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by Eversheds LLP

Petition to Lower the Cost of Employers Liability Insurance in UK

It is not a myth that employers liability insurance in UK can be hard to find at a reasonable cost. Certain segments of the economy, as found true, need the service worse than the others. No subsidy from the federal government are given to some companies who offer options of these insurances to business in the United Kingdom. It is due to this that the workers in the farm in the United Kingdom are protected from injury. As a matter of fact, there is no exact science when it comes to liability insurances for employers in the United Kingdom and one package is just simply not going to work for an employer and the employees’ needs, while another policy does. It may be compared to shooting the bulls eye in the dark when you are trying to find a good rate when it comes to these kinds of insurances for employers in UK.

It is also very complicated to look for employers liability insurance in UK and may even be harder for those with small business only like for a tree cutting service for instance. There is a high risk of injury or accident in this kind of business, so it would be a good thing to prioritize this by the owner. The cost of having these insurances in the UK is very obviously lower for the employer than if the business is in the United States because more government subsidies are given to it. Martin Insurance brokers are one of the companies that are in this line of work. There are even some employers that like to skip out on this responsibility by defining someone as not being in their payroll.

If your federal income taxes deduct from the money that they are paid, then the people are considered your employee, thus you owing them employers liability insurance in UK. If you are deducting the cost of paying your employees on their taxes and not providing this very important liability insurance, you are then cheating on their federal income tax. Quite a few employers who are doing this tactic so that they can run away from having this liability insurance for employers in UKPLO, but this can also be untrue.

Related Employers Liability Insurance Articles

Van Insurance Comparison: Smart Tips to Help You Compare Van Insurance!

Van insurance comparison is extremely important if you are looking for the right insurance for your vans. If you have vans for business use, then great insurance is so important, but you don’t want just any insurance. You want to find a great deal that fits your budget and you want to be sure you have good cover. Taking the time to compare quotes is so important, so the following are a few smart tips that will help you do a great job when you’re doing van insurance comparison.

Tip #1 – Visit Sites That Offer Multiple Quotes – When it comes to van insurance comparison, one of the best things you can do is to visit sites that offer multiple quotes. Sure, you could go around getting individual quotes from a variety of different companies, but that could take a long time. Going to a site with multiple quotes can really help you save time, since you’ll be able to go to one site for a variety of quotes and you won’t have to do all the work yourself.

Tip #2 – Look at More than Price – Of course when you are comparing van insurance you’ll want to look at more than just the prices you get on the quote. Take a look at the cover that is offered for the price and any important features that come with the plan. Remember that the lowest price doesn’t always mean that it is the best choice for your insurance.

Tip #3 – Pick the Best All Around Deal – When you do a van insurance comparison, you’ll want to make sure to pick the best all around deal. Find the very best cover for the very best price, even if this is not the lowest price that was quoted.

Finding good deals on van insurance is easier than you think, especially if you know what to look for. So, keep these tips in mind and you’ll be able to more effectively compare van insurance to find the best option for you.

More Compare Van Insurance Articles

Compare Van Insurance – How to Get Van Insurance Exactly the Way Your Want It!

When you compare van insurance rates there are a few things that will remain the same.  Most companies will have certain exclusions and limitations that they will refuse to add into the policy unless you want to pay very steep additions with your monthly rate.  Many of the exclusions include young drivers, damage, normal depreciation, confiscation, and third party property limitations.

The biggest exclusion that might be noted in fine print is that of young drivers.  If you have young drivers under the age of 20 or even under 24 and they have been in an accident then accidental damages might not be covered. If they are covered the coverage will be limited because of the age of the drivers.  You will not receive much of a benefit and your claim may seem as if you have basic liability insurance after all is said and done. 

It is not recommended that if you have a business that you allow anyone under the age of 24 drive your company vehicles.  This is because you will suffer in the long run if they are in an accident and cause major damage to your company equipment and property.

