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Being Lloyd’s rated reassures brokers and their customers that an insurer has complied with Lloyd’s stringent regulations meaning that it’s very remote that the insurer will ever fail and leave a customer exposed with no insurance. In fact, no insurer has failed since Lloyd’s oversight regime was put in place. This gives security to both customers and brokers

Additionally, a Lloyd’s rating comes with a rating from Standard and Poor’s. ERS’ S&P rating is A+ which means brokers and their customers can depend on our policies.

If a Lloyd’s rated insurer did ever fail, all policies are honoured by Lloyd’s and claims are paid from a guaranteed central fund by Lloyd’s – customer and brokers are always protected if a Syndicate cannot meet its obligations.

If you choose not to select insurance from a rated insurer, we recommend you use the litmus test from BIBA.

If you’re a broker, visit our Contact page for all your relevant contacts.

If you have customers who would benefit from bespoke motor insurance cover tailored to their specific needs, then we’re here to help. Fill in your details and we’ll get in touch.

Visit our Broker page for information on how to trade each of our products

Introduction

This document approved by the Board of ERS DGB Limited on 10 December 2020 sets out the tax strategy for ERS DGB Limited and its UK subsidiary undertakings (“the Group”).

The principal activity of the Group is to underwrite motor business at Lloyd’s, this is through the Group’s participation in Syndicate 218.

Syndicate 218 has a clear strategy of being a specialist motor-only broker-only insurer, focused on delivering sustainable profitable returns. It has a strong brand, ERS, and offers a broad range of specialist motor insurance products for the UK personal lines and commercial segments. The broad product base provides risk diversity between classes and assists in easing the performance impact of the cyclical nature of the UK motor insurance market.

Lloyd's is regulated by the UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA), under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000. This regulatory framework imposes the highest standards of risk management and control on the Group including compliance with the EU Solvency II directive.

All active trading entities within the Group are UK based, trade within the UK and Ireland and only pay taxes in these territories. This includes corporation tax, indirect taxes (VAT, IPT and levies) and employment taxes.

The publication of this UK tax strategy statement is regarded as satisfying the statutory obligation under Para 19(2), Schedule 19, Finance Act 2016.

Our tax strategy

ERS looks to comply with all applicable tax filing requirements, laws and regulations in the jurisdictions where it operates. In relation to the UK this means:

• ensuring all UK tax returns applicable to the Group are submitted on time, are compliant with UK tax law and that sufficient detail is available to support any enquiry from HMRC;
• ensuring that all UK tax liabilities are settled on a timely basis;
• maintaining appropriate tax accounting arrangements which support compliance with the Senior Accounting Officer (SAO) provisions in the UK; and
• maintaining an open, honest and co-operative relationship with HMRC, this includes keeping HMRC informed of all significant business developments including seeking advice and clearance when appropriate on any significant tax issues effecting the Group or areas of uncertainty.

Governance

Responsibility for our tax strategy, the supporting governance framework and management of tax risk lies with the Chief Financial Officer (“CFO”) who is also the Senior Accounting Officer for the Group, oversight is provided by the ERS DGB Board and the Audit, Risk and Compliance Committee (“ARCC”). Day-to-day responsibility for the management of tax risk sits with the Group Reporting Manager, who reports to the CFO.

How we manage tax risk

The Group is exposed to a variety of tax risks through its activity as a motor underwriter at Lloyd’s. Management of these tax risks is central to ensuring that we pay and collect the correct amount of tax as well as meeting all required reporting and disclosure requirements to the relevant tax authorities. Overall the business has a low appetite for tax risk (please see below).

Tax risk is managed in accordance with the Group’s risk management strategy which puts structure around the risks to which the Group is exposed and defines the framework to manage those risks in meeting the strategic objectives. The risk management framework facilitates the effective identification and management of key risks of which tax risk has been identified as a specific risk.

