Covid-19 Update

Please be reassured that the cover provided by your insurance policy with us will be unaffected by the outbreak. If you contact us, there may be longer waiting times than usual as we are working to keep our staff safe.

Please log in to your Self Service Centre in the first instance to view or manage your policy. Our webchat team will also be available to help you once logged in.

If you need to send us proof of no claims discount, you can do this within your Self Service Centre.

Covid-19 Frequently Asked Questions

Q. How do I get in touch? 

We’ve been experiencing a high volume of calls into our contact centre which may mean longer waiting times than usual  - we ask that if you need to check any details or make a change to your policy, please log in to your Self Service Centre. It will be much quicker for you to make changes to your policy online at the moment. You can also use our Webchat service (once logged into your account) which is available Monday-Friday 8am-8pm, Saturday 8am-6pm and Sunday 10am-4pm to make changes, accept or decline your renewal.

We ask that you only call our contact centre team if absolutely necessary, as we want to keep our phone lines available to help our more vulnerable customers and those that don’t have access to our online services.

If you need to make a claim, call 0330 159 1062.

Please note, any temporary changes made to your policy due to Covid-19 will not be reflected in your current policy documents or within any upcoming renewal communication. If your change does become permanent, please update your policy details in your Self Service Centre.

Q.  I’m worried that I might not be able to continue to make my payments – can you help?

Yes, we’re here to help. We’re aware that there may be an impact on people’s livelihoods due to Covid-19. If you think you may be unable to maintain your regular policy payments, please contact us as soon as possible on 0344 159 1031. 

We have specialists on hand who can discuss your individual circumstances and agree how we can help with your financial situation. There are several ways we may be able to help including; moving your payment dates, agreeing partial payments or payment holidays in the short term and removing any fees applied to your policy.

Don’t wait until you miss a payment as we can help you in advance. We ask that you don’t cancel your payments or direct debits as this can result in your policy being cancelled and we don’t want you to be left uninsured, please get in touch with us in the first instance.

Q. How are we supporting our key worker customers? 

We’ve actively reached out to eligible key worker motor insurance customers and made additional breakdown assistance available to them, if they need it, at no extra cost.

We’ve also pledged to provide a guaranteed replacement vehicle for eligible key workers in the event of an accident.

This support means our customers can continue to travel safely to places of employment or other destinations where they are undertaking crucial work in helping the UK fight the Covid-19 pandemic.

Q. Due to my type of occupation I cannot work from home and because of the impact of Covid-19 must drive to my work – do I need to extend my cover?

No. If you now need to drive to your workplace, your insurance cover is still valid. You don’t need to contact us to change or extend your cover.

Q. I’m volunteering during this time and using my own vehicle to help others get essentials – do I need to amend my motor insurance cover?

If you’re using your own private car for voluntary purposes to transport medicines or groceries to support others who are impacted by Covid-19, your cover will not be affected. You don’t need to contact us to update your cover. **Only applicable for Private Car policies**

Q. I’m a key worker and I’m now using my vehicle for work purposes – do I need to extend my motor insurance cover?

If you’re a key worker and using your own car to drive to different locations for work purposes because of the impact of Covid-19, your cover won’t be affected. You don’t need to contact us to update your cover.

Q. What are the latest MOT requirements?

Pre Covid-19 MOT requirements resumed on 1 August 2020. This means, if your MOT due date is on or after 1 August 2020, you must get the test done for your vehicle by this date. Vehicle owners are no longer eligible for a six-month MOT extension. Drivers eligible for the six-month extension are still required to properly maintain their vehicle and keep it in a roadworthy condition.

Providing you keep your vehicle safe to drive, your cover is not affected.

For more information and the latest guidance on MOTs, please visit: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-mots-for-cars-vans-and-motorcycles-due-from-30-march-2020

Please be reassured that the cover provided by your insurance policy with us will be unaffected by the outbreak.If you contact us, there may be longer waiting times than usual as we are working to keep our staff safe. 

