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Original poster

Driving without business use insurance

198 replies

newcat12345 · 04/06/2019 16:55

Husband who rarely uses my car was stopped driving home from a meeting today. I only have social, domestic and commuting insurance as don't need it for work purposes and this was a total oversight.

Even though I rectified the situation straight away with the insurer, DH has been slapped with 6 points and a £300 fine Angry. To my mind a ticking off would've sufficed but that's neither here nor there.

My real concern is that I now have to go back to the insurer to tell them about the points. Is there a risk they will revoke the policy or are they likely to view it as an oversight? Petrified

OP posts:
freshstartnewme · 04/06/2019 19:04

Got an important exam tomorrow as well... can't focus

Step away from the thread. Honestly, all you are going to read now is people telling people they are wrong and then people giving the facts you already have.

It's done now, it's easily sorted even if it may end up costly in the future.

If you need to concentrate on your exam OP just unwatch the thread; there isn't much to be gained from it now for you anyway.

Good luck with it all, and you exam Thanks

NicoAndTheNiners · 04/06/2019 19:05

Yes I had to get business insurance when my boss decided that some days I had to work at a second site. I tried to convince my insurers that it was still commuting but apparantly it isn't. Even if the occasional place of week is nearer than the regular place of work. And you cant claim mileage back unless you can prove to my employer that you have business insurance so had to get it.

Original poster
newcat12345 · 04/06/2019 19:08

Thank you Fresh...yes I think it best I step away for a while

OP posts:
MrsxRocky · 04/06/2019 19:09

What about people who have 2 jobs? So confusing

WhoKnewBeefStew · 04/06/2019 19:11

It’s unlikely your insurance will be revoked, however you might have to pay more as your dh now has an extra 6 points (I’m presuming he has 3 or less to start with so won’t get a ban).

As for a slap on the wrist, I’m afraid he was driving without insurance, even if it was an oversight. It sounds harsh, but it has to be, the consequences of having an accident, or heaven forbid hitting a person with no insurance doesn’t bear thinking about.

freshstartnewme · 04/06/2019 19:12

What about people who have 2 jobs? So confusing

What's confusing about it?

Commuting = going to job.

Business includes travel between sites of job.

Working 2 jobs you commute.

PestyMachtubernahme · 04/06/2019 21:44

Why you got an IN10 conviction
Many people are found ‘guilty’ of driving without insurance because of innocent misunderstandings, like a missed payment on their policy or confusion as to what their policy covers.

It’s not uncommon for people charged with driving without insurance to simply have the wrong type of insurance policy, or to have mistakenly put the incorrect information on their policy.

For example, a large number of UK drivers unknowingly require a business car insurance policy. However, they often only have a domestic & commuting policy because they’re unaware of what policy they need. These drivers are on the roads with the wrong type of insurance, which may invalidate their existing policy and they have no idea.

The police can give you a fixed penalty of £300 and 6 penalty points if you’re caught driving a vehicle you’re not insured to drive.

AJPTaylor · 04/06/2019 21:49

When you come back up, just check that dh's company doesn't have a policy which covers him for driving on business.

KatewithaH · 04/06/2019 21:50

Please check the wording of your policy I used to pay extra for business use, on renewal and trying to renegotiate the price I was asked if I had a vehicle which was used for others for the purpose of the business, I don’t have a business. I do not have specific business use now but I am covered driving to and from places required by my employer it is hidden in smaller print but I have to submit my insurance to prove I am insured for the journeys I claim expenses for and manager struggled to find the wording.

notfromworcester · 04/06/2019 21:54

I work in insurance and dealt with exactly this query yesterday. Social, domestic and pleasure cover doesn't even cover you to get to work - be extremely careful that you have the commuting element in there.

As I occasionally use my vehicle to go to meetings I added additional business use cover.

