Our approach to COVID-19

We're a proud supporter of the ABI's (Association of British Insurers) insurer commitments on motor and home insurance - helping customers who may be affected by the impact of Coronavirus (COVID-19).

Many customers will be facing a challenging situation over the coming weeks. We want to help by ensuring continuous access to the peace of mind that comes with being insured.

Some customers may find it hard to pay a premium due to unexpected loss of income, but able to meet their contractual obligations overall. On a case by case basis, for customers with a payment plan arranged by us, we’ll need to look at the renewal date of the policy and the customer’s previous payments history. When it’s possible, however, customers will be able to spread the value of up to two consecutive premium payments for any policy over the remaining direct debit instalments for the term of the policy.

While ensuring we continue to deliver a high level of service to your customers in their time of need, we have taken some additional steps to ensure the safety of both your customers and our suppliers.

• We’ve written to our suppliers, encouraging them to take reasonable steps to ensure the health and wellbeing of their employees, in line with Government and Public Health recommendations.
• We have also reminded suppliers of the need to consider the potential impact of the risks associated with COVID-19 on vulnerable customers and ask that they advise us of any potential concerns.
• We’re receiving weekly updates on supply chain preparedness and we’re reassured by the level of thought our suppliers have given to mitigating any impact.

Property Claims

• Over 90% of New Household Claims are made between 8.30am and 5.30pm, so our Household Claims Line will now be open during these times, 7 days a week.
• We’ve added a new online facility where customers can report their Household claims to us 24/7. Please direct your customers to https://www.ageas.co.uk/make-a-claim/ to notify us of a claim online.
• Where appropriate, we’ll look to use video technology, photo uploads and estimation tools to assist our customers.
• For kitchens and bathrooms claims, we can arrange for a temporary or mobile solution to be delivered to the customer, as we often do today.
• If a customer has to leave the property, we will try to find an alternate property. Where that’s not possible, we can provide temporary accommodation pods.

Motor claims

• We have a number of solutions in place to mitigate our networks reliance on parts supply.
• We can assess vehicles and build estimates remotely, which allows for accurate total loss decisions and provides information for us to discuss cash settlements with the customer.
• We have multiple suppliers and are not confined to a single source of parts. We proactively manage our repair network to monitor demand, repair times and operation resilience.
• Our repair philosophy is based on ‘repair over replace’ and our green parts supply is part of our business as usual, offering a significant additional parts supply - bringing a lessened reliance on newly produced parts to make a repair.

Our claims lines are currently operating on reduced hours or shift patterns, so wait times may be a little longer than usual.

We’ve introduced a new online facility where your customers can report their claims to us 24/7. Please direct your customers to https://www.ageas.co.uk/make-a-claim/ to notify us of a claim online.

Our priority at this time is the continuation of services to our existing customers. Your usual contacts remain available to you as normal.

We're working with our suppliers to ensure that we can continue to meet customer needs as best as possible. Our suppliers will always check that our customers are comfortable that a member of their team will be calling, be it to complete an emergency repair or to return a repaired vehicle. We’re monitoring availability across our motor solution centres and the wider parts market, while our home suppliers continue to support claims either remotely or on site for emergency repairs.

Yes. We're busy helping customers every day. We're prioritising the claims of key workers to make sure their cars are still being repaired.  Our suppliers are working within government guidelines, and where it is safe to do so, are making sure our customers are back to normal as quickly as possible.

Of course, current government restrictions mean that some activity might be limited or that some things take a little longer than usual. We'll advise your customers on whether this will affect their claim and how we can help mitigate the impact as their claim progresses.

Our Personal Lines Products

No. We’ll maintain our enduring commitment to treating customers fairly. Our pricing policy follows the need to reflect technical price changes, support product performance and high levels of customer service, and factor in our resolve to provide sustainable support for the Ageas community – for our customers, partners, and brokers.

Our Commercial Lines Products

No. We will maintain our enduring commitment to treating customers fairly. In addition to our general pricing policy, the complexity of commercial lines policies means our underwriters examine changing circumstances with additional context. On a case by case basis, there may be exceptions that necessitate changes to ratings, acceptance, or renewal terms.

Our Personal Lines Products

Automatic extensions would create challenges both for us and for our customers. However, while some of our Household products auto-renew, we’re committed to extending the time between renewal dates and auto-lapses on our other Household and Motor polices (where your software house provider allows). Household policies that don’t already auto renew and all our motor policies will now auto-lapse after 28 days (previously 7 days).

