Car insurance cover - giving people lifts to church

JosephK

Just received a note from our church HQ that members may not be covered for giving lifts to church. Now obviously not covered by standard policy if done for private hire or monetary gain, but simply giving a lift to a friend (or even to Mrs K!)? Is this correct?

If it is, the logic would be that drivers cannot give anyone a lift anywhere be it shopping, the weekly football match, climbing club meets, the local chess club, etc., etc., etc.

daveyjp

The full wording of the note, with the explanation as to why they believe this, is needed to make any meaningful response.

vacheron

I think the definition of where you say "our church" and "members" is important.

If you are acting in an official capacity for the church, and you are bringing people to your church to boost congregations, then this may be construed as transporting people in an occupational capacity.

However, if you mean you are all simply churchgoers and you are bringing your friends with you, then I can't see any way that this would be considered differently to taking everyone to the beach, or shopping as you say.

My wife does work for a local community centre and she often transports members with mobility difficulties, or picks up food from the local cash and carry for free events etc, however she still needs to have business insurance because she is doing the work on behalf of the centre, not purely for herself.

Peter999_2

I am a volunteer driver for a local scheme helping people get to hospital.

My insurance (I didn't get it especially) specifically says that I am allowed to drive people as a volunteer so long as it is not for hire or reward i.e. don't get paid for it. It is not business insurance.

This is the exact wording that I found on my policy -

1. Voluntary use
   Cover for volunteering is included as
   long as you don’t accept payment or
   income other than reasonable expenses
   to cover running costs such as fuel.

I would suggest you check your policy.

Flugelhorn

this was from a few years back - there may be something more up to date

https://www.abi.org.uk/globalassets/files/publications/public/motor/2021/abi-guide-to-volunteer-driving---the-motor-insurance-commitment-2021.pdf

Aretnap

First of all, note that whoever wrote that Email on behalf of your church is unlikely to be an expert on insurance matters, and certainly doesn't know the terms of every insurance policy that every member of the church might have. Any advice they give is therefore likely to err on the side of caution - from their point of view it is much better to say "you might not be covered to do that - check with your insurer" than say "relax, of course you're covered" and then find out that some people aren't.

As far as the question is concerned, I agree that if you are simply driving to church and happen to give a lift to a friend/relative/neighbour that's normal social, domestic or pleasure use and will always be covered, no different to giving a friend a lift to the shop or the pub. However if you are representing the church in some sort of official or semi-official capacity, eg if the church organised a rota to collect people from all over town to get them to church, that might be seen as voluntary work. In that case it is best to check what your policy says about voluntary work - some insurers will treat it as a form of work even if you're not being paid for it, and require commuting or business cover as appropriate.

FWIW the ABI encourages insurers not to charge customers extra when the only "work" that they do is voluntary work, though you might still have to tell your insurer that you do it. And the ABI is a trade body not a regulator so it doesn't have the power to force insurers to do anything - not all insurers have signed up to its recommendations. See what they say here - Volunteer drivers | Motor insurance | | ABI

JosephK

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81931499#Comment_81931499

"Standard insurance does not cover giving other people lifts to church but this can be easily added to your policy without charge… Just phone your insurance provider"

Realise the point about volunteer work where may be transporting groups regularly to activities, this was something I did raise with them some years ago as they seemed unaware. But latest notice seems to be referring to any lifts - friends, neighbours - which seems over cautious.

As to no charge, I guess some might make an admin charge to record change.

As has been said, they're probably not insurance experts

TELLIT01

It seems to vary between insurers. There was a report recently about a pub landlord who would take his regulars home if they thought they were over the limit. His local council got wind of it and said that despite not being paid, he was still hiring out his services, therefore effectively a taxi service. As he didn't have a taxi licence he was breaking the law, and uninsured!

itsthelittlethings

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81931776#Comment_81931776

This is ridiculous. Surely it would apply to any situation where you give someone a lift.

Aretnap

"Standard insurance does not cover giving other people lifts to church but this can be easily added to your policy without charge… Just phone your insurance provider"

Well that's obviously nonsense. Best guess would be that someone has raised the question of volunteering with them, and somebody has read and severely misunderstood some version of the ABI guidance posted above, and possibly after a couple of rounds of Chinese Whispers that's what they've come up with to send out. It bears little resemblance to reality.

user1977

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81932133#Comment_81932133

Well that's a bit more obvious a case of there being a reward i.e. I'll drive you home if you've bought enough booze from me!