Do I need to insure as a commuter?

[Toddlerteaplease]

I walk to work every day. But do agency shifts about once a month that have to drive too. Would this count as commuting for car insurance purposes? I'm only insured for social domestic etc.

They used to word it as 'social domestic and pleasure plus to and from normal place of work. They don't put the last bit in now - although some policies still provide the cover but it's also possible that some don't. If you are going to the same place every shift then you could class that as normal place of work. If you are covering bank shifts at different places then that isn't and would need business cover. To be honest, I've added business cover to both mine and DS's policies and there was no additional charge. So worth doing anyway to be on the safe side.

No - you would need to insure Business Class 1
commuting is only for where you go regularly to only one office / location - if you are doing agency shifts then they are likely to be multiple locations so you need Business Class 1 (for most insurance policies it should be a maximum of £10-£20 extra - and it will cover you for pretty much any business need / use you can imagine

Check your policy. Give them a call and ask to add it if you need it. Usually very cheap.

If you have to drive during the day in your car - fir example from site to site, or to visit clients, then you will need to add business too.

It's only to other hospitals, I'm ward based. So wasn't sure what it classed as. It's due for renewal hence why I'm
Asking. I don't carry other people.

phone your insurance.

I would say no as you don’t commute as such.

business is only if you’re driving between jobs- so if you go to clients in their homes, for example, or drive between hospitals to give lectures

but different companies have different definitions. So always best to check.

I think phone them. It may be commuting or it may be business, but it definitely isn't social/domestic. If you have an accident whilst driving to work they could easily wriggle out of paying you.
I've had business insurance before, and it cost an extra £5 a year. So really not much.

Do you get travel expenses for the agency work?

If not and it's separate to your main job, it's probably commuting.

If you are paid travel expenses it's business travel in insurance terms.

But read each insurance company's policy carefully as it could vary.

@BarbaraofSeville it depends on the angency. One does pay expenses and one doesn't.

You need to check what your insurer requires as each will be slightly different. I’m with Admiral and need business cover rather than commuter as I travel to different sites rather than one place of work. My company requires proof that your insurance covers this as part of the expenses process. It was only a couple of pounds more each year to change from commuting only.

Just call them and ask - I did, and they said they would add travelling to and from work, and it wouldn't cost me any extra.

As a pp says, it always used to be in the small print anyway. Besides, if there is ever any kind of accident, you don't actually have to tell them why you were going that way at that time.

Sometimes it doesn’t cost anymore money to have it, I would ask.

So I'm really confused now. Spoke to that insurer, who said that if I insure for business use, then I can't use the car for any other purpose. Surely that isn't correct?

That’s daft and wrong, it should be added as leisure, commuting and business.
business doesn’t exclude other use. People who have a business van can use it socially for instance.

Unless it's a specific policy with severe restrictions then totally incorrect.

The use you want is Social, pleasure, commuting and business.

Who is your insurer?

That sounds wrong, I have Social, pleasure, commuting and business 1 (which didn't actually cost any more than the first 3) as I mostly wfh, spend a day a week in my normal office and about 2 trips a year to another office. I could probably drop the business as I usually take the train to the second office but it doesn't cost extra.

That sounds wrong. We have business use on ours. We commute by train 99% of the time but occasionally use the car to drive to a conference or something. We just added it to our existing policy.

Thanks. That's what I thought. The current insurer is Hastings. To be hones, I don't think the lady actually understood what I was asking. I suspect the call centre is not on this continent

There used to be one in Leicester, in the hideous blue tower! Not sure if it's still there.

One what?

I like the blue tower!