The risk management framework is built around the “three lines of defence” model, the management of tax risk falls within this scope which in summary comprises:

• Line 1 - Business units operating within a framework of internal controls underpinned by policies, procedures and senior management oversight. They have direct responsibility for risk management and controls;
• Line 2 - Risk Management, Conduct Risk and Compliance functions, supported by the RMC, ensure the effective operation of the risk management framework and that the Group operates within its legal and regulatory boundaries. Employees in the second line coordinate, facilitate and oversee the effectiveness and integrity of the risk management framework. As a key input to decision making, the RMF focuses on assuring the Board that the risk profile is in line with expectations, escalating all material risk and capital issues to the Board, and providing input to, challenge and oversight of first line decision making where appropriate; and
• Line 3 - Internal Audit providing independent assurance to the Board via ARCC as to the effectiveness of the internal control environment. Employees in the third line provide independent assurance and challenge across all business functions in respect of the integrity and effectiveness of the framework.

A key consideration for an effective risk management framework is risk appetite, which is defined as the level of risk that we are willing to take in pursuit of the Group’s objectives.

• Risk appetite is managed through:
• Board-approved risk appetite statements;
• the capital adequacy and other objectives contained in the business plan;
• regular systems and controls reviews;
• policies relating to the key risk areas; and
• on-going monitoring of risk metrics and measures against the risk appetite statements and tolerances.
• commissioning an external tax advisor to review specific risk areas when the technical position is uncertain or where further guidance is needed.

The management of tax risk is supported by the maintenance of a detailed risk register which presents a view of all the possible type of risks that the Group may face. Tax risk forms a subset of our overall risk register with tax risks being allocated to one of the following key areas:

• Transactional tax risk – this concerns the risks and tax exposures associated with specific transactions undertaken by the Group. This could include; acquisitions/disposals of businesses or parts of a business, business restructuring projects and capital transactions such as share capital reductions and debt reorganisations
• Operational tax risk – this concerns the underlying risks of applying tax laws, regulations and decisions to the routine everyday business operations of the Group.
• Compliance tax risk – this concerns the risk associated with meeting an organisations tax compliance obligations. Compliance risk relates primarily to the processes that support the preparation, completion and review of the Group’s tax returns and the risks within these processes.
• Financial accounting risk – this concerns the risk associated with the reporting of the tax disclosures in the Group’s Financial Statements.

Tax risks and associated controls are reviewed and reported to the RMC and ARCC on a quarterly basis.

We have embedded a risk culture which is a reflection of the Group’s self-awareness of the balance between risk taking and control. Staff are encouraged to consider risk and opportunity in line with strategy and risk appetite in their day-to-day activities aligned with a pragmatic balanced approach to accepting and managing these risks. The weekly CEO blog to all staff continually highlights the risk issues and the Group values provide a framework within which all employees must conduct themselves with the highest integrity, whether through the delivery of products or services to customers or through interaction with regulatory bodies including tax authorities. The Group operates a recognition programme, called “The CEO Awards”, which is open to all permanent employees and focuses on rewarding behaviour in line with the core values.

Our approach to tax planning

We will not enter into any artificial transactions where the sole purpose is to reduce UK tax or to defeat the purpose of UK tax legislation. We will ensure that tax is considered as part of commercial transactions in order to support our business objectives. We aim to be compliant with UK tax laws at all times.

The Group and subsidiary companies comply with the Companies Act requirement to disclose a section 172 statement within their Strategic Reports. This is a statement explaining how the directors have carried out their duty to promote the success of the company for the benefit of members as a whole. Please see the attached 2019 Consolidated Financial Statements of ERS DGB Limited which contain the Group section 172 statement.

Yes. We’re happy for you to use the ERS name logo in your communications, but please refer to our Terms and Conditions for a few rules.

You can get the latest logo by emailing communications@ers.com.

1. Once everyone is safe, please phone us immediately (and definitely within 24 hours) on 0330 123 5992 for general claims or 0345 602 3378 for windscreen claims
2. Give the other party your car registration, name and phone number and tell them you’re insured with ERS. Make sure you get the same details from them.
3. Take photographs of damage to all vehicles and the scene of the accident if it’s safe
4. Make sure you take a note of the number of people in the other vehicle(s)

If your vehicle has been involved in an accident, we’ll collect it and deliver it to one of our approved network or repairers.