Covid-19 Frequently Asked Questions

Q. How do I get in touch?

We’ve been experiencing a high volume of calls into our contact centre which may mean longer waiting times than usual.

We ask that you only call our contact centre team if absolutely necessary, as we want to keep our phone lines available to help our more vulnerable customers and those that don’t have access to our online services. If you still have questions or need to make a claim, visit our black box existing customers page for the relevant number.

If you need to make a claim, please visit the existing customers page.

Please note, any temporary changes made to your policy due to Covid-19 will not be reflected in your current policy documents or within any upcoming renewal communication. If your change does become permanent, please update your policy details online where possible.

When you start using the vehicle again, your black box will automatically recognise that power has been restored. 

Q. What if my battery goes flat and my black box thinks it’s been disconnected?

If you’re not driving much at the moment, please read our advice on how to maintain your battery. If you’re unable to keep your battery charged, please contact the team to confirm that your black box is still connected but your battery is flat. 

Q. I’m not using my car in the same way as before – will my ‘Driver Score’ change?

If you’re now using your car in a different way, this can affect your Driver Score. 

The important score is the ‘My Score’ displayed in your web portal, as this is used to monitor your driving behaviour and set the level of discount you may receive at renewal. This score requires at least 7 days and 200 miles to provide a fair score, so if you don’t complete 200 miles, it shouldn’t change.

The ‘Driver Score’ you can see in the app is based on a rolling 7-day period. So, if you don’t drive your car for 7 days, this will reset to the baseline score – that’s a score of 100 out of 100.

Read our FAQs to find out more.

Q. I usually use public transport to get to work but now I need to drive – do I need to change my cover?

No. If you now need to drive to your workplace, your insurance cover is still valid. You don’t need to contact us to change or extend your cover to include commuting.

Q. Due to my type of occupation I cannot work from home and because of the impact of Covid-19 must drive to my work – do I need to extend my cover?

No. If you now need to drive to your workplace, your insurance cover is still valid. You don’t need to contact us to change or extend your cover.

Q. I’m volunteering during this time and using my own vehicle to help others get essentials – do I need to change my cover?

If you’re using your own private car for voluntary purposes to transport medicines or groceries to support others who are impacted by Covid-19, your cover will not be affected. You don’t need to contact us to update your cover.

Q. I’m a key worker and I'm using my vehicle for work purposes – do I need to extend my car insurance cover?

If you’re a key worker and using your own vehicle to drive to different locations for work purposes because of the impact of Covid-19, your cover won’t be affected. You don’t need to contact us to change your cover.

Q. Am I permitted to learn to drive under the lockdown rules?

The rules may be different across England, Scotland and Wales. For the latest information, please visit https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-restarting-driver-and-rider-training-and-tests/coronavirus-restarting-driver-and-rider-training-and-tests. 

Q. I have a question about my Dayinsure policy or would to discuss a refund.

Please contact our support team at [email protected]. 

Please be reassured that the cover provided by your insurance policy with us will be unaffected by the outbreak.

If you contact us, there may be longer waiting times than usual as we are working to keep our staff safe.

Please log in to your Self-Service Centre in the first instance to view or manage your policy. Our webchat team will also be available to help you once logged in.

Covid-19 Frequently Asked Questions

Q. How do I get in touch? 

We’ve been experiencing a high volume of calls into our contact centre which may mean longer waiting times than usual - we ask that if you need to check any details or make a change to your policy, please log in to your Self Service Centre. It will be much quicker for you to make changes to your policy online at the moment. You can also use our Webchat service (once logged into your account) which is available Monday-Friday 8am-8pm, Saturday 8am-6pm and Sunday 10am-4pm to make changes, accept or decline your renewal.

We ask that you only call our contact centre team if absolutely necessary, as we want to keep our phone lines available to help our more vulnerable customers and those that don’t have access to our online services.

Please note, any temporary changes made to your policy due to Covid-19 will not be reflected in your current policy documents or within any upcoming renewal communication. If your change does become permanent, please update your policy details in your Self Service Centre. 

