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FAQs

Do you have questions? Click on our FAQs for answers.

We have answered some of our most frequently asked questions below, but if you still can’t find the answers you are looking for, call our Customer Services team on 020 8349 5100.

If you require employers liability and your business is not exempt from holding a HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) Employer Reference Number (ERN), you’ll need to provide us with your ERN.

Insurers need to give employers liability insurance policy details including, where appropriate, your ERN, to the Employers’ Liability Tracing Office (ELTO) who will add the details to their electronic database. The database helps people who have suffered injury or disease at work in the UK to quickly and easily find the insurance company which was providing employers liability insurance at the time their injury or disease was sustained.

There is a statutory requirement to perform periodic inspections on certain types of plant or equipment.  An engineering policy will provide access to and cover the cost of professional inspection services, and can be extended to provide sudden and unforeseen damage cover including breakdown.

If you own or operate equipment that requires regular inspection, you may need engineering cover.  Examples of plant or equipment requiring regular inspection include: lifts, forklifts, power presses, exhaust ventilation plant, stored air or steam pressure, plant fitted with hydraulics, chains, wires or ropes.

The businesses that usually decide they need professional indemnity insurance (sometimes called PI insurance) will generally be those that give advice, offer a professional service, or handle client data/intellectual property. 

Professional Indemnity provides cover for errors and omissions made during the course of your business and can be applicable to a wide variety of businesses, from architects, designers and engineers to accountants, solicitors and consultants.

In some cases professional bodies or regulators stipulate that their members or the businesses they regulate hold PI insurance.  Meanwhile, some businesses may decide to take out cover as a result of a contract requirement, to protect them financially or to help them secure contracts.

 

Key person cover is life insurance for specific key individuals within the business with an option to include critical illness cover. Upon the death of a key individual the lump sum payment can be used to pay a loan, assist with the cost of recruiting a replacement, used as a cash injection for the business.

If you have a partner, fellow shareholders or other members of the partnership, company or  organisations then it is highly recommended.

Enables surviving shareholder(s)/partner(s) to purchase the shares of the deceased person, whilst providing the spouse of the deceased person with their value of the shareholding.

A replacement cover can be arranged with the same insurer on the same terms as the original policy.

Group death is service is an employee benefit policy which pays out a lump sum (e.g. 4 x the individual’s salary) to their next of kin if an employee dies while employed by an organisation.

Under standard JCT contract terms, it is normally the responsibility of the contractor to arrange the cover for new builds and the employer for extensions and renovations.

The important point to note is that there should be a written agreement between the parties as to whom is responsible for insuring the works.



CAR insurance covers fixed and unfixed materials during the course of a contract. Until completion or handover, the subject of the contract will need to be covered under a CAR policy. 

This policy can be provided on an annual basis or for individual contracts and covers can include: Contract works, own plant and tools, hired in plant and ongoing hiring charges, temporary buildings, show home contents, employee tools.

A CAR policy is generally the single most inclusive insurance policy for those who work within the construction sector.

If, for instance, you suffered a fire that stopped guests entering and being able to use your facilities, business interruption insurance could compensate you for loss of earnings or additional costs incurred during this period. 

Extensions of cover can also be added to offer protections for additional risks such as denial of access, where something such as a police incident prevents access to your premises; public utilities, where damage occurs to the utilities such as gas or electricity supplying your premises.

 If your premises were to suffer an insured loss such as flood, fire or storm damage and become uninhabitable for an extended period of time, you will suffer a loss of earnings (or rental income) while the property is unoccupied.

Loss of rent cover replaces that lost income to help ensure you can continue to, for instance, meet mortgage payments. You will need to ensure that the period that the policy will pay your loss of rent is long enough to cover you until things are back to normal.

A comprehensive property owners/landlord insurance policy should include: All risks cover in respect of the building and contents, alternative accommodation costs and loss of rent cover following an insurance loss, property owners liability cover, trace and access cover for leaks, lock replacement.

Property owners liability insurance indemnifies you should a third party (tenant, visitor or workman) become injured or their belongings damaged as a result of a fault in your property.

All types of listed and protected properties can be covered and the sum insured needs to reflect the property’s listed status.

Your contents cover should include anything that is not built in – for example furniture, white goods, carpets, curtains, clothes, linen, kitchenware and so on.

Accessible windows are windows, skylights and/or roof-lights that are at ground floor or basement level, or within easy reach of the ground and capable of being opened – such as a first-floor window above a flat-roof.

Subsidence is the downward movement of the site upon which a building stands, where the soil beneath the building foundations is unstable. Subsidence often  results in cracking within an affected building.

When you take out home contents insurance you will have protection for your personal possessions at your residence. Personal possessions insurance extends the cover for loss or damage outside of your home. The most common claims under this cover are loss or theft of an item of jewellery or laptop often whilst on holiday (travel policies provide cover but have very low single article limits).

Typical items covered are portable computer equipment, jewellery, contents of a handbag, clothing, hearing aids and glasses.

Cover outside of the home?

Standard Policy: Not covered or limited to specific items.

High Net Worth Policy: Everything is covered worldwide.

 

Trace & access?

Standard Policy: Not covered or with a low inner limit.

