No Claim Discount Proof letter - is it transferable

Nebbit

Since 2021 I have not had car insurance in my own name, as my wife and I have had only 1 car, in her name, and I have been a named driver. However we are likely to buy a second car soon, which will be in my name. I have a letter from my old insurance company to say that, as of 2021, I had  9 years' 'no claims bonus'. I do not know if this means I have to insure the next car with this same company to get the benefit, or will it be accepted by any company? 

TheSpectator

Majority of insurers and it's 2 years use it or lose it with NCD. A handful will honour it for 3 years so if you are beyond the 3 years you are likely to have to start from scratch.

Might be worth talking to current insurer to see if they will take into account you have had no claims as a named driver.

CliveOfIndia

As above, the standard for most companies is that NCD "expires" after 2 years.  The existing insurer might possibly, maybe, give you some NCD if you speak to them - though it may not be the full 9 years.

Several insurers will give you some NCD if you've been claim-free as a named driver - it's worth looking around at the price-comparison sites.

And I realise this doesn't help you at the moment, but if you find yourself in the same situation in future, where you only have one car between the two of you, just alternate each year.  One year put yourself as the policyholder with your wife as a named driver, next year switch it round the other way.

Some insurers increase the premium slightly if the policyholder is not the registered keeper, but in my experience it makes no difference whatsoever where it's a husband/wife scenario.  In fact just a few months ago I was switching insurers and had to call them to clarify something.  They actually told me that they're not worried at all if the policyholder is different to the RK, as long as one is the husband and the other is the wife.  It seems to be treated as a "special case" or something, I'm not sure, but that's always been my experience.

droopsnoot

Nebbit said:

I have a letter from my old insurance company to say that, as of 2021, I had  9 years' 'no claims bonus'. I do not know if this means I have to insure the next car with this same company to get the benefit, or will it be accepted by any company? 

The point of having a letter as proof of no-claims is exactly that - to give to another insurance company to prove your record. The original company already know about your claims history.

As others have said, though, it has probably expired by now, but a new company might take that into account in a similar way to those who move from a company car and company insurance can submit a letter from the company / it's insurers to the same effect. All you can do is ask.

DullGreyGuy

There are no "laws"/regulations around NCD, beyond the normal "treating customers fairly" but there are industry norms and those that occasionally go against the norm. 

Normally a NCD cannot be duplicated, split, combined or transferred, they expire after 2 years being unused (admiral at last check it was 3 years for incoming customers) but ultimately if an insurer is willing to honour a 10 year old NCD there is nothing that stops them. It does ultimately come down to the company's policies and the agents empathy to you. It's fairly common if a widow(er) calls, says the NCD was always in their spouses name but they've died for the insurer to allow them to obtain the NCD. It's less common in the case of divorce but have heard of cases. 

Ultimately you can only ask, BEFORE buying and worst case is that they say no. You're most likely to get a positive response from whoever issued the NCD but no harm in trying with others. 

NDNCD is rarely considered unless the insurer in question offers it. DL was the first to introduce it and they intentionally created in the way that they hoped would mean the NDNCD was only accepted by them creating stickiness but 6-12 months after the first renewals with NDNCD there were cases of other insurers accepting it. 

Nebbit

Might be worth talking to current insurer to see if they will take into account you have had no claims as a named driver.

The firm that issued the letter did not give me any benefit for the letter, because it was more (just) over three years old. I went  to that meercat place and got a quote much cheaper than theirs anyway.