Cheap car insurance for the military

Whether you serve in the Army, Navy or Royal Air Force, car insurance can be trickier to arrange than for people in civilian life. However, there are specialist car insurers who understand the unique demands of military life and they can offer more flexible policies to keep you properly cover in the UK and abroad. Here’s our guide for military personnel to find the best car insurance deal at the keenest price.

What’s unique about the job?

By its very nature, serving in the Armed Forces means moving around the UK and the world on a regular basis. This means a standard car insurance policy is often inadequate as it doesn’t allow for multiple addresses. Military personnel may also park their car ‘inside the wire’ when they are on base, so insurance cover needs to include this. There are also periods when you may want to take your car abroad during a posting or lay it up when further afield but still want it insured.

What car insurance will serving military need?

When choosing car insurance as a member of the Armed Forces, it can be difficult when dealing with mainstream insurers. For this reason, some simply choose the cheapest car insurance deal on offer. However, it’s important to find cover that reflects the diverse and fast-changing nature of the job, which will mean a comprehensive policy, compare prices with the likes of Forces Compare. This means you need insurance that provides protection when you are on a military base and doesn’t hike up the premium because you are living in service quarters or a military postcode.

You also need to find a policy that comes with laid-up cover should you need to put your car into storage while on deployment. The best policies will also offer a rebate on your premium when you return from duty that reflects the car has been unused while on laid-up cover.

For those serving in Germany (BFG) or Belgium (SHAPE), there are dedicated policies from UK insurers that cover you for driving in Europe*. Check these deals comes with a full European Green Card, which is an international certificate of insurance the proves you have the minimum insurance required by each country. Not all EU countries now insist on a Green Card, but it’s better to have it when crossing from one country to another.

In the event of making a claim, it’s important to have an insurer who offers an English-speaking claims department that understands the regulations of the country you are serving in.

How military personnel can lower their car insurance premiums

As with all car insurance cover*, honesty is the best policy. Make sure your provider knows if the car will be parked on base or airside at any time. If you don’t, you could risk being uninsured for any damage that happens inside a military facility. The same applies to business use, so be clear whether or not you need this to visit one or more military bases. You will also need Business Use cover if you want to be able to recover expenses through the Joint Personnel Administration system.

If you insure your car with a company based in the country where you’re deployed, such as Germany, make sure the no-claims bonus you build up there is transferrable to a UK policy. Most UK insurers will recognise this and the Armed Forces Commitment means any UK-earned no-claims remains valid for up to three years.

Using a specialist broker for insurers who work with the Armed Forces will find you a better deal than mainstream comparison websites. Check the British Insurers Brokers’ Association for a list of relevant companies.

Anything else?

In June 2016, the Armed Forces Covenant (AFC) commitment was introduced by most of the UK’s car insurers. You should check any insurer has signed up to this agreement – it’s important to check with the company providing the cover and not just a comparison website or broker. The AFC means that serving UK military personnel do not face additional charges for cancelling or suspending insurance cover while abroad on deployment. It also guarantees their no-claims bonus is protected for up to three years, so they will not lose this even when the car is off the road. This commitment is backed by the Association of British Insurers (ABI) and the British Insurers Brokers’ Association (BIBA).

We used confused.com* to compile any insurance quote examples in this article.   It has a wide coverage of the market and is regularly rated as being cheapest.   Others include: MoneySupermarket, comparethemarket.com and gocompare.com.

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