High Net Worth Policy: Unlimited.

 

Matching?

Standard Policy: Will not match undamaged items e.g. only damaged tile replaced or section of kitchen surface/units.

High Net Worth Policy: If unable to match will replace the entire 

area.

 

Security/Warranty Free?

Standard Policy: Security measures must be put in place and warranties complied with.

High Net Worth Policy: No warranties and no security requirements.

 

Clothing?

Standard Policy: Wear and tear taken into account when valuing items in a claim.

High Net Worth Policy: Clothes replaced on a new for old basis.

 

Replacement Items?

Standard Policy: Will receive a voucher and must use insurer’s network.

High Net Worth Policy: Cash settlement.

 

Jewellery?

Standard Policy: Items with a value over £1,000 will often need to be specified.

High Net Worth Policy: Items typically only need to be specified with values over £10,000.

Every policy is different and you will need to check your particular policy wording, but as a general rule of thumb the following will be required: A lock which can be locked with a key from both the inside and the outside, a mortice deadlock with five or more levers or a surface mounted rim deadlock, a key operated multi-point locking system, two key operated security bolts operating horizontally and fitted internally top and bottom, for each door or window two key operated security bolts operating vertically and fitted internally top and bottom, for each opening door two key operated patio door locks operating horizontally and fitted top and bottom, one key operated patio door lock plus an anti-lift device, an anti-lift device prevents the lifting of sliding patio doors from their frames, at least one key operated locking device on all accessible opening windows.

Subject to valuation, high net worth insurers cover items on an agreed value basis. In addition, in the event of a claim, you are free to use your own jeweller and not an insurer’s nominated jeweller

Most insurers will agree to cash settlement based on valuation figure and not the cost of replacement.

There are a number of advantages.  If you have numerous vehicles and a limited number of drivers you will often benefit from very competitive premiums. 

Additionally, aside from the named drivers, the policy automatically extends to cover any non-family member driving any of the vehicles – in some cases, with no age limit. Similarly, the named drivers (not just the policyholder) will be covered to drive any other vehicle for full accidental damage.                 

On top of that, the vehicles will be covered on an agreed value at inception/renewal date for the next 12 months rather than on the Glass’s guide valuation at the time of the accident/theft.  

Finally, any courtesy cars provided will be comparable to your own vehicle and you’ll get full European breakdown cover.

You can find out when your house was built by checking your mortgage valuation or a previous survey. If you don’t have these consult a professional surveyor – remembering that insurers want to know the approximate year in which the property’s foundations were first laid.

Rebuild cost is calculated on the gross external floor area of your home and guidance can be obtained form the ABI who provide a guide of rebuild costs (www.abi.bcis.co.uk). However, for the more complex properties, many insurers offer a free appraisal service which will calculate the correct rebuild cost taking into account internal finishes.

It is possible to arrange cover on what is known as a warranty free basis. This means that the Insurer does not stipulate that locks and alarm must be used and cannot refuse a claim if they are not put in place (although there is the expectation that in general they will be put in place).

Ideally, these items should be insured on an agreed value basis. This means that in the event of a total loss, this is the amount you are guaranteed to be paid. Valuation or original invoices will be required.

Yes cover can be arranged for jewellery, art, antiques or other such items whilst being stored in a bank, safety deposit box or whilst being restored/repaired.

The majority of claims can be settled on a cash basis. Insurers do not always insist that their own suppliers or providers deal with replacement of your lost or damaged goods.

We have many insurers that are able to cover for holiday homes in the UK and overseas, either as an extension to the policy covering your main residence or on a standalone basis.

This would ensure your overseas home would be covered on UK wording rather than a local wording – UK cover is often wider and does not contain unknown restrictions.

We have a number of insurers that are able to cover this.

Insurers use UK based or source local loss adjusters to deal with your claim. The claim will be paid in the currency you have requested cover to be issued in.

It is usually possible to provide a guaranteed value for prestige cars in the event that the vehicle is stolen or damaged beyond repair. The agreed value is usually reassessed and agreed with you at each renewal date.

Insurers are usually happy to accept a garage of your choice rather than insisting on an approved repairer.  In most circumstances a comparable courtesy car will also be made available for the duration of the repairs.

The majority of prestige vehicle and family fleet providers will include European breakdown including home-start within the policy as a standard benefit.

Travel insurance covers emergency medical expenses, cancellation or curtailment  costs, baggage, loss of money & passports, and personal liability for causing injury or damage.

Commercial travel policies extend to include the cost of sending out a replacement member of staff should an employee fall ill or need to cut their trip short.

Many policies automatically extend to include leisure trips for directors, their spouses/partners and children. Some policies can be extended to cover employees for leisure trips.

You should be careful to check the maximum number of days per trip under the extension and if the cover extends to include family members accompanied or unaccompanied.

Mobile phones would be covered under the contents policy for an insured event (e.g. theft, water damage, accidental damage etc) subject to the policy excess. There will be specific conditions relating to items left in unattended vehicles and when travelling.

Mobile electronic devices would be covered under the contents policy for an insured event (e.g. theft, water damage, accidental damage etc) subject to the policy excess. There will be specific conditions relating to items left in unattended vehicles and when travelling.

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