We believe this should ensure enough time to confirm your customer’s cover needs should you be unable to contact them by renewal, without leaving a gap.

Our Commercial Lines Products

Commercial lines products are by their nature more complex. We’re prepared to support requests for renewal extensions from commercial lines customers and may agree extensions by exception, but this will be handled on a case by case basis.

We know that many people are experiencing financial difficulties as a result of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and we’re here to help. We won’t charge any administration fees for policy changes that your customers’ need to make – please see below for more details.

Likewise, if your customer uses an Ageas premium financing facility, we won’t be charging for payment defaults during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Ageas Private Car and standard motor

If your customer needs to amend their Ageas Private Car or other standard motor policy due to a COVID-19 issue, then we’re happy to waive our policy administration fee.
In order to facilitate a COVID-19 related fee removal, you’ll need to manually remove or override our administration fee directly from the calculated premium. Please use override code ‘COVID19’ on your software house platform, if prompted. Please note this is not an automated fee removal.

All other Ageas Products

We don’t charge a fee for mid-term adjustments for any of our other commercial, fleet or personal lines products. This means if your customer needs to amend their cover on these products, as a result of the impact from COVID-19, they will not be charged a fee.

We know that many people are experiencing financial difficulties as a result of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and we’re here to help. We won’t charge any fees if your customers need to cancel their policy – please see below for more details.

Likewise, if your customer uses an Ageas premium financing facility, we won’t be charging for payment defaults during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Ageas Private Car and standard private motor

If your customer needs to cancel their Ageas Private Car or other standard private motor policy due to a COVID-19 issue, then we’re happy to waive our policy cancellation fee. Likewise, we will not charge any additional fee.

In order to facilitate a COVID-19 related fee removal, you’ll need to manually remove or override our cancellation fee. Please use override code ‘COVID19’ on your software house platform, if prompted. Please note this is not an automated fee removal.

Ageas House Guard

If your customer needs to cancel their House Guard policy due to a COVID-19 issue, then we’re happy to waive our £7.50 policy cancellation fee. In order to facilitate a COVID-19 related fee removal, you’ll need to manually remove or override any generated administration fees. If your software house requires an authorisation code, please contact our Personal Lines Underwriting Support Team on 0345 122 3288 (option 2) for support. Please note this is not an automated fee removal.

All other Ageas Products

We don’t charge a fee for cancelling any of our other commercial, fleet or personal lines products. This means if your customer needs to cancel their cover on these products, as a result of the impact from COVID-19, they will not be charged a fee.

We approach Business Interruption (BI) cover for ‘notifiable diseases’ in two ways for our standard suite of commercial property products;

• Our current Commercial Choice, Leisure, Shopkeepers, Office & Surgery and Homeworker products extend BI cover for a specific list of diseases. As Coronavirus (COVID-19) is not included in this list, these products do not offer cover.
• Some of our existing policyholders with Shopkeepers, Leisure, Homeworkers and Office & Surgery have a BI cover extension for all notifiable diseases. As Coronavirus (COVID-19) is notifiable, policyholders may be eligible to make a claim - subject to the terms and conditions of the extension and the policy.

 Please check your clients’ policies for the full detail of the levels of cover included.

If you hold a specific scheme arrangement with Ageas, then please refer to our agreed wordings or speak to your usual commercial underwriting contact for assistance.

The level of cover provided to your client will be dependent on the policy wording as we provide cover in two ways (see question 1 above). If your client wishes to make a claim they should contact the Ageas Commercial Claims Team on 0345 122 3283.

 Please check your clients’ policies for the full detail of the levels of cover included.

If you hold a specific scheme arrangement with Ageas, then please refer to our agreed wordings or speak to your usual commercial underwriting contact for assistance.

We would recommend keeping your clients up to date with the current advice provided by the Government, as the advice is being frequently reviewed and updated. The current advice can be found here.

If you hold a specific scheme arrangement with Ageas, then please refer to our agreed wordings or speak to your usual commercial underwriting contact for assistance.

Many of our policies will automatically allow for employees to work remotely, as long as it fits within the usual business activity. Where a policy doesn’t currently allow for this, with effect from 2 November 2020 we’ll automatically accept this position for all our policyholders without needing to notify us, where the activity is suitable to be undertaken in a home environment.

 If a policyholder already has all risks cover away from the premises on computers and/or business equipment they own, they should ensure it is now sufficient. Other policyholders will need your advice to ensure they have the right cover going forward. To help you with this period, with effect from 2 November 2020 we’re automatically providing additional cover for up to £50,000 (per policy) of computer equipment and business equipment in transit, to and at employees’ homes.