Q. I’m worried that I might not be able to continue to make my payments – can you help?

Yes, we’re here to help. We’re aware that there may be an impact on people’s livelihoods due to Covid-19. If you think you may be unable to maintain your regular policy payments, please contact us as soon as possible on 0330 159 0985. 

We have specialists on hand who can discuss your individual circumstances and agree how we can help with your financial situation. There are several ways we may be able to help including; moving your payment dates, agreeing partial payments or payment holidays in the short term and removing any fees applied to your policy.

Don’t wait until you miss a payment as we can help you in advance. We ask that you don’t cancel your payments or direct debits as this can result in your policy being cancelled and we don’t want you to be left uninsured, please get in touch with us in the first instance.

Q. I’m now working from home due to Covid-19 – do I need to let my home and contents insurer know?

You must contact us if your work involves: 

• holding trade stock at home
• your employees working from your home
• customers visiting you at your home
• or if you have a Landlords Contents policy.

If any of the above situations apply to you, please get in touch with us via Webchat (available once logged into your account) as we may need to update your cover. 

You don’t need to contact us if you’re a clerical/office worker who’s now based at home or you’re able to return to the office but are choosing to work from home more often.

In the event of a claim involving administrative business equipment (e.g. laptops) provided by your employer to support this activity, please seek advice from your employer as any loss or damage should be covered by them. 

Covid-19 Frequently Asked Questions

Q. What cover do I have for COVID-19? 

New Policies (after 30th September)

All new RAC Travel Insurance policies include a Covid-19 section that covers you for cancellation before your trip commences, emergency medical treatment and/or medical repatriation if you contract Covid-19. This cover is only provided if you are travelling to a destination where there is no travel restriction from the FCDO.

Policies sold after 30th September 2020 do not provide cover for any other claims related to Covid-19. 

New Policies (after 16th March 2020)

All new RAC Travel Insurance policies cover you for emergency medical treatment and/or medical repatriation if you contract COVID-19 during your overseas trip. This cover is only provided if you are travelling to a destination where there’s no restriction from the FCDO. 

Policies sold after 16 March 2020 do not provide cover for any other claims related to COVID-19, including cancellation.

Existing Policies (prior to 16th March)

Policies sold prior 16 March 2020 for trips booked prior to that date may provide cover for claims related to Covid-19, including cancellation. See policy terms and conditions for details and the FAQs below for further information. 
 

Q. What if I am due to travel before International travel restrictions end?

If your trip has been rescheduled and providing you are due to travel before international travel restrictions are lifted, there are several options that could allow us to move your trip dates or provide you with a new Single Trip policy that can cover trips booked up to 18 months in advance*. Please contact our team on 0345 305 2622 or through Live Chat. 

If you are due to travel during the period of lockdown and your trip has been cancelled, then you should seek a refund from the airline, tour operator, travel agency or carrier.

If you are due to travel after the current lockdown period, you should keep in contact with the airline, tour operator, travel agency or carrier for updates and to make sure the trip is still going ahead.

Q. I want to make a claim – what do I do 

If you need to make a claim you should contact your Travel Agent, Tour Operator, airline, accommodation, or credit card provider for a refund in the first instance.

To make a claim, you can get a claim form from the website https://csal.co.uk/claim-forms/

You can also find a document explaining the evidence you will need to provide so we can assess your claim.

Alternatively, you can call our claims team on 01403 289 151. Please note we are currently experiencing a very high level of claims owing to Covid-19 and the Coronavirus, there may be longer than usual call waiting times.
 

Q. The airline has cancelled my flight – what should I do?

If you booked with a Travel Agent or Tour Operator, you should contact them first to see if you can make any changes to your trip, or if they are able to offer you a refund.

You can make a claim under the Package Travel Regulations if any travel intermediary booked two or more parts of your holiday together and they are then unable to deliver the full package.

If you booked your travel independently, you should still approach the travel provider (airline, accommodation provider etc) in the first instance to rebook or for a refund.

