Employment status on car insurance for carers

MalMonroe

Hi, as your brother will be speaking to the insurance company about getting himself added to the car insurance, he can just clarify with them what exactly he should put as his occupation at the same time. He shouldn't drive the car before he's named on the insurance policy, though. Your dad can remain on the policy until the renewal date - and beyond if he likes - it's sometimes cheaper for two people to be named at the start of a policy - but your brother does need to be added as a named driver of that particular vehicle. If he's not and he's stopped by police, he'll be in big trouble.

dunstonh

Jane173 said:

Hi
I wonder if anyone can help me? My 55 year old brother has given up work to care full time for our parents. He lives with them and claims carers allowance. As he will now be the main driver of our parents' car I feel I should put the insurance in his name. I am trying to find the best description of his employment situation. “Unemployed” does not feel fair or correct, other options would be retired, voluntary worker, or carer (I assume this refers to a paid professional carer) 
Do you have any advice on how his status should be described so that he is not unreasonably disadvantaged? 
Or alternatively can I continue the insurance in my dad's name, but somehow indicate that my brother is the main driver?

He clearly cannot use carer as an occupation.   To declare an occupation requires him to say he is employed.  He is not.  So, it would be considered a fraudulent application.

He is not unemployed either.  Unemployment is when you are actively seeking employment (and typically signing on0.   He is not.   If he has no intention of returning to work then he is retired.  He could use houseperson as an alternative.

Purplegeri

I am in this exact same position and have had this conundrum for 4 years!  I had to give up my career to care for my 2 elderly parents who live up to an hours drive from me.  When I am getting car insurance quotes there is never the option of "informal carer".  I either have to pick retired (I am 57) or homemaker (which I noticed sometimes says "caring for family member" in the notes.  Today I rang an insurance company after their quote was cheapest on a comparison website.  I discussed this issue with them and was told to pick "health worker" and then "unprofessional carer" (neither of which I was happy about as I am certainly not a health worker, nor am I "unprofessional"!  Changing to this from "Retired" put the premium up by £60 but I was told if I had an accident while taking a parent to a hospital appt for instance, I wouldn't be covered if I had not declared I was a carer.  But surely lots of children would be taking their elderly parents to a medical appt, but that doesn't make them a carer.  He also said if I had an accident on the way to or from my parents, I wouldn't be covered if I hadn't declared I was a carer.  But again, most people of any age who have parents would likely be driving to visit them at somepoint.  I was hoping this forum would be able to give definite answers but it seems it's just people's opinions, which differ from the next persons!?  How do we find out for definite?  Several have said speak to the insurance company, which I have done, but don't necessarily feel they were correct!!!!

Purplegeri

chrisw said:

If he claims pension he could be retired, if he claims any unemployment benefits then he is unemployed.

But he is not claiming either, he is too young to claim pension, and cannot claim unemployment benefits as he is in a caring role.  He claims Carers Allowance, which is a miniscule amount (currently £80 a week).  I am in this exact same position, and have the exact same dilemma about competing car insurance quotes.

cw8825

Purplegeri said:

I am in this exact same position and have had this conundrum for 4 years!  I had to give up my career to care for my 2 elderly parents who live up to an hours drive from me.  When I am getting car insurance quotes there is never the option of "informal carer".  I either have to pick retired (I am 57) or homemaker (which I noticed sometimes says "caring for family member" in the notes.  Today I rang an insurance company after their quote was cheapest on a comparison website.  I discussed this issue with them and was told to pick "health worker" and then "unprofessional carer" (neither of which I was happy about as I am certainly not a health worker, nor am I "unprofessional"!  Changing to this from "Retired" put the premium up by £60 but I was told if I had an accident while taking a parent to a hospital appt for instance, I wouldn't be covered if I had not declared I was a carer.  But surely lots of children would be taking their elderly parents to a medical appt, but that doesn't make them a carer.  He also said if I had an accident on the way to or from my parents, I wouldn't be covered if I hadn't declared I was a carer.  But again, most people of any age who have parents would likely be driving to visit them at somepoint.  I was hoping this forum would be able to give definite answers but it seems it's just people's opinions, which differ from the next persons!?  How do we find out for definite?  Several have said speak to the insurance company, which I have done, but don't necessarily feel they were correct!!!!

The issue is you didn’t like what you were told. 

Everything on here is an opinion. You are going to choose which ever fits your own narrative best. 

To me it comes down to how your main source of income. 

If it’s from employment - your employed
if its from carers allowance - your unemployed in receipt of benefits
if its from pension - your retired