What will happen to my no claims bonus if I make a claim?
A no claims bonus (NCB) is a discount insurers give you for not claiming in previous years. What happens to the NCB years that you've earned after a claim depends on whether or not you have NCB protection.
If you don't have NCB protection
Without NCB protection, you will lose some or all of your NCB years after a claim.
If you had less than five NCB years at the start of your policy, you'll lose two years per claim at renewal.
If you had five or more NCB years at the start of your policy, your NCB will drop to three years after one claim. For any further claims, you'll lose a further two years.
If you do have NCB protection
With NCB protection, you can make up to two claims on your policy without affecting your NCB years.
It's worth noting that NCB protection doesn't protect the overall price of your policy though. Your premium could still increase after an accident, even if it wasn't your fault.
There are a couple of exceptions
There are a few claim types which won’t affect your NCB, no matter if you have NCB protection or not.
Your NCB is never affected if:
- You only claim for glass damage
- You’re hit by an uninsured driver (and you have their name and contact information)
- You make a claim on your optional policy add-ons (for instance, your breakdown cover or motor legal cover)
