Does my motor excess protection cover just the principal policyholder or any driver?

As long as your principal insurance policy pays out, you are eligible to claim on your excess protection cover, no matter who was driving when the accident occurred.

If I have had a previous conviction or accidents, may I purchase a motor excess cover?

You can purchase Motor Excess cover as long as you are a full time resident of the UK, and hold a current driving licence and a live car insurance policy,

If my principal policy includes legal expenses and they pay the excess amount, can I still claim on my excess cover?

No. Insurance is there to shield you from financial losses you have suffered - not to make you a profit. You are no longer out of pocket if another insurer has already given you your excess back.

If I recover 50% of the excess after being involved in a joint liability accident, can I claim the other half of my excess?

Yes. You have suffered a genuine loss and are eligible to reclaim the missing half of your excess.

How much excess protection can I have?

This depends on your provider, as this will vary, but generally you should have no problem finding (or affording) a policy option that will offer adequate cover to reclaim one, two or more excess amounts per policy in any given year.

Will I be covered for any excess I have to pay?

Yes - up to the annual limit you have opted for on your excess cover policy. Do note that every insurance policy has terms and conditions of which you need to be conscious.

In the case of excess protection, the claim on your principal policy must be successful before the excess cover kicks in. If a claim is not accepted, then you cannot claim on your excess cover.

What policies can I cover with excess protection?

Specialist policies are available for Car and Home insurance. These, along with Travel and Pet Insurance can also be protected with a Multi Excess protection product.

Business owners can take advantage of Excess Protection cover for many types of Commercial Insurance, including Commercial Combined packages, Fleets, Coaches, Taxis, Minibuses, Motor Traders, Private Landlord and Housing Associations and Property Owners.

If my claim is less than my excess limit, can I still claim on my excess cover?

No. Your excess protection cover will only kick in if your principal insurance policy pays out on your claim.

Can I claim for something that happened before I bought excess protection cover if I haven’t yet made a claim on my principal policy?

No. Your excess cover needs to be live at the time when the loss took place.

Will I face investigation if I make a claim?

Excess protection is simple: if your principal insurance policy pays out, so will your excess cover. Any investigation into the validity or otherwise of your claim will be done by your principal insurance policy.

How will I benefit from excess protection insurance?

Many of us have a number of insurance policies – home, motor and pet for example - in order to protect ourselves financially from unexpected events. In the event of a successful claim, however, in many cases, you will still need to pay an excess amount.

This is the first part of a claim that you are liable for and will have been pre-agreed with your insurance provider. The amounts can vary from £100 upwards and could cause unexpected cash-flow shortfall.

Excess cover allows you to reclaim the full excess amount, so you are not out of pocket.

Not only that, you may also be able to save money on the cost of your principal policy, by trading a higher policy excess for a lower premium.

What types of insurance policies can be protected with excess protection insurance?

Your principal car and home insurance policies can be covered. There is also an option to cover the excess on several policies - motor, home, travel, and pet insurance – under one policy called multi excess.

Business owners can take advantage of excess protection policies offering a range of commercial cover (including commercial combined packages) and for motor fleet cover.

Can’t I just purchase a principal policy with no excess?

Policies without an excess are rare. They are a way of insurance companies sharing the risk with their customers, so you have a stake in taking care of their property. Excesses also discourage multiple small claims. Even policies with no excess may cost more than that of a standalone excess cover.

If I stay claims free, won’t my excess come down anyway?

Staying claims free can certainly help reduce the premiums you have to pay – but unlike no claims bonuses, excess limits are typically not calculated on whether you have made a claim in the last year.

Why purchase excess cover?

In the event of a successful claim on one of your principal policies, your will be liable for an excess on it – this is the first part of the claim. An excess cover allows you to reclaim the amount deducted.

Also, if you opt for a higher (protected) excess on your principal policy, it may enable you to reduce your premium.

How can excess cover help reduce the cost of my principal policy?

The more excess you elect to pay, the more you are showing the insurer you have a stake in your possessions. This suggests you will do your utmost to avoid a loss and help shoulder the financial burden should loss or damage occur.

As a standalone transaction, you can then purchase excess cover to reduce the risk of paying the higher excess, thus making an overall saving on your total cost of your cover.