If you suffer from loss or damages while the key is left in the ignition then the van insurance company will consider it to be your fault.  This is a common sense issue.  The reason this exclusion came about was because many people would go outside to warm up their vehicles in the winter time and allow the frost and ice to defrost off the windows before they went outside. 

In doing this, vehicles were being stolen because they were left outside running leaving you the owner out of pocket.

Don’t let this happen to you….

You can compare van insurance and…

Compare Van Insurance UK and Avail the Best Available Deal

If you have a van you would definitely like it to be insured against damages either small or any collateral damage incurred through accidents, fire or theft. Well availing van insurance is not a big deal but availing the same at lower price is surely a tricky affair. You can avail low cost and comprehensive coverage when you are willing to compare van insurance UK.

The first thing that is required in comparison is a little bit of patience. You must be willing to devote some time and effort in comparing. You can start the comparison by individually collecting the data from the concerned insurance agencies and if you are smart enough then you will choose the online way to do so. The smarter persons go for the comparison portals to carry out the comparison in lesser time with lesser efforts and negligible cost

. There are plenty of comparison portals in UK and you can search them through major search engines. Just feed the relevant keywords and you will be provided the leads to the portals. Once inside the insurance section of these portals you are supposed to feed information about the make and model of the van along with some personal information. You should remain assured that the information is highly protected and they are not leaked to third parties under any circumstances. You will get an assorted result of various van insurances and then it is entirely on your prudence to choose the reasonable cover. You must seek others opinion while you compare van insurance cover UK. There are various experts that these portals provide and you can seek their valuable suggestions so as to zero on to the appropriate van insurance.

These portals also have the users or customer’s sections wherein you can gain knowledge abut their experience with a particular cover from particular insurance agencies. It has to be verified whether the agency has been proactive in disbursing insurance claims or not. So, give your van the much needed coverage and stay relaxed because if a genuine insurance has been availed then all your tensions will be taken care off.

by Manitoba Historical Maps

Individual Health Insurance Effects

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, otherwise known as the health reform bill will impact almost every American. One of the most important ways it will affect individual health insurance is that insurance companies will not be permitted to deny insurance to those with preexisting illnesses. Another important affect is that all Americans will be required to hold insurance. Insurance companies will be prohibited from placing annual and lifetime limits on coverage. Group health exchanges may also help to reduce the cost of insurance plans, giving individuals the buying power of large companies. You will be able to purchase insurance through a state exchange from 2014. The exchanges have yet to be formed, but the intended goal is to provide more affordable and subsidized individual plans. The Obama effects on individual health insurance addresses the biggest weaknesses in the individual health insurance market. Easy To Insure Me

As the reform bill was passed policy rates were climbing. A report revealed that members of the middle class were losing health insurance faster than any other income group. Those who missed the Government provided safety net because of their income were thrown on the mercies of the individual market. Here, insurers have been denied coverage based on preexisting conditions and are vulnerable to charges of high and ever increasing premiums.

The limits insurers placed on who gets coverage is one of the three major problems that needed to be addressed in the individual market. The other two are the affordability and whether the policy would pay for what is needed when the insured gets sick. A study found that excluded conditions varied by insurer. In a 2001 study by the Georgetown Health Policy Institute, researchers 37 percent of applications were rejected. There were insurers who would turn you down if you had hay fever. The public thus was a victim of a roulette insurance market. How easy is it for individuals to wade their way through the market to insurers who would cover them is a question. Although federal law requires insurers to sell policies to certain people who lose group coverage, including those who lost their jobs due to lay offs; but places no limits on what an insurer can charge. In February 2010, Connecticut announced that health premiums for individual medical plans rose in price by 20 percent over in 2009. In this void have stepped some states in varying degrees. Maine, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York and Vermont required insurers to sell individual policies to everyone, irrespective of their health. Washington state required insurers to take individuals with some health problems. While, Iowa required insurers to cover preexisting conditions in new applicants, if they had insurance previously for those conditions and did not let the insurance lapse.

