Your duty to take reasonable care not to make a misrepresentation

Your policy or the policy you are applying for is a consumer insurance contract and the duty below applies to you.

When applying for insurance, there is a legal duty to take reasonable care not to make a misrepresentation to the insurer before the contract of insurance is entered into.

A misrepresentation is a false answer, an answer that is only partially true, or an answer which does not fairly reflect the truth.

This duty also applies when extending or making changes to existing insurance, and reinstating insurance.

If you do not meet your duty

If you do not meet your legal duty, this can have serious impacts on your insurance. Your cover could be avoided (treated as if it never existed), or its terms may be changed. This may also result in a claim being declined or a benefit being reduced.

Changes before your cover starts

Your duty to take reasonable care not to make a misrepresentation continues until the time your insurance cover starts.

Before your cover starts, we may ask about any changes that mean you would now answer our questions differently. As any changes might require further assessment or investigation, it could save time if you let us know about any changes when they happen. What you tell us may impact the insurers decision on your application.