 This will be at no additional charge in premium, on a first loss basis.

Employee’s who’ve been released from their standard contracts, under furlough arrangements or otherwise, and acting in a private capacity aren’t deemed to be employees while volunteering, so liability doesn’t extend to include their activities.

However, we can look at requests to extend policies to include volunteering activities where businesses are themselves supporting such activity involving principles and employees.  We need to understand what the activities are being undertaken before making a decision. Our underwriting team is here to help get these assessments done as quickly as possible – what activity they’ll be doing, how often and where.

We’ll automatically cover our food and drink policyholders for this activity under their existing non-motor policy coverage. This is subject to the policyholder following government guidelines on hygiene and self-distancing, and to the extent that they’re allowed to continue to undertake this activity under any ongoing government action and advice.

Most of our products and schemes have unoccupancy conditions that set out what cover will be maintained including; when that will be restricted, and what actions policyholders need to undertake.

 Where any premises becomes temporarily unoccupied as a consequence of COVID-19, we’ll not restrict cover from the time the unoccupancy starts, until such time as the restrictions on premises being used or occupied are lifted. This is subject to policyholders using best endeavours to manage their premises; including appropriate security measures while they are closed.

Prior to closing the premises, policyholders should use best endeavours to protect the premises against freezing; preferably services should be turned off and pipes drained or where this is not possible, heating should be maintained at a constant temperature of 15 degrees.

The insured (or their representative) should use best endeavours to visit the premises at least weekly to make sure it remains safe and secure, while adhering to governmental advice and action. Where Government restrictions advise against unnecessary travel and request people stay local, we would encourage policyholders to try to incorporate a visit to their premises within daily exercise or other essential travel, as permitted; where this is not possible, we will waive the requirement for inspections. 

You don’t need to notify us of the unoccupancy, where it occurs as a result of COVID-19.

As policyholders return to a premises, they may still only be using part of their premises or using the premises for shorter periods than normal. This would be deemed occupied but policyholders should refer to their specific wording definitions and conditions to fully understand whether any restrictions or limitations apply. Policyholders should of course continue to ensure reasonable actions to secure buildings that are not in full use and manage the premises to limit risks of loss.

This amended approach began on 2 November 2020 and will apply to any business which is impacted by Government restrictions as a result of COVID.

Many businesses, while having the front doors closed to visitors and customers, have still been able to carry on some activities at their premises. These could include; providing take-away services, processing phone and online orders, administration duties, staff training and/ or the preparation of the business for reopening. Where these are taking place and there is regular daily attendance of staff on the premises, similar to more normal trading practices, then we would consider the premises to be occupied.

Please refer to the policyholder’s policy wording for the full definition of unoccupancy, which will be helpful for customers to understand.

Your clients should do what they can to secure the premises, while still following government guidelines. At the time of writing, Tradesmen are permitted to carry out essential work, including inside people’s homes, so in most circumstances it should be possible to arrange for the work to be done.

As soon as possible, they should arrange for security levels to be re-established and tell us about any changes in risk level in the interim, via you as their broker. At the moment, if it’s necessary to submit a claim in circumstances where security was compromised beyond the policyholder’s control, we’ll assess the circumstances on a case by case basis. You can reassure your clients that we’ll take everything into account, including their best efforts to minimise risk.

Our surveys are continuing within Government guidelines. 

We know circumstances are beyond everyone’s control. At the time of writing Tradesmen are permitted to carry out essential work, including inside people’s homes, so in most circumstances it should be possible to arrange for the work to be done. We acknowledge that this may not always be possible, especially where your client’s business has to close. Where your client is unable to complete risk improvement requirements within the timescales specified, as a result of COVID, please speak to your usual commercial underwriting contact. We will consider requests to extend deadlines on a case by case basis bearing in mind individual circumstances and the nature of improvements required. We have re-started follow ups to surveys.

With each of the four administrations taking different steps to ease lock down rules at different times, it can be a complex situation to manage.  Your clients are perhaps best placed, through speaking to their own trade bodies and monitoring the government guidance appropriate the location of their premises and operations, to understand how and when this impacts them as there is the potential for it to vary between areas of the UK.

We have looked to tailor our amended underwriting approach as far as possible to encompass as many businesses as possible across the four regions based on anticipated relaxation dates, but this may not account for all of our insureds.  If this is the case, we request that you discuss your client’s long term position and contact us as soon as possible to discuss their specific individual impacts on their business operations they may require a change to their cover.

