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I've been the named driver on my husband's car insurance policy for many years but we have recently separated and I'm now looking for my own policy, which will just be in my name.
Last summer my husband made a claim on his policy because he was at fault in a car accident but even though I wasn't involved in this, do I need to declare it?
I wasn't present when the accident happened and it was his policy, not mine, therefore I'm hoping I will be able to answer 'no' when being asked if I've ever been involved in a motoring claim for my new policy.
I also have letters from the past five years from the insurance company stating that I was never involved in an accident or claim, via email
My ex had a car accident and I was name d on his insurance policy, should I declare it?
Rebecca Rutt, of This is Money, replies: With car insurance, any claim you make needs to be recorded with your insurer, as this can affect the price of the policy.
If, for example, you've had an accident, this could push your premium up because the insurer may think you are now a higher risk and therefore more expensive to insure.
However, in your case you were not involved in the accident last year and you were just a named driver on the insurance policy.
We got in contact with several of the big UK insurers to find out what they would advise in your situation.
Direct Line told us you would not need to disclose your husband's accident because you were just a named driver on the policy.
This accident will be recorded on his policy and you would only need to declare it if you had him as a named driver on your new policy.
When taking out a new insurance policy, do I need to declare an accident my ex caused?
Aviva works in a similar way and a spokesperson said: 'The general requirement is to declare any accidents, losses or incidents within a defined time period for you rself, and any named drivers that will be added to your policy.
'Assuming you do not want to add your husband to the new insurance arrangements, there is no need to declare any accident attributable to him.'
An LV spokesperson said: 'In the case of LV it wouldn't be necessary to declare the claim unless you were driving at the time or the claim was made in your name – which doesn't sound like the case here. As a result, you wouldn't need to disclose this.'
We also asked the Association of British Insurers and it said: 'It's important to answer all questions you are asked honestly.
'If you're not clear about what information an insurer wants from you then the best thing is to call them up and double-check.
'Insurance is extremely competitive so it's always a good idea to shop around to find the right cover for you at the most affordable price.'
Rebecca Rutt adds: You're right to check this one as in most cases insurers ask that you do declare everything relevant when buying a new insurance policy.
If you don't declare something and then you need to make a claim on your policy, it could be invalidated.
However, in this case as you weren't the one driving or involved with the claim, an insurer wouldn't look at it to decide how risky it thought you were and ultimately the price you have to pay.
If you're unsure you can always speak to the insurer in question to find out what it advises.
