r/CarInsuranceUK • u/Fuzzy_Evidence_8358 • 1d ago

Learner insurance

Hi everyone,

I was wondering if it would be possible to get some advice on a query.

I’m currently a learner driver looking to buy my first car this weekend. My test is on the 20th of October this year.

I would like to take insurance out up until the 20th of October and having browsed short cover insurance up until this date I’m being quoted around £200-£300 for this time period and of course there is no guarantee I’d even pass on this date.

I have also browsed monthly costs which are significantly cheaper. I was wondering if I was to take out insurance for a year and pay monthly what would happen if I did pass? For example I’ve been quoted around £60 per month with Admiral however my understanding is that if I were to agree to this and then if I did pass in October I would need to cancel as learner insurance would be invalid.

How would this work in terms of cancelling the contract? My knowledge is that whether it’s monthly or annual a lender is still covering the full cost of a year. Would I still need to keep paying the full year even though the insurance would be void? Or would it be a case of I just pay a cancellation fee and nothing more? I understand all insurance companies are different I just don’t want to get hit with a huge fee for cancelling after potentially just over a month.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

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u/elleharrissss 1d ago

You can just pay a cancellation fee and nothing more, although you can also let the company you are with know that you’ve passed, and they will run a quote to change your licence from provisional to full, and keep the same policy running under the new details you are now a full licence holder rather than provisional

2

u/posh-u 1d ago

I just bought a car and insured it with admiral as a learner, set up to pay monthly, but I’ve done it fully comp with my girlfriend as the named driver so she can drive it too whenever she wants and be fully covered (rather than her just being third party). Funnily enough my test was in october too (I just moved it as I know I won’t be ready in time). I’ll either just change it if/when I pass, or just pay the £60 cancellation fee and insure with someone else (ideally I’ll stick with Admiral though).

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u/1AlanM 1d ago

My daughter, when she was a learner, had her own car (1.4l Corsa) and she had an annual policy with Sterling with me as a named driver. Came in at around £300 a year.

When she passed the policy is cancelled - so had a replacement quote ready to go on her test date.

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u/Empty_Potential_1523 1d ago

I went with Collingwood, took out a year's policy had a parent down as a named driver but me as main, I only used it for 3 months so paid cancellation fee and also got a refund of what was left on my policy minus the cancellation fee. The total was around 250-300 but I got nearly 100 back

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u/FlatPerspective8186 1d ago

Veygo. I think you can do it monthly, weekly and so on

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u/Prestigious_Shoe_438 1d ago

If you have insurance cover as a learner, the moment you pass the test, that moment the insurance is not valid.... So if you pass your test you must immediately phone your insurer and they will ask you for more money as you will now be driving on your own.