We’ll keep you updated through the claim (or pass the information to your motor insurance broker), so you know when your vehicle will be ready.

ERS only use original parts by default, so you know you’ll get exactly the right parts for your vehicle – unless you ask us not to. Once it’s repaired, it’ll be fully valeted and delivered back to you at home or work.

ERS works with the Innovation Group and their national network of approved repairers. Our repair network can look after pretty much any vehicle type, from a standard car or van to a Tesla, McLaren or Bentley and, as we only work with BS10125 accredited repairers, your customers’ vehicles are in safe hands. What’s more, we’ll provide your customers with a courtesy car and, once your vehicle is repaired, deliver it back to you at home or work valeted inside and out.

The Employers' Liability Register shows each ERS employer's liability policy which has been entered into, renewed or for which claims have been made on or after 1st April 2011.

The register also shows any ERS employers' liability policy for which claims have been made before 1st April 2011 and have not yet been settled.

You can view our current Employer's Liability Register here.

If you have any queries regarding any policy shown on this register, please email our Compliance Team on compliance@email.com or call 020 3824 5589.

To help our engineers progress the claim quickly, it's important you take good quality images and videos. Here are a few tips to help:

Ensure you take some vital shots:

• Take a photo of your driving license / passport
• Take a photo of the VIN and the vehicle registration plate
• Take shots of the interior of the vehicle including seats, dashboard (with mileage)
• Then, outside the car, from each corner so we can see the front, sides and rear

Once the vitals are done, you need to send photos of the damage

• It’s important to get a tight photo of the damage, so stand nice and close
• Ensure you get a few photos from different angles, including underneath the car. The more photos the better.

Once you’re done, send your photos / videos to your broker who can submit them on your behalf.

Differential excesses applied to all new business and renewals on Everyday Car and Taxi products between 1st August 2017 and 31^st May 2019. For policies incepted or renewed from 1^st June 2019, the differential excesses relating to late reported claims, and discounts for early reported claims will only apply to Taxi and High Risk car and van schemes. There will be no change to the increased excess where your vehicle is repairable, but not repaired at one of our Approved Repairers.

Where applicable, the discounted early reporting excess, increased late reporting excess and non-approved repairer excess is applied to the AD element of an RTA claim only and will be paid in addition to any other excess on a claim. The excesses are cumulative.

A claim that is not reported to ERS quickly can typically cost over £1,000 more than a claim that is reported earlier. Ultimately increased costs can mean increased premiums for our customers, so we aim to reduce costs as much as possible to keep premiums low. The addition of a differential excess aims to encourage brokers and policy holders to report claims early, helping us manage the claim and keep costs low.

We have introduced a discounted excess for policy holders who report a claim within 1 day and a late reporting excess to claims reported in more than 2 days after the incident. These excesses apply to RTA claims where there is a third party road user involved (e.g. TP driver, TP passenger, cyclist, pedestrian, own passenger, motorcyclist).

Repairs where non-approved repairers are used cost ERS considerably more on average, hence the increased excess application to repairs when a non-approved repairer is being used.

Currently, Taxi, High Risk (Non-Standard) Car and Van are subject to differential excesses. Everyday Car and Van and Rural Car and Van products are subject to an excess if an ERS Approved Repairer is not utilised where the vehicle is repairable.

Currently, Taxi, High Risk (Non-Standard) Car and Van are subject to differential excesses. Everyday Car and Van and Rural Car and Van products are subject to an excess if an ERS Approved Repairer is not utilised where the vehicle is repairable.

However, these changes only apply to ERS’ own wordings. Brokers with their own policies do not need to change their terms.

Whilst we appreciate that there will always be exceptional circumstances, policy holders, named drivers or brokers are expected to notify ERS of a claim within the appropriate time frame unless they are unable to do so. In exceptional circumstances, such as the policy holder being seriously injured in the accident, we will apply our discretion as to whether the late reporting excess applies.

A policy holder, named driver or broker can report a claim to ERS 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, including public holidays.

