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06

Car insurance rockets in two years

Open-access content 4th July 2017

The average car insurance premium in the UK reached £562 between April and June this year, 10% more than 12 months ago, and 19% higher than in 2015, according to analysis by MoneySuperMarket.

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Drivers in East London face the highest premiums, followed by those in West Central London, and North West London, while Manchester, Oldham and Bradford are the most expensive areas outside the capital.

The rise is thought to be largely due to increases to insurance premium tax (IPT), which reached 12% last month, as well as changes to the discount rate that are estimated to cost insurers up to £3.5bn.

"These are grim times for motorists as far as their insurance is concerned," MoneySuperMarket consumer affairs expert, Kevin Pratt, said.

"It is to be hoped the chancellor resists the temptation to push IPT higher in the autumn, but nobody would be surprised if he did.

"We should also look for quick and meaningful reform to the way the Ogden rate is calculated so that a fairer outcome is achieved for personal injury victims and insurance buyers."

The research involved analysis of 27 million car insurance quotes from January 2013 to June 2017, finding that drivers now pay an average of £88 more than in 2015.

It also shows that bills for drivers aged 17-24 fell by an average of £13 over the last year, but that they still typically pay £760 more than the rest of the population.

Another reason for the increase in premiums is thought to be a rise in whiplash claims, which last November, were estimated to have increased by 50% over ten years, despite a fall in road accidents.

It was announced in the Queen’s speech last month that the introduction of a new Civil Liability Bill could reduce premiums by £35-£40 per year, and will also ban offers to settle claims without the support of medical evidence.

"We need to see the government come good on its promise to overhaul the way the courts deal with fraudulent whiplash claims - and it needs to keep its foot on the neck of insurance companies so that any savings that accrue are passed on to policyholders," Pratt added.


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This article appeared in our June 2017 issue of The Actuary.
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