Insurance Considerations for Live-in Care: Home and Car

Insurance is not the most exciting part of arranging care, and it is easily overlooked. But a few simple checks before care begins can save a great deal of worry later, and make sure everyone is properly protected. It is one of those things that is far better sorted in advance than discovered after a problem.

Here is a practical guide to the insurance worth thinking about when a live-in carer joins the household, and the questions worth asking. As a general rule, when in doubt, a quick call to your insurer is always the safest way to be sure.

Home insurance

When a carer comes to live in your loved one's home, it is worth reviewing their home insurance, both buildings and contents, to make sure everything is in order.

Tell the insurer about the arrangement. Many home insurance policies ask you to inform them of a change in circumstances, and someone living in the home to provide care can count as one. It usually makes no difference to the cover or the cost, but it is important to check, because not disclosing something an insurer expects to know can affect a future claim. A quick call to confirm the policy is happy with a live-in carer in the home is well worth making.

Check who is covered. It is worth understanding how the policy treats the carer's presence, and their belongings. A carer's personal possessions are generally their own responsibility to insure, not something covered by your loved one's contents policy, but it is sensible to be clear on this from the outset.

Consider the cover level. With another person in the home, and often with the household running a little differently, it can be a good moment to check that buildings and contents cover is adequate and up to date.

None of this is usually complicated or costly. It is simply about making sure the policy reflects reality, so there are no nasty surprises if you ever need to claim.

Car insurance, if a carer will drive

If you would like your loved one's carer to drive, whether to appointments, the shops or outings, insurance is the crucial thing to get right. There are two possible arrangements, and the insurance works differently for each.

If the carer drives their own car

Where a carer uses their own vehicle to drive your loved one, the carer is responsible for having the correct insurance in place for that, including the appropriate business use cover, along with a valid licence, MOT and tax. This is something a reputable care provider checks and verifies. At Edyn, this arrangement is available as an optional extra, and we confirm the carer's documents are in order before any driving takes place.

If the carer drives your loved one's car

Where a carer drives your loved one's own vehicle, this is where families most often need to act, because it is your loved one's own car insurance that must cover it.

You will need to:

• contact your loved one's car insurer and add the carer as a named driver on the policy
• check that the necessary use is covered, as some policies distinguish between social use and other purposes, so it is worth confirming the cover fits how the car will actually be used
• make sure the policy remains valid for a carer driving the insured person, or driving on their behalf

It is essential this is properly arranged before a carer drives your loved one's car. Driving without the correct insurance is against the law and leaves everyone unprotected, so it is not something to leave to chance or assume. A short call to the insurer settles it. You can read more about the driving options in our guide to whether a live-in carer can drive.

What your care provider covers

This is a good question to ask any care provider, and a reassuring one when the answer is clear.

At Edyn, as a fully managed care company, our carers are covered by appropriate insurance for the care work they do, including public liability and professional indemnity cover. This is one of the meaningful differences between a managed provider and an informal arrangement, where insurance often becomes the family's responsibility to sort out and check.

What this does not automatically extend to is your loved one's own home and car insurance, which remain in place as your family's own policies. So the simplest way to think about it is this: we take care of insuring the care and our carers, and it is worth making sure your loved one's household insurance, home and, if relevant, car, is correct alongside that. If you are ever unsure where the line falls, just ask us, and we will happily explain what we cover.

A simple checklist

To keep it straightforward, before care begins it is worth:

• telling your loved one's home insurer about the live-in care arrangement
• checking buildings and contents cover is adequate and up to date
• if the carer will drive your loved one's car, adding them to the car insurance and confirming the use is covered
• if the carer will use their own car, confirming with your provider that their insurance is verified
• asking your care provider what their insurance covers, so you understand the full picture

Better safe than sorry

Insurance is one of those things that matters most at the very moment something has gone wrong, which is exactly why it is worth a little attention beforehand. A few short phone calls before care begins mean everyone, your loved one, your family and the carer, is properly protected, and you can get on with the far more important business of settling into good care.

If you have any questions about the practicalities of setting up care, including the driving options and what we cover, we would be glad to help.

Book a free care advice call, or give us a ring on 020 3970 9900.

This guide offers general information, not insurance or financial advice. Insurance policies and requirements vary, so please check the specific details with your own home and car insurers, and confirm what your care provider covers directly with them.