If you’re a disabled driver, you don’t need to be restricted by your car insurance. Read our analysis of the specialist car cover available through Chartwell Insurance.
Chartwell Insurance says it can provide car insurance to virtually any vehicle and any driver including blue badge, disabled and diabetic drivers. It claims to offer bespoke benefits that would otherwise be excluded from standard policies, such as cover for a carer to get behind the wheel or an appropriate courtesy car in the event of an accident. Here’s what you should know about this broker.
Who is Chartwell Insurance?
Chartwell Insurance is a broker that specialises in providing disabled drivers with car insurance. It also offers cover for mobility scooters, wheelchairs and mobility-adapted homes, along with specialist travel insurance for disabled people.
It was co-founded by disabled motorist Adrian Flux in 1965. Chartwell Insurance is a trading name of Adrian Flux Insurance Services.
What are Chartwell’s levels of cover?
All drivers are legally required to have at least third party car insurance to be on UK roads. Chartwell Insurance doesn’t provide third party only, but it offers two higher levels of cover.
Chartwell Insurance’s Third party, fire and theft (TPFT) cover
If you are responsible for causing an accident, you’ll be protected for damage to other people’s vehicles or property. You’ll also have protection against any fire damage or theft of your car.
Chartwell Insurance’s Comprehensive cover
This is the highest level of cover on offer through Chartwell Insurance and will provide everything in TPFT as well as insuring your vehicle against accidental damage and vandalism. It’s always worth checking the cost of comprehensive as it can be cheaper than TPFT.
What is covered under my Chartwell Insurance policy?
| Cover benefits | Third party, fire and theft | Comprehensive |
|---|---|---|
| Liability to other people and property | ✓ | ✓ |
| Fire and theft | ✓ | ✓ |
| Accidental damage | – | ✓ |
| Appropriate courtesy car | – | ✓ |
| European cover | – | ✓ |
| Legal cover | – | ✓ |
| Wheelchair cover up to £1,500. | – | ✓ |
| Windscreen cover | – | ✓ |
Check your policy details to ensure you have the right cover for your needs.
Optional extras
Chartwell Insurance offers policy bolt-ons including:
- Adapted courtesy car
- Windscreen cover
- UK breakdown cover
- European breakdown cover
- Key cover
- Personal accident cover
General exclusions
Any cover arranged through Chartwell Insurance is likely to become invalid if any of the following arises:
- You are paid to carry passengers.
- You fail to pay for your premium.
- Your car is being driven by a person that does not have a valid driving licence.
- Your car is used for rallies, races or competitions.
- You change your car during the policy term to a car that the insurer cannot cover.
- You do not provide the correct documents to support your application.
Check your policy for further details to confirm your cover is valid.
How to save on your car insurance policy through Chartwell Insurance
- Check comprehensive. Contrary to what you might expect, comprehensive cover can be cheaper than third party (TP) or third party, fire and theft so it’s always worth checking. This is because of the risk profile of many people who get TP.
- Park securely. Cars kept in a garage or on a secure driveway are usually cheaper to insure.
- Reduce mileage. Letting your insurer know about a reduction in your mileage could result in cheaper insurance.
- Increase the excess. Agreeing to pay a bigger voluntary excess could make your overall premium cheaper. But remember that your insurer won’t pay out for a claim that costs less than your excess. So be careful about making it too high, as it could leave you out of pocket if damage occurs.
What is my excess?
Your insurance excess is the amount of money you have to pay towards a claim. Your insurer won’t pay out for a claim that costs less than this amount.
A voluntary excess is normally an amount set by you when taking out a policy. You’ll have the option of adding or increasing a voluntary excess, which could in turn reduce your premium.
Meanwhile, a compulsory excess amount might vary depending on the age of your car and your driving experience.
You’ll find details about any compulsory or voluntary excesses in your policy document.
What is the claims process for Chartwell Insurance?
Call Chartwell Insurance on 0844 888 7360 to report a claim. You’ll need to provide your policy number and details about the incident. And it’s important that you let your insurer know about an incident as soon as possible, even if it’s not your fault. Failure to do this could result in a rejected claim later on.
Frequently asked questions
*Disclaimer: Please take reasonable care to answer all the questions honestly and to the best of your knowledge. If you don’t answer the questions correctly, your policy may be cancelled, or your claim rejected or not fully paid.
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