Do I need business class 1 insurance for a journey to a work conference?

YorkshireJames

I'm trying to get my head around business car insurance. My work has multiple offices. I'm driving to a different office than where I usually work and then going to a work conference.

I've never done this before and I may never do it again.

Do I need business class 1 insurance, and how do I get that? Do I have to pay for a full year even if I know I will only use it for 2 days?

Thanks very much for your help.

gwynlas

The use of your car to attend a conference should not be any different to using your car to get to work on any other day.
Are you able to claim a mileage allowance for attending any work location  beside you regular base?

daveyjp

If you are being paid mileage for the journey to the conference you need business insurance.

If you aren't being paid mileage tell your company you won't be taking your vehicle so they need to cover your costs getting there.

Goudy

Generally, Commuting is driving to and from a permanent place of work (or part way, like to the railways station).

Business use tends to mean if you use your car as part of your job, or to drive to multiple sites in one day.

Obviously different insurance companies word things differently or may have slightly different interpretations or other caveats.

I work on two different sites that are quite local and until recently I drove to one 2 days a week and the other 3 days a week.
Both are my permanent place of work and I didn't drive between the two in my working hours.

My current insurance company have been happy with this two sites arrangement as it's clear my job roll requires me to cover two sites for the same organisation, but stated if I start visiting other sites or offices within my organisation or used my car to move between the two they would want to know about it.
(It's all a mute point now as I can't park at one site anymore).

For a while I took over looking after a few other sites that required me to move between sites and I refused to use my own car so my organisation gave me the use of a pool car.
I still commuted in my own as I had nowhere to park the pool car at home (or charge it) and just used the pool car for work.

As you would be traveling to another office that isn't your permanent place of work, for work, then I would suggest it's business use.
I would check that though with your insurance company, they may be able to help with some limited cover if you need it.

 

tizerbelle

Generally class 1 business insureance costs very little to add to your existing policy and in my past experiences absolutely zero additional cost.  I get it as standard every year now so I know I'm covered whether I need it multiple times or just once in the year.  

Frozen_up_north

Like tizerbelle I had business insurance which included travel between locations for work purposes. The cost difference compared to “commuting to/from a workplace” was negligible, although making a change to your insurance will probably incur a small administrative charge.

YorkshireJames

gwynlas said:

The use of your car to attend a conference should not be any different to using your car to get to work on any other day.
Are you able to claim a mileage allowance for attending any work location  beside you regular base?

Thanks. Yes, I can claim mileage for any part of any journey that would be further than my commute to my normal base.

lordmountararat

My business class extension only cost an extra £10 a year, so if in doubt it is probably best to have it.

daveyjp

As mileage is paid your employers should be checking you have business insurance to cover themselves should there be a significant claim against you.

WellKnownSid

Yes. I recently had to do this as I work from home but found myself travelling to South America on business so needed to leave my car at an airport.

May be a one-off but not worth the risk of not being covered.

Done online and the cost was £0

DullGreyGuy

For many there is no difference from SDP&C and Business class 1. Adding it mid term however may attract an admin fee for making a change. DL were recently advertising they no longer offer SDP&C and if you select it they automatically give you Business 1

Note that Business1 only covers the policyholder and not named drivers for non-commuting work driving.