Our policies don’t include cover for enforced closure or action by the government.

The government announced business interruption loan support for businesses on the 20 March 2020. Most of your customers should be aware of this by now, but if they are uncertain as to how they can get this assistance they should visit  https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-to-employers-and-businesses-about-covid-19

Following the Supreme Court BI ruling on Friday 15 January 2021

The business interruption test case shows the importance of insurance as a safety net for commercial customers and we welcome the clarity provided by both the High Court and, now, the Supreme Court. Ageas was not a party to the proceedings and we continue to support businesses whose policies cover them for the impact of COVID-19.

We’re confident that our handling of claims during this difficult time has been fully aligned to our policy wordings and that our customers have been treated fairly. As a result, there hasn’t been a material change to how we handle any claims.

If you or your customer believes they have a valid claim under the terms of their policy - then please report the claim as outlined within their policy documentation.

For more information about BI cover and claims, please visit this page on this website.

You'll find useful and up to date information about the test case on the FCA website. 

If you'd like to update your clients about this, please direct them to https://www.ageas.co.uk/coronavirus/.

Yes. Our Commercial Motor policies provide cover for voluntary work on behalf of the NHS Volunteer Responders or the Local Authority Community Help Hub arrangements. Drivers must be a driver permitted to drive the vehicle under the policy.

We know many policyholders involved in catering have changed their business models to offer deliveries or takeaway services.

This is covered under existing policies, as long as vehicles are already on the policy, subject of course to government guidelines being followed on hygiene and self-distancing and to the extent that this activity is permitted under government action and advice.

If the policyholder is contracting delivery drivers to use their own vehicles, then checks must be made to ensure the drivers have appropriate cover.

Motor bikes are excluded as we don't currently offer cover for these risks.

Under normal circumstances, we do not offer an automatic option for reducing cover levels to “Laid Up Fire and Theft”, or “Laid Up AD, Fire and Theft”. However, these are not normal circumstances.

We have set up a temporary solution for existing policyholders. Contact us at motorfleet@ageas.co.uk for details. The vehicles on the policy must first be identified with the DVLA as SORN to ensure the policyholder won’t receive notices of intended prosecution for no insurance when the vehicles are removed from the Motor Insurance Database. Please remind clients, vehicles must be kept off the public road to comply with SORN requirements. 

Yes. We have extended the period we usually allow between renewal dates and auto lapse dates for all fleet policies to 14 days from the renewal date. However, we ask you to make every effort to agree terms and confirm renewals as early as possible.

Please note: Optima Small Fleet renewals cannot be processed using the Acturis system after the renewal date so the renewal must be accepted before the renewal date. 

You can arrange temporary covernotes for our Fleet Guard or Optima Small Fleet product via the Ageas Extranet https://extranet.ageas.co.uk/ and the Acturis system. New business cover may only be incepted after you have received a confirmed quotation with no referrals outstanding. 

We have underwriters working across our non-motor and motor teams to handle specific referrals and amendments. Wherever possible, please use the central Fleet email inbox (motorfleet@ageas.co.uk) to raise these and they’ll be actioned as soon as possible.

We’re also making further enhancements to ensure more Mid Term Amendments and Renewals go straight through without the need for referral, particularly on the Optima Small Fleet product (digitally traded). Please bear with us, this will take a little time to set up. We’ll share updates on this as the changes come in to operation.

We’ve increased our renewal period to 60 days ahead of renewal date. We will also be more flexible on some details we would typically need for a renewal review. However, there is still a duty to disclose material information that would impact our acceptance or terms for a renewal, so please contact us as soon as you are aware of the information.

Your customer’s Ageas household policy would not be impacted if they work from home, as long as it’s on a clerical business use basis only.

If your customer has visitors to the home for business purposes or if they conduct any other non-clerical business from the home, they will not be covered.

A claim associated to the deep clean of a property will be assessed on an individual basis. Our standard household policies do not cover for deep cleans as a result of a contamination caused directly by a disease.

No. Our standard House Guard contents cover only extends to your customer’s owned home office equipment and furniture, which is used for administrative and clerical activities undertaken at home.

No. As your customer would still be performing the same role, just in a different location, they do not need to tell us of any changes.

No, ‘clerical business use’ is automatically provided in our standard House Guard policy.

