Drivers
Convicted van insurance explained
What convicted van insurance is, what it usually covers, why premiums can be higher and why honest disclosure of your convictions matters.
Convicted van insurance is van insurance for owners or drivers who have convictions. These may be motoring convictions, such as speeding or drink driving, or in some cases criminal convictions. Finding cover can be harder with a conviction, because many insurers see it as a higher risk.
What convicted van insurance covers
Convicted van insurance generally includes the same types of cover as a standard van policy, such as:
- Road risks, covering the van while it is driven on public roads, with damage, theft and fire cover depending on the level you choose.
- Goods in transit, covering the goods or tools you carry.
- Public liability, covering injury or damage to members of the public connected with your work.
- Personal accident, covering the driver if they are hurt in an accident.
What you need depends on how you use your van, for example social use, commuting, carrying your own goods or delivering for others.
Why premiums can be higher
Insurers price on risk. Because they view convictions as raising the risk of a claim, premiums for convicted van insurance are typically higher than for standard van insurance. How much depends on the type of conviction, how recent it is and the rest of your details.
Disclosing your convictions
When you apply for convicted van insurance, you must answer the insurer's questions about convictions honestly and fully. If you leave out a conviction you were asked about, the policy could be invalidated, which could leave you without cover after an accident.
Convictions that are spent under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 generally do not have to be disclosed. If you are unsure whether a conviction is spent, GOV.UK has guidance on when convictions become spent.
Finding the right policy
It may help to look at more than one policy and compare the cover, not just the price. Some insurers and brokers specialise in cover for people with convictions. You could also consider a higher voluntary excess, which is the amount you pay towards any claim, as this can reduce the premium, as long as it is an amount you could afford to pay.
At Kompare, you fill in a short form, and a specialist FCA-authorised broker from our panel contacts you to talk through quotes. Read more on our convicted driver insurance and van insurance pages.