Martin Lewis’ MSE issues ‘don’t do it’ warning over car insurance mistake

19 February 2024 , 10:18

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Martin Lewis is founder of MoneySavingExpert.com (Image: Ken McKay/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)

Martin Lewis’ MoneySavingExpert.com website has issued a warning to young drivers who may be trying to slash their car insurance costs.

Adding a family member to your car insurance policy as a second driver can help lower your premiums, providing they do sometimes drive your car. But MSE has warned you should never add a parent, or any other relative, as the main driver if they aren’t the primary user of your vehicle.

Writing in the latest MSE weekly newsletter, the MSE team said: “This is 'fronting' and it's fraud. It'll be checked if you claim and the insurance will be invalid if you're caught. You could even be prosecuted. Don't do it.”

It comes as comparison website Compare the Market estimates car insurance costs for young drivers aged between 17 and 24 have increased by 49%, costing over £2,000 a year on average. Car insurance is a legal requirement in the UK and has to be renewed yearly. The three main types are: third party, third party fire and theft, and fully comprehensive.

If you're looking to cut costs and your insurance is due for renewal, use a comparison website to check prices elsewhere - don't just autorenew your existing policy without doing your research first. According to MoneySavingExpert.com, the best time to renew your car insurance is 20 to 26 days before your current policy ends.

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It is also worth checking quotes with some providers directly, as not all appear on comparison websites. One of the most notable ones that doesn't appear is Direct Line. Once you’ve found the best deal elsewhere, call up your current provider to see if they will beat it. If you do go with a new policy, you should see if you'd be eligible for cashback on sites such as Topcashback and Quidco.

Another way to cut costs is to check if you're able to legitimately tweak your job title. You normally need to pick which best describes your occupation from a list of pre-set job titles - but if there is more than one title that could accurately be applied to what you do, it’s worth checking if one description will give you a cheaper quote.

You can’t outright lie about your job title as you could risk being accused of fraud and having your insurance invalidated, so the description needs to still accurately represent what you do for a living.

Levi Winchester