It was very unfortunate that your dh was stopped but entirely correct that he was driving without appropriate insurance, as I suspect loads of people do every day. Let's hope none of them hit us Sad

Ginger1982 · 04/06/2019 21:59

If he said he was coming home from a business meeting and the police checked the policy they would have seen there was no business cover and therefore technically no insurance. It's important to think about your insurance unless you drive to an office, sit there all day every day and then drive home again. If you go between sites or different offices or other places to do with work, you need business insurance.

OP, can't you just take him off as named driver? So long as he has your permission to drive and has his own insurance policy then I believe he's covered on your car third party only. He will have to tell his own insurance about the fine and points though.

DappledThings · 04/06/2019 22:47

Right. Going to sound monumentally naive here but nevermind.

DH has two sites he works at. He usually is at one site per day but occasionally has meetings at the other site do commutes between them in the same day. Does this mean he needs business insurance? He only renewed insurance on one car last week and it would have come up in the questions on price comparison site I'd have thought but we've never discussed it.

He's out now which is why I'm not asking him!

He drove 2 hours to a meeting last month. I had no idea that didn't count under our normal insurance.

Sometime soon I will probably drive to meet someone in my team who is on long term sick leave at her home. Is that covered? It's a social call really rather than a work meeting but I am meeting her in my capacity as her manager.

NicoAndTheNiners · 04/06/2019 22:49

@dappledthings. Yes, my insurance company said I need business insurance for such a scenario.

DappledThings · 04/06/2019 22:53

Thanks Nico. Something to sort out tomorrow. Fun!

On Wednesdays he drives to site A to drop off DC at their nursery which is his work one then carries on to site B. As he isn't at site A on those mornings for anything other than nursery I hope that's ok.

AdaShelby · 04/06/2019 22:59

It only costs about a quid to add it, to those worrying about not having it just get it.

OP he'll be ok to continue the policy you'll just need to pay the upgrade and and additional costs for the points.

Asdf12345 · 04/06/2019 23:00

At least business cover tends to be cheap. I think we pay an extra £8 for it each year on the small car (but don’t have it on either of the other cars as it would be hundreds more).

Asdf12345 · 04/06/2019 23:01

The other cars are on specialist policies which are much cheaper than standard to be fair.

MrsMiggins37 · 04/06/2019 23:06

But we did he get the points for? And the fine? The police don't give points and a fine for having sdp on insurance rather than commuting

That was my understanding, if he’s a named driver on OP’s policy then there is sufficient insurance for road traffic act purposes as there is an insurer on risk for liability to third parties?

freshstartnewme · 04/06/2019 23:11

That was my understanding, if he’s a named driver on OP’s policy then there is sufficient insurance for road traffic act purposes as there is an insurer on risk for liability to third parties?

This doesn't even make sense.

He was a named driver on a policy that has no business cover. He was using the car for business, therefore not covered.

AgileLass · 04/06/2019 23:13

Naive question here: why would this ever matter? If, say, you were in an accident while travelling to a meeting off site, would the insurance company ask you why/where you were travelling at that particular time?

Ginger1982 · 04/06/2019 23:14

Oh my word...neither the OP nor her husband would have been covered in this scenario. There was no business insurance on the policy and therefore engaging in business travel, other than commuting from home to ordinary place of business, would not be covered!

freshstartnewme · 04/06/2019 23:17

Naive question here: why would this ever matter?

Because if he was in an accident he would not be covered.

userxx · 04/06/2019 23:20

My insurance is for social, domestic, pleasure and commuting. Can't believe the police have pulled him in the first place. Unbelievable.

AgileLass · 04/06/2019 23:20

But would the insurance company ask him why he was making the journey when he had the accident?

MrsMiggins37 · 04/06/2019 23:20

This doesn't even make sense

It only doesn’t make sense to you because you’ve obviously got no idea about the minimum 3rd party insurance requirements that the road traffic act provides. If the OP’s husband has been involved in an incident the insurance would have had to make good claims by third parties.

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