Cancelled Contents Insurance

amykate62

Hello. I have had a contents insurance policy cancelled due to non payment. I didn’t get emails as they went to Junk (they are solely online company) and I stupidly didn’t check my bank for the payments going out. Anyway, they won’t reinstate it so that isn’t an option. I am just wondering now, does this cancellation need to be declared when getting car insurance? (It is literally just missed payment not fraud or anything). Also, will it affect my partner? I am the policyholder, I just added him as ‘co insured’, so he was covered under my policy but didn’t pay anything for it. Would he have to declare it on his car insurance even though he isn’t a policy holder?

born_again

Yes, if it asks have you ever had any insurance policy cancelled.

dunstonh

 I am just wondering now, does this cancellation need to be declared when getting car insurance?

Technically yes but in reality, no.   

Effectively, your policy lapsed due to non-payment.   People let their insurances lapse all the time and don't declare.

comeandgo

dunstonh said:

 I am just wondering now, does this cancellation need to be declared when getting car insurance?

Technically yes but in reality, no.   

Effectively, your policy lapsed due to non-payment.   People let their insurances lapse all the time and don't declare.

Honestly?  I’m seriously asking as I was in same boat as OP and I do declare it as I don’t want to give any insurance company an excuse to not pay out in any future policy.  I’ve never had any other insurance cancelled but I do think there would be a marker on my credit files for non payment of an outstanding bill so easy for a company to check.  It’s a bit of a faf always having to talk to any new insurance company but there has never been any increase in insurance rates.

dunstonh

comeandgo said:

dunstonh said:

 I am just wondering now, does this cancellation need to be declared when getting car insurance?

Technically yes but in reality, no.   

Effectively, your policy lapsed due to non-payment.   People let their insurances lapse all the time and don't declare.

Honestly?  I’m seriously asking as I was in same boat as OP and I do declare it as I don’t want to give any insurance company an excuse to not pay out in any future policy.  I’ve never had any other insurance cancelled but I do think there would be a marker on my credit files for non payment of an outstanding bill so easy for a company to check.  It’s a bit of a faf always having to talk to any new insurance company but there has never been any increase in insurance rates.

If you didn't pay and the company came after you for the money and lodge it as a debt on your credit file then that is serious enough to declare.

If the company just let the policy lapse due to non-payment then that is not an issue.

DullGreyGuy

dunstonh said:

 I am just wondering now, does this cancellation need to be declared when getting car insurance?

Technically yes but in reality, no.   

Effectively, your policy lapsed due to non-payment.   People let their insurances lapse all the time and don't declare.

I'm guessing you are thinking this happened at renewal rather than mid policy? 
Its absolutely true that many people make false declarations when buying insurance yes.

amykate62 said:
I am the policyholder, I just added him as ‘co insured’, so he was covered under my policy but didn’t pay anything for it. Would he have to declare it on his car insurance even though he isn’t a policy holder?

It depends if you are a named driver on his policy or not and exactly the question asked. For Motor it is typically anyone named on the policy and so as long as he wasn't a joint policyholder and you aren't on his Motor policy then it's a No. 

Home however typically asks about anyone resident in the property and so its a Yes even if you try to be clever and switch to him buying the Home insurance going forward. 

amykate62

DullGreyGuy said:

dunstonh said:

 I am just wondering now, does this cancellation need to be declared when getting car insurance?

Technically yes but in reality, no.   

Effectively, your policy lapsed due to non-payment.   People let their insurances lapse all the time and don't declare.

I'm guessing you are thinking this happened at renewal rather than mid policy? 
Its absolutely true that many people make false declarations when buying insurance yes.

amykate62 said:
I am the policyholder, I just added him as ‘co insured’, so he was covered under my policy but didn’t pay anything for it. Would he have to declare it on his car insurance even though he isn’t a policy holder?