The reporting window starts on the day of the accident. Rather than apply a strict 24/48 hour window. However, ERS provides some leeway in terms of timing. If the accident occurs at 9am on Sunday, Sunday is day 0, Monday is day 1, Tuesday is day 2 and Wednesday day 3. Therefore, if the accident is reported to us on Sunday or Monday, the insured will get the benefit of a reduced AD excess, if reported on Tuesday, they pay their standard excess but if on Wednesday or later, they will pay the additional excess.

We only accept notification of claims from the policy holder, a named driver on the policy or the policy holder's broker.

If our approved network of repairers cannot repair the vehicle, we will not penalise the insured with an increased excess, however it is at our discretion as to whether the vehicle can be suitably repaired. This would also apply where the insured is in a remote location where there is no approved repairer.

We will honour any renewals invited on the old terms regardless of when the terms are accepted.

Currently, Taxi, Everyday Car and Van, High Risk (Non-Standard) Car and Van and rural Car and Van products are subject to differential excesses.

However, these changes only apply to ERS’ own wordings. Brokers with their own policies do not need to change their terms.

Whilst the claim notification may initially be made to an accident management company, all claims must be made to ERS within the specific time frame.

ERS provide a claims notification service 24 hours a day, seven days a week to ensure all brokers and policy holders can notify us of a claim within the specified time

Yes. The policy holder, broker or accident management company must report any incident to us within the specified time frame, even if there is no intention to claim against the motor insurance policy. This is because liability is not always clear and can be disputed. If the policy holder subsequently wishes to claim on their motor insurance, they will be liable for the increased late reporting excess.

If you have any reason to raise a complaint on behalf of our Policyholder, please see instruction above (See Updated PH A)

Written authority should be provided by the Policyholder prior to dealing with a complaint on their behalf.

Should you be dissatisfied with our response to your complaint, you can refer your complaint to Lloyd's. Lloyd's will investigate the matter and provide a final response. Lloyd's contact details are as follows:

Complaints
Lloyd’s
One Lime Street
London
EC3M 7HA

E-mail: complaints@Lloyds.com
Telephone: +44 (0) 20 7327 5693
Fax: +44 (0) 20 7327 5225

Website: www.lloyds.com/complaints

If you ask someone else to act on your behalf, you should give us written authority to allow us to deal with them.

If you are dissatisfied with Lloyd’s final response, you may, if eligible, refer your complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS). The Financial Ombudsman Service is an independent service in the UK for settling disputes between consumers and businesses providing financial services.

The FOS's contact details are as follows:

Financial Ombudsman Service
Exchange Tower
London
E14 9SR

E-mail: complaint.info@financial-ombudsman.org.uk

Telephone: +44 (0)300 123 9123

Website: www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk

ERS resolve over 70% of complaints informally over the telephone within 3 business days.

Please see details of each stage of the complaint journey

As a Lloyd’s Market Syndicate, we follow the Lloyd’s Complaints Process (as agreed by the FCA).

Complaints not resolved informally within 3 business days will be subject to a formal investigation and written ‘Stage One’ response letter in accordance with the Lloyds complaints procedure.

Please see the timeline of a potential complaint journey.

One of the Industry standard measures for complaints is: Complaints per 1000 Policies (as a percentage) Please see ERS performance when compared to industry competitors.

Free Commuting for all Key Workers’ SDP policies

We’ve automatically added commuting to Key Worker’s SDP policies during the lock-down period. There’s no need to contact us and there’s no extra cost.

