Declaring Convictions and Claims Accurately
Insurance is a contract based on the information you provide, and the consequences of getting that information wrong are severe and entirely avoidable.
What must be disclosed
Motoring convictions and fixed penalties, including those where you took an awareness course in some cases. Read the question carefully.
Claims and incidents, including those where you did not claim and those where you were not at fault. The question usually asks about incidents rather than claims.
Modifications to a vehicle, including those made by a previous owner and those you consider trivial.
Non-motoring convictions in some cases, subject to rehabilitation rules that vary by jurisdiction.
Previous refusals, cancellations or voided policies, which must be declared on every subsequent application.
Changes in occupation, address, mileage and who uses the vehicle.
The standard applied
Consumer insurance in many jurisdictions requires you to take reasonable care not to make a misrepresentation, rather than to volunteer everything unprompted.
That means answering the questions asked honestly and completely. Where a question is ambiguous, ask and record the answer.
Deliberate or reckless misrepresentation allows the insurer to void the policy and refuse all claims. Careless misrepresentation produces a proportionate remedy — the insurer may reduce the claim or apply the terms it would have imposed.
The consequences
A voided policy is treated as never having existed. Premiums may not be refunded, claims are refused, and you must declare the voidance on future applications, which raises premiums for years and can make cover difficult to obtain.
For motor insurance, driving on a voided policy can mean you were uninsured, with the legal consequences that follow.
Continuing obligations
Most policies require notification of material changes during the policy term, not only at renewal.
A change of job, a house move, a modification, a new driver, or a conviction all typically need reporting when they happen.
Failing to do so can leave you uninsured at the moment of a claim.
Practical approach
Answer every question fully, and where unsure, disclose. The premium effect of disclosure is almost always smaller than people fear and always smaller than a refused claim.
Keep a copy of the statement of fact the insurer sends after purchase, read it, and correct anything wrong immediately in writing.
Where you have something to declare that mainstream insurers price harshly, a specialist broker frequently finds better terms than a comparison site.
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