We understand the impact that no-travel may have on homeowners. For the most part, our standard Home policies provide comprehensive cover for properties that are unoccupied for up to 60 days. Currently, after 60 days, the cover downgrades to exclude such cover (but not limited to) Escape of Water, Accidental Damage, and Theft. However, if your customer experiences a delayed repatriation when returning home from a holiday outside the UK, or are subjected to an extended hospital stay, which are both directly as a result of COVID-19, we will look to be flexible with these terms and will not look to penalise your customer unfairly as a result of this.

In addition to this, if we have been informed that the property is unoccupied for more days than the policy allows, and as a result we have applied additional endorsement terms to the policy insisting that the property is regularly inspected. Where COVID-19 Government restrictions prevent the customer from doing so, we will look to be flexible with these terms and not look to penalise the your customer unfairly as a result of this.

Yes. If your customer is now unemployed because of the impact of COVID-19, we will waive any mid-term adjustment administration charges and would encourage you to do the same. 

We would also ask that you set a diary reminder to contact the customer at renewal and update their current employment status at that time.

No. As your customer would still be performing the same role, just in a different location, they do not need to tell us of any changes.

Yes. If your customer has to drive to their usual workplace their policy will not be affected. You do not need to contact us to update their policy or extend their cover.

Yes. If your customer is using their own vehicle for voluntary purposes (e.g. to transport medicines or groceries to support others who are impacted by COVID-19) their cover will not be affected. You do not need to contact us to update their policy or extend their cover.

Yes. If your customer works in one of the critical sectors listed by the government and they need to use their car to drive to different locations for work purposes because of the impact of COVID-19, their cover will not be affected. You do not need to contact us to update their policy or extend their cover.

The government announced that from Monday 30 March, all cars, motorcycles and vans will be granted an automatic 6-month extension to MOT certificates (provided they are kept in a roadworthy condition.). This will not affect your customer’s policy and you do not need to contact us to update their policy due to an MOT extension.

Please note, if your customers takes their vehicle for an MOT and it fails, then the government have advised that the 6-month MOT extension will no longer apply to that vehicle. The vehicle will need to be fixed and pass its MOT before it can be used it again.

Please visit https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-mots-for-cars-vans-and-motorcycles-due-from-30-march-2020 to find out more information.

If your customer is using their own vehicle for:

• voluntary purposes to support others who are impacted by COVID-19; or
• they work in one of the critical sectors listed by the government and need to drive to different locations for work because of the impact of COVID-19.

Then their cover will not be affected. You do not need to contact us to update their policy or extend their cover.

We acknowledge that there will be administrative delays and therefore we only ask that the customer provide proof of their No Claims Discount as soon as they reasonably can.

The answer will depend on what documentation has been requested and why. We wouldn’t want any delay to affect cover or the payment of claims. If the request for documentation specified a time limit, this would be one of the few instances we would ask that you contact us for further advice on motoradmin@ageas.co.uk.

We no longer provide this type of cover as the majority of software houses cannot support it. In addition it is a legal requirement to have valid car insurance unless they register the vehicle off the road and apply for a SORN.

Yes. If your customer is now unemployed because of the impact of Covid-19, we will waive any administration charge and encourage you to do the same. You do not need to update the policy, we only ask that the customer gets back in touch if their circumstances change.

We would also ask that you set a diary to contact the customer at renewal, should you not hear from them in the meantime.

Yes. If we have decided that the customer’s vehicle cannot be economically repaired but due to the government’s advice on social distancing they cannot replace it, you may cancel the policy and offer a refund for the time that is left on the policy. We will waive any administration charge and encourage you to do the same

If your software house does not allow a refund of premium, this would be one of the few instances we would ask that you contact us for further advice on motoradmin@ageas.co.uk

If your customer or anyone else named on the policy drives their car within the European Union, they’ll be covered for any amount they’re legally obliged to pay to someone because of an accident.

In addition we will cover them under all sections of their policy that are shown in their schedule, whilst they’re within the European Union or any other permitted country described in their Policy Wording. You do not need to contact us to update their policy or extend their cover.

Yes. We will be offering an unlimited time period for any customer to complete the renovation of their motorhome. We would simply ask that you set a diary to contact the customer at renewal, to check on the progress of their renovations. You do not need to contact us to update their policy or extend their cover.

We're doing everything we can to keep people mobile where it’s essential for them to be. Inevitably, because of government restrictions, there may be delays in sourcing some car parts. We are prioritising the claims of key workers but will continue to do all that we can to keep all our customers motoring by repairing their cars and, in cases of total write off, providing cash settlements for them to purchase a different vehicle. We'll advise your customer if the current government restrictions will affect their claim and how we can help mitigate the impact as their claim progresses.