Of those who do buy their own insurance the health insurance market works well for some; but, not for others. In the individual market prior to the reform bill, in order to lower their risks insurers preferred the healthiest applicants. In most states, insurers may consider the health history of the applicant in deciding coverage and its cost. Unlike group plans offered by employers which provide coverage to everyone, there is no guarantee in most states individuals can obtain insurance. It has been realized that solving problems in the individual market would improve the health care crisis. In California, Connecticut and several other states regulators have taken actions against insurers who revoked individual coverage after policyholders fell ill. Before the President won the election Senators Ron Wyden, a Democrat from Oregon, and Bob Bennett, a Republican from Utah were supporting a bill that would shift workers getting coverage through employers to purchase their own insurance. The intention of their proposal was to break the link between employment and insurance. The two supporters of the bill believed this would let people keep their coverage even when they lost or switched their job. The proposal would have required everyone to have coverage and insurers to sell insurance to all applicants. The health reform bill has addressed these failings. Both presidential candidates had expressed the desire to improve options for people who buy their own coverage. Candidate Obama wanted to allow individuals and small firms to have the bargaining leverage and purchasing power of latge firms by creating ways for individuals to buy insurance in groups. Advisors to candidate McCain had acknowledged the current system was broken. Douglas Holtz Eakin, who was a senior policy adviser noted that he did not want to give the impression the individual or small group market is a good place to be, as it was not

The public hospitals have been at the vanguard of the victims of inadequate and absent coverage. They have provided for the uninsured and those under insured by Medicaid, that reimburses them at below cost. They are also unable to compete with private and nonprofit hospitals for patents with private health insurance coverage. Yet, the cost of providing care to the uninsured and under insured has climbed and taxpayer support remained static.

Currently employers are looking to shift more burdens to their employees due to rise in the cost of health insurance. A Reuters research team in analyzing claim data has discovered that smaller employers saw costs rise the most. According to a report released in March 2010, the cost for an employer to offer individual plans to workers increased by 43 percent over a eight-year period. The amount employees paid for the single plans increased over 64 percent.

Large corporate employees have enjoyed the most secure and highest quality coverage in the nation during their employment. They have not been victimized during their employment with revocation or denial due to preexisting conditions. Nevertheless, a recently released annual survey by the National Business Group on Health has indicated that the impact of rising costs means this island of safety is about to be buffeted. This surveyed large employers indicated they were considering shifting more of the cost on their employees.

Harvard researchers looking into what portion of bankruptcy filers filed for medical reasons found some enlightening information. They found that illness caused the majority of filings. The study looked at a year that preceded the housing bust; but reveals what is the general scenario absenting this reason. The larger segment of filers were covered by insurance they lost or proved to be inadequate. Majority of these were middle class homeowners who had college degrees. The study revealed the vulnerability of Americans who were literally one major illness from bankruptcy. There are big Obama effects on individual health insurance coverage. Certainly there are due to be major Obama effects on individual health insurance.

by Eversheds LLP

Employers Liability Insurance: Keep Your Employee Safe At Work

Employers Liability Insurance is an insurance policy that safeguards employers from liabilities arising due to injury, disease or fatality caused as a result of poor workplace conditions or unconducive practices that are being followed. To ensure safety for people working in an organisation,  some jurisdictions have made it compulsory for the employers to buy this insurance.

Acquiring liability insurance will have employers meet the cost of compensation claimed by any employee for a damage sustained to him/her. The employers are responsible for the health and safety of their employees while they are at work. To hold liability insurance policy is mandatory for employers because as complies with the law, the employers would be charged a fine if they do not buy it. For them, having an insurance certificate is a must where the names of the company and insurer need to be mentioned along with the level of coverage.

The ones who need not to buy this employers liability insurance policy are people working in government departments, agencies, police authorities, and nationalised industries like health service bodies and primary care trusts. Family-run business where employees are closely related like father, mother, brother, sister, son, daughter, are also exempted. However, the exemption is not applied to those family businesses that are incorporated as limited companies. Others who are also excluded from this norm are unpaid working students or people who are not employed but are conducting training programs for the benefits of youths and adults.

