Motor insurers promise not to charge volunteer drivers a premium

Governance | Vibeka Mair | 24 Aug 2011

Over 50 car insurance providers have confirmed that they will not charge extra for volunteer drivers.

The confirmation was given in an Association of British Insurers survey of its members, a result of a meeting called by the Big Society de-regulation taskforce in response to concerns raised by Volunteering England.

An ABI spokesman said the commitment covers 54 insurance brands representing over 85 per cent of the motor insurance market

Volunteering England raised the issue after members consistently reported volunteer drivers were being charged business premiums to cover them. In many cases this meant that community car schemes were losing dedicated volunteers.

The commitment applies to private car insurance policies. Policyholders must be using their own vehicle and will be allowed to accept expenses up to the HM Revenue and Customs mileage rates, currently 45p per mile, but will not be permitted to use their vehicle for hire or reward.

Nick Hurd MP, minister for civil society, said: “We’ve made it very clear that we want to tackle the obstacles that get in the way of people getting involved as volunteers. That’s why we commissioned Lord Hodgson’s red tape taskforce. This was one of the recommendations of the report and I am delighted the insurance industry has responded so positively to that challenge – making it easier for people to do more for their communities

Justin Davis Smith, chief executive of Volunteering England, said: “This is a great step forward in helping communities meet their own transport needs. The cost of insurance can be a real barrier for volunteer drivers, so I’m delighted that the industry has made a clear commitment to support them.

“I want to thank our members and their volunteers for supporting us in this work. Without them we would not have been able to gather the information we need to make a positive difference on important issues such as this.”

The list of insurers and details about the cover they provide to volunteer drivers is available in the volunteer driving section of Good Practice Bank.

Directory: Volunteering England
Who's Who: Justin Davis Smith

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