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Home Insurance

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Snoop29

Member since
August 2021

54 posts

Posted Sun October 31, 2021 7:53amReport post

Just looking for any advice...

The house insurance is due for renewal this month (before sentencing which is due about a week after)

I have looked on the unlock website and it says to don't have to declare anything ongoing but to check terms and conditions in case I need to declare after conviction.

He has not been living at the house for 3 months and depending on sentencing (could be custodial) and dealing with SS not to mention our relationship is up in the air at the moment he might not be living here next year.

Should I just get the insurance in my name, not declare anything and worry about it if and when he moves back in?

Lucy from Stop it Now!

Member since
September 2018

490 posts

Posted Mon November 22, 2021 10:53amReport post

Hi Snoop29,



It is positive to see that you have felt comfortable enough to seek support from the forum and I hope you continue to find it helpful. I can see that you have not yet received any replies to your post but hopefully some other members might be able to share any similar experiences they may have had with you soon. In the meantime, I think it’s great that you have checked the terms and conditions of your insurance but I understand you still have some concerns. I think it would be best to speak with your local Citizens Advice Bureau about this for some extra peace of mind. You could also speak with the Unlock organisation directly: https://hub.unlock.org.uk/contact/.



I hope this information has been helpful.



Best wishes,

Lucy

Iris

Member since
June 2021

23 posts

Posted Wed November 24, 2021 6:19pmReport post

I have just started to get quotes for renewing my house insurance. My partner has moved in with me recently (he is on the register for historic offences). I was quite surprised to find that when completing online forms for quotes I was asked if someone else was living in the house, in what capacity (lodger, co-owner, etc none of the options actually fit our situation), but also if anyone in the property has any unspent convictions. The questions didn't go into detail about what the offences were. However, entering info as honestly as I could meant I hardly had any quotes back willing to offer insurance and the quotes I did get were a lot higher than just with myself on my own at the house. It seems it's really can effect almost everything. I'm still learning about how it impacts things in everyday life

majestictopaz

Member since
December 2019

499 posts

Posted Wed November 24, 2021 8:18pmReport post

I have an agreement with my partner he will pay the difference for any bills that are higher because of his conviction. I'm also dreading it coming up with getting a property. It is unlikely we can get a house so flats will do. But I need to check what the impact could be for freehold and insurance...

Iris

Member since
June 2021

23 posts

Posted Tue November 30, 2021 12:00pmReport post

Finally got my home insurance done, really appreciated seeing the chat on here as I can't believe how many things this situation effects. I went with Home Protect directly in the end but the online process did still ask detailed questions about my partners convictions, sentencing etc. It felt horrible to have to put it all down as it is so much in his past, but I understand it's necessary, and I'm just glad I got some cover. Even if more expensive. My partner has also insisted on covering extra costs that may drop up for me as a result of his past. Take care everyone

Bitterbean

Member since
December 2021

635 posts

Posted Fri January 7, 2022 8:53pmReport post

Our home insurance is up for renewal and on reviewing the schedule, even though its only my name on the document, it asks for confirmation that neither I nor any member of my family living permanently at the address's has ever been convicted of a criminal offence or have any prosecution or police investigation pending. So much for innocent before proven guilty, huh? I guess I'm going to have to look for another insurer that doesn't ask these questions.

Bitterbean

Member since
December 2021

635 posts

Posted Sat January 8, 2022 3:43pmReport post

Have done a bit of a trawl through insurance companies - most ask about family members with criminal convictions or under police investigation but I found one that only asked about convictions, so I've gone with them, because we're not at conviction stage yet. Hopefully not ever. I did try Homeprotect that I saw recommended elsewhere on here, but they were two and a half times the price of renewing with our previous insurer (if we hadn't declared the investigation). Even so I'm still a hundred quid down with the new insurer. :(

Bitterbean

Member since
December 2021

635 posts

Posted Sat January 8, 2022 6:47pmReport post

Yeah, Lee you are right about the comparison websites, it's so time consuming though, to go through each I dividual insurance company, get so far, and then get asked *that* question.

