From 1 January, accrued claim-free years after death can be transferred to the partner who remains behind. This is announced by the Dutch Association of Insurers and the Consumers’ Association. Even after a divorce, it will be possible to divide the claim-free years with the ex-partner.
Now, if the person on the car insurance policy dies, these claim-free years expire. That led to harrowing situations, says Joyce Donat of the Consumers’ Association in the NOS Radio 1 News.
“We often heard stories of a couple who both drive the car, but the insurance was in the name of one of them. When he died, the widow was left with zero claim-free years. Very painful and it feels unfair, because, for example, she already drove without damage for forty years.”
It has many consequences for the car premium, says Donat. “Sometimes it went up by sixty or seventy percent.”
Divorce or lease car
The Consumers’ Association and the Dutch Association of Insurers have entered into discussions about this. The Dutch Association of Insurers says that they wanted to find a solution for these dire cases. This adjustment will be implemented at all car insurers that are affiliated with the association.
Even after a divorce, it becomes possible to share claim-free years with the ex-partner. The person on the policy determines whether and how the claim-free years are divided.
Something will also change for lease drivers. Now it is the case that you often do not accrue claim-free years if you drive a lease car. That will change as of January 1. Then claim-free years of the lease car can be taken over if you stop leasing.
“There is still one point that needs to be solved when leasing,” says Donat. “And those are the claim-free years that you build up prior to your lease period. In many cases you now lose them after two to five years of leasing. That has not yet been resolved, because the lease companies are needed for that. We are also discussing this. .”
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