If you have alternative dates to travel after contacting your Travel Agent or Tour Operator, airline and/or accommodation provider, please contact our team on 0330 159 0409 who will update your policy. 

There are several options that could allow us to change your trip dates or provide you with a new Single Trip policy that can cover trips booked up to 18 months in advance. Please contact our team on 0345 305 2622 who will update your policy^*.
 

Q. I want to cancel or change my policy – what do I do?

Q. My travel is not until a future date – what are my options?

Depending on how far in the future your date of travel is, there may not be anything to do just yet.

Booked through a Travel Agent or Tour Operator

If you booked with a Travel Agent or Tour Operator, you should contact them first to see if you can make any changes to your trip, or if they are able to offer you a refund.

You can make a claim under the Package Travel Regulations if any travel intermediary booked two or more parts of your holiday together and they are then unable to deliver the full package.

You should contact your Tour Operator or Travel agent to check that any additional payment is fully refundable should the trip be cancelled for any reason by the operator (for example: the balance of the holiday cost where you have only paid a deposit so far).

It is important that you do check and get clarity from your travel provider that if your trip is cancelled, you should expect a full refund of the whole cost of the trip once you have paid the full amount. Please check your operator terms and conditions. 

Deciding not to pay the balance and not getting clarity from your Airline or Tour Operator could mean that you lose the deposit, or even if the trip is subsequently cancelled, you may not get the money back.

Disinclination to travel is not covered under the travel insurance policy

Booked flights only or accommodation only

If you booked your travel independently, you should still approach the travel provider (airline, hotel etc) in the first instance to rebook or for a refund.

Booked using my credit card

If you paid for your trip by credit card, you may be able to make a Section 75 claim.  

 If you put something on a Credit card that is worth £100 or more (up to £30,000), your credit card provider is ‘jointly and severally’ liable if something goes wrong with the purchase. This means if you cannot reclaim from the retailer, you can then claim the refund from the credit card provider. 

• Contact the retailer in the first instance to request a refund – this is usually easier than obtaining a refund from the card provider 
• Call the credit card provider. Tell them you want to make a claim under Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act and ask for a claim form. 

Keep this information for the insurer

If you have tried to reschedule, claim with the provider and claim under your credit card and still have not been able to recover your costs, you must provide evidence of this to your insurer when making your claim.

If you need to make a claim you can get a claim form from the website: https://csal.co.uk/claim-forms/
 

Q. The FCDO is advising against travel to the country I am going to – what should I do?

For policies purchased prior to the 16th March and trips booked before this date. 

If you were due to travel and your trip was booked and policy purchased before the FCDO advice was issued advising against all or all but essential travel to your destination your policy will provide cover for the cancellation of your trip. Policies purchased after the 16th March and trips booked after this date do not provide any cover for claims relating to Covid-19 or Coronavirus. 

You should contact your Travel Agent, Tour Operator, airline or accommodation or credit card provider for a refund in the first instance.

Booked through a Travel Agent or Tour Operator

If you booked with a Travel Agent or Tour Operator, you should contact them first to see if you can make any changes to your trip, or if they are able to offer you a refund.

You can make a claim under the Package Travel Regulations if any travel intermediary booked two or more parts of your holiday together and they are then unable to deliver the full package.

You should not pay any additional payments to your Tour Operator or Travel Agent without confirmation that any additional payment is fully refundable should the trip be cancelled for any reason by the operator (for example the balance of the holiday cost where you have only paid a deposit so far).

Booked flights only or accommodation only 

If you booked your travel independently, you should still approach the travel provider (airline, accommodation provider etc) in the first instance to rebook or for a refund.

If you have alternative dates to travel after contacting your Travel Agent or Tour Operator, airline and/or accommodation provider, please contact our team 

There are several options that could allow us to change your trip dates or provide you with a new Single Trip policy that can cover trips booked up to 18 months in advance. Please contact our team on 0345 305 2622 who will update your policy*.