As an employer, you need to ensure safety at workplace and the first step in this is to have liability insurance policy. To be a good employer, you need to keep every record of your employees that include the strength of the employees working in your company, the task assigned to each employee, and what are their respective incomes. Not only it is mandatory by law but it will also be required at the end of your policy period, where you would need to submit details in your statement. Needless to say, employers liability insurance is an assured way to keep your employees healthy, safe and secured as well as to keep your business running without any obstacle.

Coverzones CEO, Simon Ball, explains the importance of employer’s liability insurance to today’s small businesses and why and how you should shop around for business insurance.

by imjustcreative

All the essentials about insurance

There are dozens of different types of insurance, from insurance that you have to take out by law (such as car insurance), to policies that it’s a good idea to have (such as contents insurance) to those that are ‘nice to have’ rather than necessities.

Figures from the Association of British Insurers show that, during the recession, one in four people cancelled their home insurance. While it’s a good idea to make sure you’re not paying for insurance you don’t need, you should always think about what would happen if disaster were to strike before cancelling any insurance policies.

How does insurance work?

When you take out an insurance policy, you pay a premium to the insurance company. If you never make a claim, you never get any of the money back; instead it’s pooled with the premiums of others who have taken out insurance with a particular firm.

That may not sound like a good deal, but the idea behind insurance is that everyone pays into a pot of money, knowing that only some of them will ever need to make a claim. If you have to make a claim (perhaps because your washing machine has flooded your kitchen and damaged your floor), the money comes from the pool of your and other policyholders’ premiums.

How are premiums calculated?

Insurers are professional risk takers, which means they know the probability of different types of risk happening so they can calculate the premiums needed to create a fund large enough to cover likely loss payments.

Clearly, only a proportion of policyholders will make a claim in any one period. So, an insurer will take two important factors into account when calculating the premium it will charge. Firstly, how likely it is in general terms that someone will need to claim and secondly, whether the person who wants to take out the policy is a bigger or smaller risk than the ‘average’ policyholder.

Take three examples. In motor insurance, a young person with ahigh-powered car, or a driver with a long history of accidents will pay a higher premium than a mature and experienced driver with a car with a smaller engine who has not had an accident before.

Similarly, the owner of a fish and chip shop will pay a higher premium for his or her fire insurance than, say, the owner of an office. The risk is greater, so the premium is higher.

Someone who is young, fit and in a risk-free job will find it easier to buy life insurance and will pay lower premiums than someone who has a heart condition or is in a risky occupation.

The level of premium is also affected by the insurance company’s desire to target a particular section of the market. So, if an insurer wants to encourage younger drivers to buy insurance from it, it may decide to undercut the premiums charged by some of its rivals.

Two kinds of insurance

There are two different kinds of insurance - life insurance and general insurance.

General insurance pays out:

If a car has an accident or is stolen
If a house catches fire or is burgled
If a holiday has to be cancelled

Most life policies, on the other hand, pay out when an event happens, such as when someone dies.

Anyone can buy life insurance but, the amount you pay in premiums will depend on your age, your health, and the type of work you do. The younger and healthier you are, the cheaper the premiums for life insurance. But if you work in a risky job, you’ll normally have to pay more for life insurance.

Most types of insurance are annual policies. That means that the amount you pay can change every year and, if you’ve made a claim in the previous year or your circumstances have changed, it could affect your premiums.

However, some types of insurance, such as life insurance and insurance that pays part of your income if you cannot work because you’re seriously ill, are long-term contracts. That means you don’t get renewed quotes every year as the premium is set when you first sign up.

If you have a joint mortgage with your husband, wife or partner, you can take out life insurance that will pay out if they die before the mortgage is paid off. However, you can’t take out insurance on someone unless you’d be financially worse off if they died.

What is the excess?

With many general insurance policies, you have to pay the first part of any claim – called the excess – if something goes wrong. The level of the excess can vary widely. For a travel insurance policy, it may be £25 – £50 while for a car insurance policy it could be £100 or more.

