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Teenagers

Parenting teenagers has its ups and downs. Get advice from Mumsnetters here.

Original poster

DD paying for car insurance she can’t use

36 replies

Fuzzlewuzzle · 23/01/2021 11:47

Just wondering if anyone else is I this position and seeking opinions. My DD is 18 and bought her fist car last August with her own money, as she was due to take her test in October...needless to say it was cancelled and was rebooked for December but again cancelled at the last minute. She is now scheduled for end of April but the dilemma now is she is paying over £100 a month in insurance for a car she is hardly able to drive unless it is for essential journeys. What have others done in this situation I wonder. Sorry if this is a 1st World problem to some extent

OP posts:
EduCated · 23/01/2021 11:51

Unfortunately it’s the position an awful lot of people are in, although clearly the money is quite an impact on an 18yo.

Presumably she could declare the car off road, and it wouldn’t then need insuring. Are there penalties for her if she cancels the insurance early? When is it due for renewal? Is there somewhere she can keep the car off the road?

TeenPlusTwenties · 24/01/2021 07:51

Is she earning a no claims bonus all this time? in which case it might be worth it to keep paying.

WeAllHaveWings · 24/01/2021 12:08
  • Sell it
  • SORN it
  • Can someone else insure and use the car cheaply while she is waiting?
  • Is she allowed to drive accompanied on the insurance with her provisional license, getting in valuable practise?

Is she earning a no claims bonus all this time?

Not sure if you can build NCB if you don't have a full driving license yet.

WeAllHaveWings · 24/01/2021 12:09

If she isn't driving it at all can she reduce the premiums by switching to third party fire and theft.

BigSandyBalls2015 · 24/01/2021 12:11

If you have a driveway I'd stick it on there and cancel the insurance for now.

cautiouscovidity · 24/01/2021 12:11

DD shouldn't be driving at all. There was something published on the government / DVLA website to say that learner drivers shouldn't be practising at all at the moment, not even on essential journeys.
I'd therefore see if you can cancel the policy for the time being.

Woolff · 24/01/2021 12:12

All drivers are paying to insure their vehicles, but are only allowed to use them to make essential journeys.

Terminallysleepdeprived · 24/01/2021 12:12

You can earn no claims with a provisional licence if the insurance is held in her name (and admiral do it for named drivers I believe) so for that reason it would be worth her carrying on if she can afford it.

However, if you are in England please be careful as one section of the government website says they can drive for essential journeys and another says they can't.

WeeDangerousSpike · 24/01/2021 12:15

I don't think she's allowed to drive it at all on a provisional licence in England at the moment.

If you can't park it off the road and cancel the insurance completely then can you change the insurance so it's a fully qualified driver insured on it instead, that should be cheaper.

ineedaholidaynow · 24/01/2021 12:16

Can they get the insurance reduced?

LynetteScavo · 24/01/2021 12:22

@cautiouscovidity - do you have a link for where it says learners shouldn't be driving at all?

I can only find:

Learning to drive during coronavirus (COVID-19)
You cannot take driving lessons in England, Scotland or Wales.
You can only practise driving with members of your household or support bubble. It must be travel for work, education or other essential journeys.

Standrewsschool · 24/01/2021 12:23

Speak to your insurance company. Some companies are reducing payments for reduced miles.

DinosaurDiana · 24/01/2021 12:23

My son got some money back as they could see he hadn’t used his car.

DinosaurDiana · 24/01/2021 12:24

He was on a black box.

ScrapThatThen · 24/01/2021 12:25

We were using veygo for dd so luckily had only paid for a few days at a time.

ItsGoingTibiaK · 24/01/2021 12:28

[quote LynetteScavo]@cautiouscovidity - do you have a link for where it says learners shouldn't be driving at all?

I can only find:

Learning to drive during coronavirus (COVID-19)
You cannot take driving lessons in England, Scotland or Wales.
You can only practise driving with members of your household or support bubble. It must be travel for work, education or other essential journeys.
[/quote]
DVSA changed their guidance a couple of weeks ago. Learners are allowed to practise if it is part of an essential journey.

Discussed here. www.mumsnet.com/Talk/coronavirus/4132169-Learner-drivers-Legal-experts-help-required

cautiouscovidity · 24/01/2021 12:33

Oops, I've just seen previous post. Maybe they changed their minds again 🤷‍♀️

bruffin · 24/01/2021 12:40

If you have a driveway I'd stick it on there and cancel the insurance for now.
It has to be sorned first. A work colleague got fined for not having insurance for keeping his car on the drive without insurance

Ffsffsffsffsffs · 24/01/2021 12:49

If you cancel the insurance it has to be sorn'd.

Remember though, if you do cancel, there will usually be a fee, possibly a disproportionate refund if you've paid in advance, you'll stop earning no claims discount, and if the car is stolen, damaged or catches fire, you won't be able to get anything for it. Not a biggie if its a couple of hundred quid banger, disastrous if its more expensive.

missrm · 24/01/2021 12:55

Could you not put the main insurance in your name while she doesn't have a licence and add her as an occasional driver? Might keep the price right down.

tommika · 24/01/2021 13:25

@Fuzzlewuzzle

Just wondering if anyone else is I this position and seeking opinions. My DD is 18 and bought her fist car last August with her own money, as she was due to take her test in October...needless to say it was cancelled and was rebooked for December but again cancelled at the last minute. She is now scheduled for end of April but the dilemma now is she is paying over £100 a month in insurance for a car she is hardly able to drive unless it is for essential journeys. What have others done in this situation I wonder. Sorry if this is a 1st World problem to some extent
If she is ‘hardly able to drive’ then she needs the insurance for when she drives and for when the car is on the road

If she is not driving, takes the car off the road and SORNs it then she can stop paying for insurance & tax. (And she must document it as back on the road before driving again) There may be costs involved, but she may also be able to suspend the insurance rather than cancel it

She can also have a go at calling the insurers and seeing if they will cut the premium for reduced usage (slim chance but it costs just a few minutes of time to ask)

www.comparethemarket.com/car-insurance/coronavirus/

Oblomov20 · 24/01/2021 13:30

"DVLA website to say that learner drivers shouldn't be practising at all at the moment, not even on essential journeys. "

I haven't seen this.
Please link.

Pumpkinstace · 24/01/2021 13:30

Its unfortunate

I bought a 6 seater last year for days out with the step kids.

We haven't been able to use it for its intended purpose and I could have waited a year and got the exact same car 1.5k cheaper.

LynetteScavo · 24/01/2021 13:48

Everyone needs to make up their minds. I've been buying a couple of hours insurance for DS on Veygo and getting him to drive me to Aldi on the far side of town.

It's annoying OP. DS is more than ready to take his test. I think I'd get DD to SORN the car for now, but it depends on your finances.