Q. The country I am going to will not allow me to enter – what should I do?

There is no cover under your policy if you are not allowed entry to a country which has:

• closed its borders; or 

• placed restrictions on entry to its country to nationals from certain countries; or 

• placed restrictions to nationals who have travelled to countries affected by an outbreak of Coronavirus.

If you are refused entry at passport/border control, you should contact your airline or transport provider to arrange changing your return ticket to allow you to come home early.

Q. I don’t want to take my trip – am I covered?

Your policy covers you if a number of things happen to stop you from travelling, which are listed in your policy wording. There is no cover for not wanting to go on holiday because of the fear or risk of contracting Coronavirus.

You may be able to arrange alternative dates to travel by contacting your Travel Agent or Tour Operator, airline and/or accommodation provider. Once this is agreed please contact our team who will update your policy and charge/refund any monies accordingly.
 

Q. I have not travelled yet and have Coronavirus – am I covered?

If you purchased your policy before the 16th March and your trip was previously booked, you may submit a claim for cancellation if you, a member of your immediate family as defined in the policy or travel companion were diagnosed with coronavirus. 

If you purchased your policy after the 30th September 2020 you may submit a claim for cancellation under the Covid-19 section if you, a member of your immediate family as defined in the policy or travel companion were diagnosed with Covid-19, as certified by a medical practitioner following a medically approved test showing a positive result for Covid-19, within 14 days of booked departure. This is provided there was no travel advice advising against ‘all but essential travel’ or ‘all travel’ issued by the FCDO to your destination when booking your trip or purchasing your policy whichever was later.

All claims will be assessed on its own individual merits, in line with the terms and conditions of the insurance contract that you have entered into by purchasing your travel insurance policy. Discretion may be exercised in exceptional circumstances.

Please contact your airline, Travel Agent or Tour Operator for a refund in the first instance.

If you booked with a Travel Agent or Tour Operator, you should contact them first to see if you can make any changes to your trip, or if they are able to offer you a refund.

You can make a claim under the Package Travel Regulations if any travel intermediary booked two or more parts of your holiday together and they are then unable to deliver the full package.

If you booked your travel independently, you should still approach the travel provider (airline, accommodation provider etc) in the first instance to rebook or for a refund.

To make a claim under your Travel Insurance, you can get a claim form from the website: https://csal.co.uk/claim-forms/ 

Alternatively, you can call our claims team on 01403 289 151. 

There are several options that could allow us to change your trip dates or provide you with a new Single Trip policy that can cover trips booked up to 18 months in advance. Please contact our team on 0345 305 2622 who will update your policy*.
 

Q. I have been advised to isolate or self-isolate and not to travel – am I covered?

• If your GP has advised you not to travel because you, a close relative or travelling companion residing with you has been placed in isolation because of Coronavirus you may apply for a refund of your premium if cancelling your policy during the 14 days cooling off period. 

• If you, a close relative or a travelling companion residing with you are following UK Government advice to self-isolate because of having suspected symptoms of the Coronavirus you may apply for a refund of your premium if cancelling your policy during the 14 days cooling off period. 

• If you bought your policy between 16 March 2020 and 30 September 2020 there is no cover for cancellation of your trip if you have been diagnosed with Covid-19. You will have cover for medical and repatriation expenses if you have a new confirmed diagnosis of Covid-19 after you have arrived in your resort provided there is no FCDO restriction on travelling to your holiday destination. 

• Isolation is effectively the same as quarantine. It is used for people who are already ill. It is used to keep anyone infected with an illness away from healthy people to prevent the illness from spreading. 
• Self-isolation means to voluntarily isolate yourself to ensure you have not been exposed to an illness or to protect others from being exposed to an illness. You need to stay at home, not go to work, school or other public places, and avoid public transport or taxis; and you shouldn't have any visitors. 

^*If the new trip is for a longer period, to a different destination or more than 12 months from the original issue date, there might be an additional premium due to increased risk

Please be reassured that the cover provided by your insurance policy with us will be unaffected by the outbreak. If you contact us, there may be longer waiting times than usual as we are working to keep our staff safe.

