Hello,

Much to my astonishment Churchill have cancelled my car insurance because I happened to tell them that I spend a lot of time working outside the UK. According to their "policy" which seems to be unwritten, I am not permenantly resident in the UK if I spend more than 90 days in the year outside the country.

Is this normal? What problem does it cause to the insurer that my work takes me outside of the UK? I have now very reluctantly had to go back to Norwich Union direct who don have a problem with this (although I will write to them to confirm, their call centre staff dont leave me with a very confident feeling). Before going back t NU, I tried Sainsburys and although neither ther policy or website assumptions mention aything, the person I spoke to said that "we are like Churchill" and cannot insure you.

For the avoidance of doubt, I am home every weekend, the car is garaged whilst I am away and the house is always occupied by my wife and daughter.

Does anyone know anything about this and how the cancellation might affect future quotes?

Rhys

Telegragh.co.uk 27 Dec 2007. It looks to be about 'residency' for insurance although this relates to 'non residents' and tax.

"At present, if you are in the UK for more than 90 days a year, you will be considered resident. But you do not have to count the arrival and departure days.

Count the days

However, the Government announced plans to change this in the pre-Budget report so that days of arrival and departure would need to be counted, which would give those undertaking regular trips to the UK far less time here than they have now."

Under Government "regulations" I'm an UK resident, I am both tax resident and domociled in the UK I have had this legaly confirmed. I explaned this to Churchill but they said that they dont have to follow the legal definition and that tey have decided that an time outside of the UK over 90 days will clasify me as not being resident. It makes no sense at all, and how this in any way relates to insurance risk, I have no idea.

"(although I will write to them to confirm, their call centre staff dont leave me with a very confident feeling

You can say that again. The variation in the quality of staff everywhere is horrendous so much so that I always say with anything important is that an "I think" answer (ie off the top of the head) or the company answer politely or not as appropriate?

Is it possible you got an "I think" answer?