Car insurance after partner's death

socks_uk

My brother died yesterday and their car is registered in his name and his partner is a 2nd driver on the insurance policy.
My sister-in-law (although they aren't married) doesn't know the insurance company - or any other household bill details for that matter - so firstly, is the insurance now invalid and is she going to get into trouble carrying on driving the car? And secondly, how can she find out the insurance company?  She doesn't have access to his bank account to find out who the direct debit goes out to.
Thank you in advance.  

tacpot12

I am sorry for your loss. Unfortunately it is the case that the insurance policy ends with the death of the policy holder. If your sister-in-law can't find the name of the insurance company, I would suggest that she sorts out a new insurance policy in her own name today. 

If she has access to his email, she might find an email there. Alternatively, the Certificates of Insurance should have been posted to your brother with the policy documents, so she should have a look in the places that your brother might have put such documents. I doubt he would have thrown them away. 

She can check that it is actually insured here: askMID, but unfortunately this will not tell her who the insurer is. It migh be worth doing as insurance policies occasionally lapse, and it would stop her wasting a lot of time looking for and worrying about a policy that does not exist.

The information might be available if she submits a Data Subject Access Request (DSAR) to the  MIIC. See here: Motor Insurers' Information Centre (miic.org.uk)  I would recommend she calls the number on this page to check to see if they will be able to find her if she is only a named driver and not a policy holder. I expect that DSAR will take 30 days before she would receive any data. I think there is a small chance that she might be able to submit the DSAR and make a payment over the phone in order to be told who the insurer is immediately.  

There is more advice about what she might need to do here (but nothing that would help to find who the insurer is): 

What to do if you inherit a car - Saga

Telling DVLA after someone dies - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

socks_uk

Thanks for that.  You have some great information there.  Xx

Sandtree

tacpot12 said:
Unfortunately it is the case that the insurance policy ends with the death of the policy holder. 

Back in my Motor days the policy didnt end but the policyholder was changed to the "Estate of". The Executor, or legal spouse, could change the policy to a laid up policy (ie no third party risk cover) if the vehicle was not going to be in use and SORNed or leave it as is if named drivers wanted to continue to use it. 

As I was on the claims side of the world never got to the point where one came up for renewal to know if terms were offered but given someone could die a month or two before renewal and at that point the car is still the estates and probate not yet granted etc I would imagine so

Sea_Shell

Did he have a will?
Does she inherit?

angrycrow

Most insurers allow 30 days grace for the named driver to arrange replacement cover and a few will allow the policy to continue to renewal. She will need to make contact with the insurers to find out their position. Does she have access to your brothers email account as most insurers email the policy documents out.