Covid-19 Frequently Asked Questions

Q. How do I get in touch? 

Via telephone on 0330 159 1156. Monday-Friday: 9:00am - 6:00pm, Saturday: 9:00am – 4:00pm. Closed Sundays & Bank Holidays.

If your Covid-19 query cannot be answered by the questions below, you can also email us on [email protected]

Q. I'm now working from home, do I need to update my insurance?

No, your full cover still applies.

Q. I'm now riding my motorbike to work instead of public transport, do I need to update my policy?

Don't worry about updating your policy as your insurance will still be valid even if your documents exclude commuting. You do not need to call us to update this unless this continues after the Covid-19 restrictions are in force.

Q. I’m volunteering during this time and using my own vehicle to help others get essentials – do I need to amend my motorbike insurance cover? 

If you’re using your own Motorbike for voluntary purposes to transport medicines or groceries to support others who are impacted by Covid-19, your cover will not be affected. You don’t need to contact us to update your cover. 

Q. I’m a key worker and I’m now using my vehicle to ride to different locations because of the impact of Covid-19 – do I need to extend my motorbike insurance cover?

If your work is critical to the national response to Covid-19 and you need to use your own motorbike to ride to different locations for work purposes because of the impact of Covid-19, your cover will not be affected. You do not need to contact your insurer to update your documents or extend your cover.

Q. My MOT is due and I can’t get this completed – am I still covered?

The Government is extending MOT due dates by 6 months.

You can ride your vehicle in the meantime; however, the vehicle MUST be in a safe and roadworthy condition for cover to apply. You will need to get your bike MOT booked in before the 6-month end date.

Q.  I’m worried that I might not be able to continue to make my payments – can you help?

We’re aware that there may be an impact on people’s livelihoods due to Covid-19. We will do all we can to support those going through financial hardship following the outbreak of Covid-19  If you think you may be unable to maintain your policy payments, please contact us in the first instance on 0330 159 1156.

Please be reassured that the cover provided by your insurance policy with us will be unaffected by the outbreak. If you contact us, there may be longer waiting times than usual as we are working to keep our staff safe, but we’re continuing to support our customers as best we can during this difficult time.

Please log in to your online account in the first instance to view or manage your policy. 

If you need to send us proof of no claims discount, you can do this by logging in to your online account. Please don’t send us anything by post at the moment. 

Covid-19 Frequently Asked Questions

Q. How do I get in touch? 

We’re doing our very best to maintain service levels and would ask that if you need to check any policy details or make a change please do so within your online account. 

If you are unable to make the change you want to make or find the answer to your question via your online account you can email us at [email protected]. Our dedicated team are on hand to help and will reply as soon as possible.

We ask that you only call our contact centre team if necessary, as we want to keep our phone lines available to help our more vulnerable customers and those that don’t have access to our online services.

Finally, please don’t post anything to us at this time as we’re experiencing delays in getting our mail processed and don’t want to miss anything important. If we do request any additional information from you, we will contact you by letter or email in the first instance.

Q. Due to my type of occupation I cannot work from home and because of the impact of Covid-19 must drive to my work – do I need to extend my cover?

No. If you now need to drive to your workplace, your insurance cover is still valid. You don’t need to contact us to change or extend your cover.

Q. I’m volunteering during this time and using my vehicle to help others get essentials – do I need to amend my van insurance cover?

If you’re using your own vehicle for voluntary purposes to transport medicines or groceries to support others who are impacted by Covid-19, your cover will not be affected. You don’t need to contact us to update your cover.  

Q. My MOT is due, and I can’t get this completed – am I still covered?

The Government has announced all car and light van MOTs that are due on or after the 30 March 2020 will be temporarily extended. Providing you keep your vehicle safe to drive, your cover will not be affected because of this.

Q. I’m worried that I might not be able to continue to make my payments – can you help?

We’re aware that there may be an impact on people’s livelihoods due to Covid-19. If you think you may be unable to maintain your policy payments, please log in to your online account with Close Brothers to find answers to your direct debit queries or call 01206 585 509.