All the problems that seem to go with this situation eg increased insurance costs, telling work, financial problems and potential homelessnessdealing with ss, having to be a single parent or supervise access, problems with family relationships and friends, all add to the stress burden on top of all the feelings of betrayal, pain, guilt, etc. I'm lucky in that I don't have the added complication of children at home, otherwise I think I might have had a breakdown. Hats off to all of you with young children who are coping with this. You are all so strong. I keep telling myself I am lucky, but often I don't feel lucky.

Katie28

Member since
December 2021

183 posts

Posted Sat January 8, 2022 6:53pmReport post

I am so glad this discussion thread is here but just for everyone unsure about insurance to bear in mind most companies insist on declarations of pending charges/convictions and it could invalidate your policy if not declared immediately. Insurance was the last thing on our minds however our content/building insurance automatically renews each November We have used the same company for over 25 years mostly because we are comfortable with the plan and payments so never felt the need to change. OH sentence didn't happen till early December so after the storms a couple of weeks ago our window cleaners informed us lots of tiles had fallen off the roof. We contacted our insurance and as we were putting a claim in (we have only ever claimed once before in 25 years) we were told we couldn't proceed with the claim until the underwriters had approved it based on OH conviction. We were told we should have informed them as soon as OH was charged and summoned to court, I told the guy we spoke to if he knew what was happening then insurance was the least of our concerns and the last thing to cross our minds was "we must tell the insurance"...

Despite the frustration now in hindsight yes we should have informed them as we still don't have an outcome with the underwriters yet. It's just another painstaking problem to add to all the rest!!

Bitterbean

Member since
December 2021

635 posts

Posted Sat January 8, 2022 7:07pmReport post

Katie, I am so sorry to hear of your experience and yeah, telling your insurance company is the last thing on your mind at a time like this.

I was not aware of this clause, even if only under investigation for a crime) in our home insurance when I renewed last year, (to be fair it may may not have been there then) but now I am, and saw that with our existing policy even being investigated by the police for a crime is declarable I have had to find an insurer that doesn't have that in the policy.

If my other half is convicted during the term of the new policy, then under the terms of the policy I will have to declare it, but I may simply find a new insurer and then cancel this policy, rather than have them cancel it for me which would be yet another negative declaration (insurance refusal/cancellation) to add to the list!

majestictopaz

Member since
December 2019

499 posts

Posted Sat January 8, 2022 7:40pmReport post

These type of threads give me the most panic... When I renewed my car insurance online it didn't ask about any convictions other than motor ones. But now looked at the paperwork and it does list any convictions as 'no'. I guess it is all about the small print....

Meant to renew next month. My partner doesn't want me to disclose but if I have an accident I haven't got the money to pay without insurance.

Wording says not disclosing 'may' void a claim. I still don't understand why insurance may not insure those wih IIOC offenders, especially if the sentence has passed.

Now panicking about the building insurance. It is dealt with by the freeholder, is our current understanding, and we pay a share. Anyone k kw if we have to disclose? I was just going to wait until we were asked. But I worry that if we do that we might lose our property as the freeholder would be annoyed that they lose their insurance or it goes up in price

majestictopaz

Member since
December 2019

499 posts

Posted Sat January 8, 2022 8:05pmReport post

Katie, how did the insurers find out about the conviction? Unlock site suggests insurers dmay not have all the freedoms to check convictions.

Katie28

Member since
December 2021

183 posts

Posted Sat January 8, 2022 8:50pmReport post

Hi Majestic

When we rang to report the claim they said they had to ask some questions but they were "nothing to worry about"!!

One of the questions was "do you or a member of your house have any convictions or are under investigation for any crime", we had to be honest and say yes etc.

We wouldn't have taken a chance on not reporting it but I'm not sure if they have information on their quite sophisticated data bases.

BaffledB

Member since
July 2021

876 posts

Posted Sun January 9, 2022 6:37pmReport post

I think the reason why insurance may be more expensive in these cases is because of vandalism from vigilantes. People with these convictions or pending will be seen as a higher risk to insurance companies. It's unfair because a lot of people are under the radar and haven't had their situation put in the media. It's just one big ball of stress on this journey! After meeting with the solicitor this week I will definitely be looking on the Unlock website depending on the outcome xx

Summer

Member since
July 2019

394 posts

Posted Sat January 29, 2022 8:36pmReport post

Bump x