In spring 2020, during the Coronavirus lockdown, Admiral motor customers helped to save lives by staying at home. In recognition of this, we refunded £110 million of insurance premiums to our car and van customers and committed millions of pounds more to reducing prices and supporting our customers, NHS staff and the local community
We were delighted to give back £110 million to our car and van insurance customers in recognition of them staying at home and driving less during the UK-wide Coronavirus lockdown.
A £25 premium refund was automatically given to all customers for each car and van that was covered by us on 20 April 2020 - a total of 4.4m vehicles.
We gave customers the refund to reflect that there were fewer cars on the road during the lockdown, and our customers drove less, which resulted in fewer insurance claims.
The refund and other initiatives passed on the savings from reduced claims we may otherwise have benefitted from during the lockdown.
Stay at Home Refund queries
We know you may have some questions about the refund so we’ve put together a comprehensive list of questions and answers below. Scroll down to find out more.
Your Questions Answered
About the refund
Why did you refund customers?
People drove significantly less than before the lockdown, and this led to a fall in the number of claims and therefore the level of risk we cover. We wanted to do our bit too so we gave a £25 refund of premium for every car and van covered with us on 20 April 2020.
This was to recognise our customers for following government advice and staying home as much as possible during the UK-wide lockdown, when we were all working together to slow the spread of Coronavirus.
Our 4.4 million car and van customers got an equal share of savings, making the total payment £110m.
Why wasn't the refund a percentage of customers' premium?
We wanted to make this fair and considered a number of options. We considered this the best solution to give something back to our customers as soon as we could, while making sure all customers had an equal share in the savings made from the expected reduction in claims.
Everyone’s lives have changed as a result of Coronavirus; key workers still needed to drive to work, people still needed to drive to the supermarket and some people didn’t drive at all.
We're all in this together and wanted to give our customers an equal share of these savings. A flat sum of money was the simplest and quickest way to get money back to our customers.
Refund eligibility
Who was eligible for the refund?
All car and van customers got the refund as long as their cover was active on 20 April 2020.
Was the refund for all the vehicles on a motor policy?
Yes – a refund of £25 was made for each car or van on cover with us on 20 April 2020.
Were people still eligible if they needed to use their car or van?
Yes - the refund was calculated on the lower driving frequency we saw, so all policyholders were eligible, including those who still needed their vehicle.
General enquiries
If the lockdown continues, will I get a further refund?
We’ve taken the step to refund £110m based on our best estimate of the amount we would save compared to claims that would otherwise have been made.
Admiral has always been committed to doing the right thing for its customers and we do not intend to benefit from reduced driving due to lockdown.
We also want to further reward customers who choose to renew or join Admiral and will also continue to reflect changes to claims rates in our prices.
Will this refund impact my price in the future?
No. This refund will not directly impact your future price.
Along with this refund, what else have you done to help the country during the crisis?
In total Admiral put together a £190m package of actions in response to Coronavirus; the £110m refund was the centrepiece. In addition to this we also:
- Reduced prices for our customers
- Made policy changes for NHS and emergency services workers to make their life easier in the event of an accident and keep them on the road, waiving claims excess fees and providing a free courtesy vehicle
- Supported NHS volunteers by guaranteeing cover for customers using their vehicle to transport people, deliver medical supplies and equipment, or items to people who were self-isolating
- Supported customers who are in financial hardship as a result of the outbreak. We're being flexible with customers struggling with monthly payments for insurance and personal loans
- A £4 million Admiral Support Fund was set up to offer funding and support throughout south Wales – our home for the past 27 years and £100,000 has been donated to the Wales Coronavirus Resilience Fund through Community Foundation Wales, and Admiral’s operations outside the UK are also supporting their own local communities. Read more about our community support work
- No staff were furloughed under the UK Government funded scheme. We don’t expect to benefit from any other Government-funded initiatives