Armed forces personnel deployed abroad have been forking out hundreds more in home insurance premiums, the Mirror can reveal as a Labour MP and the Royal British Legion call for change
British soldiers deployed overseas have been hit by huge hikes on their insurance because of time spent away from home, the Mirror can reveal.
Rules common among big insurers mean that anyone who spends more than 30-60 consecutive days away each year must take out specialist unoccupied home insurance instead – which can cost £100s more in premiums. This clause has hit members of the armed forces on foreign deployments, with MP Alistair Strathern telling the Mirror that brave British soldiers helping train up Ukrainian forces to fight off the Russian invasion are among those impacted.
The Labour MP told the Mirror he has met with some of Britain’s biggest insurers urging them to take action after hearing from serving troops who were “let down” by their insurers.
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Three major brands – Aviva, Hastings Direct and Admiral – have since changed their policies to provide special allowances for members of the armed forces. But he is calling on all of the industry to do more to honour all those “men and women who serve on our behalf”.
Mr Strathern, whose Hitchin constituency is home to MoD Chicksands and RAF Henlow, said: “This has affected people posted over in Poland supporting the Ukraine engagements. We spoke to people who had either had extra costs put on them at short notice before mobilisation and had to fork over extra funds to their insurer – often with very little notice because of the nature of these things – to ensure that their homes will remain insured while they are away.
“Or, even more stressfully, in some cases finding out that actually their home insurer would just be cancelling their policy because they were going to be away over that window.”
“There’s been instances where premiums have been over a hundred pounds because of the length of time they’ve been abroad. In some cases even more than that, because it’s also been exacerbated by the fact that they need new cover to start that day, as their previous insurer has essentially voided their policy. The added cost, the very real inconvenience and stress comes at a time when they already have so much else going on in their lives. It feels really hard to justify and important to rectify.”
Mr Strathern said some insurers’ apparent refusals to make allowances for serving members of the military risked falling foul of the Armed Forces Covenant – a formal promise from the nation to those who serve or have served that they will be treated with fairness and respect. Many of the country’s leading insurers are signed up to the Covenant – but they need to be showing this commitment is “more than just warm words”, he said.
The Labour MP explained: “The Armed Forces Covenant is a really important commitment that a whole host of private and civil society sectors have signed up to. At its core, it’s based on the premise that signatories to it would ensure that armed forces members are not disadvantaged by their service. In an ideal world, you’d hope that these businesses who’ve signalled they want to do right by service personnel by signing up to the Covenant, actually lived up to it. Otherwise it is just warm words – rather than the actual practical commitment to our service personnel that they deserve.”
Describing the mixed response he had heard during his meetings with insurers, he told the Mirror: “I’ve been really encouraged by some insurers that we’ve spoken to who have just recognised this is a gap, and fixed it… but it would be fair to say in some other cases that wasn’t always the case.
“There was one insurer in particular who initially came back and said that essentially because of the cost and liability implications of potentially insuring vacant properties for longer than this window, they weren’t willing to take on the risk of offering that to service personnel, despite being Forces signatories.”
Mr Strathern said he would continue to raise the issue in parliament and with ministers when MPs return to the Commons this week. Hannah Pearce, the Royal British Legion’s Director of Campaigns, Policy and Research, said inconsistencies among insurers and other financial services were impacting Britain’s Armed Forces community – and creating confusion for military personnel and their families.
Some insurers will accept family checking on properties during absences to reduce premiums, but this is not evenly applied across the sector, and disadvantages those without close family living nearby. Similar issues have also been reported with car insurance and mobile phone contracts, with the Royal British Legion saying a stronger understanding and commitment to the Armed Forces Covenant is needed across financial services.
Ms Pearce told the Mirror: “Our Armed Forces sacrifice so much for their country and deserve to be treated with respect and fairness.”
The Mirror contacted nine of Britain’s leading home insurers, several of whom told us that they have now waived additional fees and premiums for armed forces personnel posted overseas. Others, including Policy Expert, AXA, and NFU Mutual, maintain policies that reflect standard terms for unoccupied properties, with decisions made on a case-by-case basis. LV said they can “offer an element of unoccupied cover on existing General Insurance home insurance policies for no additional cost”, while those who “require bespoke cover can be referred to specialist insurance brokers”.
A Policy Expert spokesperson said: “Policy Expert provides home insurance to customers across a wide range of circumstances, including members of the UK armed forces, and takes its responsibilities to policyholders seriously. Like all home insurance products, our policies include standard terms that reflect the risks associated with unoccupied properties, and we keep our products under regular review to ensure they remain appropriate for all our customers. Our focus remains on providing clear, consistent cover and ensuring policy terms are communicated transparently at the point of purchase and renewal.”
And an NFU Mutual spokesperson said: “While there is not a specified different approach taken for armed forces personnel, we pride ourselves on offering a personal, local service where our members can discuss their policy needs with either our Mutual Direct team or one of our network of NFU Mutual agents across the United Kingdom.
“We would encourage any customers concerned about cover or special conditions to contact their local NFU Mutual agent or our Mutual Direct team, who will able to consider individual circumstances and issues raised, as well as potential solutions. NFU Mutual supports the ABI’s motor insurance commitment to armed forces personnel and will continue to take customer’s individual circumstances into account when contacted.”
An AXA Spokesperson said: “While AXA UK’s standard home insurance policies provide cover for properties in the UK that are unoccupied for up to 30 consecutive days, there can be flexibility depending on individual customer circumstances. Where we are unable to provide cover, we signpost to specialist insurers who may be able to offer policies that suit specific requirements.”
A spokesperson for the Association of British Insurers, which represents many of the country’s largest firms, said: “Insurers are committed to supporting their customers, including the highly valued armed forces community. A number of home insurers have already taken steps to offer additional flexibility for personnel deployed overseas, and this sits alongside the long‑standing support provided in the motor market through our Armed Forces Motor Insurance Commitment.
“There is a higher risk associated with a property that is left unoccupied for an extended period and most home insurance policies set limits of around 30-60 days. We encourage personnel expecting to be away longer to speak with their insurer about their circumstances and the support or cover options available. A broker may also be able to help find suitable cover.”
The Armed Forces Covenant Duty is to be strengthened in the Armed Forces Bill currently going through parliament, placing a duty on government departments to take the Armed Forces community into account in decisions about providing goods and services.