Sometimes insurers will impose a large excess if you’ve already claimed for something and you’re likely to do so again, such as for flood damage or subsidence(which is when a building develops cracks because the foundations have moved).

General principles

Other principles apply to all kinds of insurance:

Insurance can provide compensation only for the actual value of property. It cannot cover the loss of sentimental value, for example.
There must be a large number of similar risks so that the likelihood of a claim can be spread among other policyholders. It must be possible for insurers to calculate the chance of loss so that a premium can be set which matches the risk.
Losses must not be deliberate and not inevitable. Clearly, you could not buy fire insurance for a house which was already burning nor life insurance for someone on his or her deathbed.
Lastly, there are some risks which have financial implications so vast that they can be dealt with only by the state. These risks (mainly those arising from war or the major escape of nuclear or radioactive material) are normally not insurable.

Tailor your policy to your electronic gadgets (mobile phones, iPhones, laptops, iPods, sat navs, cameras, blue tooth headsets, camcorders and more) with prices starting from as little as £1.49 per month!

by The U.S. Army

Abacus Army Kit and Personal Accident Insurance

Military personnel have extremely different needs when it comes to insurance than that of the average person seeking insurance. Military personnel need to be concerned about insurance issues such as army kit insurance and even common insurance, such as personal accident insurance, have different specifications and requirements than those of other such insurance problems. Abacus realizes these differences and has many insurance policies that take into consideration these special needs and tailor policies to perfectly suit those serving in the military. The personal accident insurance and army kit insurance that Abacus provides are only two examples of how the company goes above and beyond serving those that serve us, but these examples are some of the best.

Upon entering the military, soldiers are given a standard-issue army kit for which they are solely responsible for. These kits include things such as bullet-proof vests, ammunition, basic survival items, and weapons. Because carrying these kits around just about everywhere an individual goes is necessary, not only for survival purposes but also for training exercises, there’s little question that a person will be able to keep the army kit on them without ever having to replace part of all of the kit. But doing so can cost hundreds and even thousands of dollars and so, if part of the kit needs to be replaced, a soldier can find they are unable to pay for other necessities, such as their mortgage or providing food for their family. This is why army kit insurance is so very important as it will help to cover the costs of repairing or replacing any part of their kit. Abacus has army kit insurance that will not only help a person to do this without feeling any real negative effects themselves but the army kit insurance Abacus provides also covers other costs such as protection against liability should a person become injured on their property. Abacus army kit insurance can also help protect the belongings in someone’s home, which is just another reason why Abacus is such a wonderful insurance company for military personnel.

There’s little doubt that military personnel often find themselves in dangerous situations, where they are likely to become injured, such as during times of war. Abacus provides comprehensive personal accident insurance plans that will cover not only the person serving in the military, but also their spouse should they choose this option. The personal accident insurance that Abacus provides not only covers the policyholder for things such as the loss of use of a limb or other bodily part but it also provides special coverage, specific to military personnel that will cover things such as injuries from shrapnel, flesh injuries, or blast injuries. Standard personal accident insurance policies generally provide hospitalization benefits after a person has spent 5 consecutive nights in the hospital but being a leading insurance company, Abacus is able to provide this same coverage to military personnel after only 4 nights in the hospital. Abacus also shows that they cater to the military by not creating any exclusions during time of war, which is often when those serving need it the most.

Related Army Kit Articles

by Shoreline

Commercial Van Insurance Explained

If you use your van for business purposes then commercial van insurance is an essential purchase. A commercial van insurance policy will help to protect your van, and therefore your business, from the unexpected occurrences which can crop up in everyday life.

Keeping costs to a minimum is an important part of running a successful business so shopping around for the most competitive van insurance quote is a good way to minimise essential expenditure. Purchasing the cheapest insurance possible will save you money initially but remember that your business could lose out substantially if you don’t have the correct type of cover, so analyse your insurance needs carefully before agreeing on a policy.