It depends if you are a named driver on his policy or not and exactly the question asked. For Motor it is typically anyone named on the policy and so as long as he wasn't a joint policyholder and you aren't on his Motor policy then it's a No. 

Home however typically asks about anyone resident in the property and so it’s a Yes even if you try to be clever and switch to him buying the Home insurance going forward. 

This happened mid policy, so I didn’t make payments for two months and missed their reminders so it was cancelled. I am not a named driver on my partners car insurance. What counts as a joint policyholder as I just asked them to add him as a new person to the policy after it was set up. I only gave them his name and obviously address and told them he is my partner. The premium was still solely paid by me though and he never had to confirm anything on his side?

DullGreyGuy

amykate62 said:
What counts as a joint policyholder as I just asked them to add him as a new person to the policy after it was set up. I only gave them his name and obviously address and told them he is my partner. The premium was still solely paid by me though and he never had to confirm anything on his side?

Who paid, or more accurately, should have paid is broadly irrelevant. Plenty of parents pay for their teenagers insurance but the teenager is still the policyholder.

Policyholder will be as defined in the policy, for most Home it's anyone named on the policy but it can vary. Adding them as joint policyholder doesn't change what cover is bought just who can interact with the insurer and give instruction. 

amykate62

DullGreyGuy said:

amykate62 said:
What counts as a joint policyholder as I just asked them to add him as a new person to the policy after it was set up. I only gave them his name and obviously address and told them he is my partner. The premium was still solely paid by me though and he never had to confirm anything on his side?

Who paid, or more accurately, should have paid is broadly irrelevant. Plenty of parents pay for their teenagers insurance but the teenager is still the policyholder.

Policyholder will be as defined in the policy, for most Home it's anyone named on the policy but it can vary. Adding them as joint policyholder doesn't change what cover is bought just who can interact with the insurer and give instruction. 

Okay, thank you, so I just called them and they told me I am the only policyholder and I would be the only person who would need to declare the cancellation as he was added to the policy afterwards.

amykate62

amykate62 said:

DullGreyGuy said:

amykate62 said:
What counts as a joint policyholder as I just asked them to add him as a new person to the policy after it was set up. I only gave them his name and obviously address and told them he is my partner. The premium was still solely paid by me though and he never had to confirm anything on his side?

Who paid, or more accurately, should have paid is broadly irrelevant. Plenty of parents pay for their teenagers insurance but the teenager is still the policyholder.

Policyholder will be as defined in the policy, for most Home it's anyone named on the policy but it can vary. Adding them as joint policyholder doesn't change what cover is bought just who can interact with the insurer and give instruction. 

Okay, thank you, so I just called them and they told me I am the only policyholder and I would be the only person who would need to declare the cancellation as he was added to the policy afterwards.

Just FYI this is what is said on the policy

DullGreyGuy

amykate62 said:

DullGreyGuy said:

amykate62 said:
What counts as a joint policyholder as I just asked them to add him as a new person to the policy after it was set up. I only gave them his name and obviously address and told them he is my partner. The premium was still solely paid by me though and he never had to confirm anything on his side?

Who paid, or more accurately, should have paid is broadly irrelevant. Plenty of parents pay for their teenagers insurance but the teenager is still the policyholder.

Policyholder will be as defined in the policy, for most Home it's anyone named on the policy but it can vary. Adding them as joint policyholder doesn't change what cover is bought just who can interact with the insurer and give instruction. 

Okay, thank you, so I just called them and they told me I am the only policyholder and I would be the only person who would need to declare the cancellation as he was added to the policy afterwards.

Unusual but fair enough, as always said, there are industry norms but ultimately it comes down to your policy!

When you added them... was that them moving into the property with you for the first time or were they living there already and just weren't declared on the policy? If its the later I am not sure why there is a 84p/month charge (though that's less than many insurer's admin fee for any change) given that adding AD had the same impact. If its the former then it starts making more sense that it was really just a change in the number of residents rather than adding a joint policyholder.