forgotmyname

If she doesnt have a licence then getting insurance will be difficult.

Dads been driving for 50 years and never had an insurer ask for his licence, until last year when they want photocopies of them and even a photocopy of their no claims proof.
He was going mad, never been asked for this before. His first instinct was to cancel. But then they mentioned the cancellation fee and he thought im not paying that for just 3 days cover. The charges to cancel were about half the annual premium.

Quentin

meantime wrote: »

......any thoughts on my option 2) though?

This is unlikely to be something you can do with online off the peg type insurance.

See if a local broker (not Swinton) can help