The type of insurance cover that you can secure usually depends on various factors, such as the amount you wish to be covered for, the type of van, or vans, you own and the length of the insurance policy.

Most insurance companies will offer you insurance for private, sole trader and business van usage and with varying levels of cover. The three main types of cover you can purchase for your van include fully comprehensive, third party fire and theft and third party commercial.

A fully comprehensive insurance policy will cover all eventualities and is the most exhaustive type of insurance you can purchase. This type of insurance covers the liability for death or injury to any person in the van as well as covering any damage to the property of the other party.

Fully comprehensive insurance also covers any damage that happens to your van in the event of accident, fire, theft, burglary or vandalism and may even provide a replacement van whilst the original is repaired. If you keep equipment in your van then it is worth checking that these will also be covered by your comprehensive insurance policy.

Third party fire and theft Insurance will cover any loss or damage caused by a third party, namely vandalism, accident, fire, theft or burglary. It is worth noting that this type of insurance would not cover you if your van was damaged by a driver who did not have insurance.

Third party commercial van insurance is usually the cheapest, and most basic, type of van insurance cover and protects you against any damages to a third party. Your own business van will not be covered by this type of policy so if you are involved in an accident, you will have to pay to repair or replace your own van.

If you have an old van or do not think that your van is worth very much then you can take out a third party commercial van insurance policy to fulfil your legal obligation of having your van insured.

Depending on how your van is used, it may be worth opting for some of the additional add-ons offered by business van insurance providers, such as policies which extend to driving abroad and cover for legal expenses.

Find More Commercial Van Insurance Articles

by Shawn Econo

Cheap Courier Insurance: Is it Possible?

Courier insurance is one of the most important cost factors of a courier business. There is no doubt that courier insurance provides protection against many unwanted things that could happen during a courier business’s operations, and such protections are priceless indeed. However, the cost of getting proper courier insurance can be relatively high, and not all courier companies can afford that amount of expense.

Small and medium courier companies are trying hard to reduce their insurance expenses, but in doing so they also reduce the amount of protection at the same time. There are methods you can utilise to reduce the cost of courier insurance for your courier business while still enjoying the maximum amount of benefits, and we are going to discuss these methods in this article.

As we all know, there are three common types of courier insurance: vehicle insurance, goods in transit insurance, and public liability insurance. Each type has its own system of quotes and fees, which makes the cost of getting full coverage relatively high. What you can do is get bundled quotes for all three insurances. You can do this if you are getting all three (or any possible combination of two) types of courier insurances from a single insurance company. They will be more than glad to assist you in getting the best possible quote for your courier insurance package, and in the end you will get a rather cheaper courier insurance quote suitable for your budget. Some insurance companies even offer discounts for such bundling, enabling you to pay even lower fees for the same amount of protection. The key is to be open with your insurance company and let them know exactly how much you are willing to spend on insurance.

Another way to reduce courier insurance cost is to let the insurance company know your available budget, and have them tailor a courier insurance scheme for your company. This way, you will get quotes you can afford and gain the best possible protection from the given premiums. Insurance companies will be glad to offer you assistance on this matter, guiding you through the entire process of selecting insurance schemes you need at an affordable price. For instance, you might not need public liability insurance. The insurance company will advise you to use only vehicle and goods-in-transit insurances for lower premiums. You still get the best protection you need, without having to pay unnecessary premiums.

Last, you can design your own payments term to cope with your cash flow. Yearly payments will probably be cheaper, since some insurance companies give additional discounts for customers paying premiums in full each year, but it might not be suitable for courier companies with tight budgets. Monthly payments can help you manage your cash flow in a better manner, but it will most likely be slightly more expensive compared to yearly payments. You can even pay for more than one year in advance, should your budget enable you to do so, and get even bigger discounts on your insurance fees.

Getting cheap courier insurance is not an impossible task to complete. It is all about finding the right solution to suit your budget. Don’t forget to compare quotes and do some research before making any decision on the best courier insurance quotes.