Here’s the list of Key Workers:

• Health and social care: This includes but is not limited to doctors, nurses, midwives, paramedics, social workers, care workers, and other front-line health and social care staff including volunteers; the support and specialist staff required to maintain the UK’s health and social care sector; those working as part of the health and social care supply chain, including producers and distributors of medicines and medical and personal protective equipment
• Education and childcare: This includes nursery and teaching staff, social workers and those specialist education professionals who must remain active during the Covid-19.
• Key public services: This includes those essential to the running of the justice system, religious staff, charities and workers delivering key front-line services, those responsible for the management of the deceased, and journalists and broadcasters who are providing public service broadcasting.
• Local and national government: This only includes those administrative occupations essential to the effective delivery of the Covid-19 response or delivering essential public services such as the payment of benefits, including in government agencies and arms length bodies.
• Food and other necessary goods: This includes those involved in food production, processing, distribution, sale and delivery as well as those essential to the provision of other key goods (for example hygienic and veterinary medicines).
• Public safety and national security: This includes police and support staff, Ministry of Defence civilians, contractor and armed forces personnel (those critical to the delivery of key defence and national security outputs and essential to the response to the Covid-19 pandemic), fire and rescue service employees (including support staff), National Crime Agency staff, those maintaining border security, prison and probation staff and other national security roles, including those overseas.
• Transport: This includes those who will keep the air, water, road and rail passenger and freight transport modes operating during the Covid-19 response, including those working on transport systems through which supply chains pass.
• Utilities, communication and financial services: This includes staff needed for essential financial services provision (including but not limited to workers in banks, building societies and financial market infrastructure), the oil, gas, electricity and water sectors (including sewerage), information technology and data infrastructure sector and primary industry supplies to continue during the Covid-19 response, as well as key staff working in the civil nuclear, chemicals, telecommunications (including but not limited to network operations, field engineering, call centre staff, IT and data infrastructure, 999 and 111 critical services), postal services and delivery, payments providers and waste disposal sectors.

We’ll waive the Accidental Damage excess for Medical Professionals

To support staff in the medical profession, we will be waiving the AD excess in the event of a claim regardless of the fault status. This will apply to claims that occur from the 1st April 2020 up until the 31st July 2020. The occupational categories that we are including under the definition of medical staff is detailed below;

• Health Care – NHS
• Health Care – private
• Health Authority
• Hospital Staff

Free courtesy car for Medical Professionals

We’re also guaranteeing the provision of a courtesy car for medical professionals to ensure we can assist in keeping them on the road regardless of fault status. The courtesy car will be a standard Corsa/Fiesta type vehicle provided by Enterprise Hire. This will apply to claims that occur from the 1st April 2020 up until the 31st July 2020. The occupational categories that we are including under the definition of medical staff is detailed below;

• Health Care – NHS
• Health Care – private
• Health Authority
• Hospital Staff

Yes. We’ve opened up eTrade Courier for all brokers to use, so all brokers can quote and buy ERS Courier online from today.

Benefits of ERS Courier - read more here:

• Multi drop and time-critical drop deliveries
• Third party property damage up to £5,000,000
• Multi-vehicle risks with up to 5 vehicles
• Any driver terms for multi-vehicle policies

Note that, to begin with, some quotes will be referred to our underwriting team, but we expect referrals to reduce over time

If you already use eTrade - Courier will be available on the product selection page. Tap Courier and complete the quote online.

If you don’t use eTrade - eTrade lets you quote and buy many ERS Commercial products online, anytime, from any device – discover more here. You can register to access eTrade on ers.com, we’ll help get your teams up and running quickly. We’ll make sure Courier is available for you to use immediately.

Yes. We allow a reduction in cover to laid up, fire and theft across Fleet, Taxi, Minibus, Transportation, Coach and Bus and Agriculture farm policies as long as the risk fulfills our eligibility criteria. Please note that a Statutory Off Road Notification (SORN) does need to be in place for the insured vehicle and we will reduce cover to laid up from the date SORN is declared to the DVLA.

If you wish to reduce cover for your policyholders, please contact our underwriting team.

We are able to allow policyholders to change their vehicle's use across Fleet and Commercial products - in all cases you will need to speak to an Underwriter to make these changes:

Fleet Taxi - alternative use request
Please contact an Underwriter with the following information:

• Delivery Driving

• Goods carried

• Anticipated number of drops per day

• Radius of operation

• Vehicles used

• Who are they working for / who is the contract with? i.e. Amazon, NHS etc
Fleet Self Drive Hire - Minimum premium endorsement
Please refer to Underwriting
Fleet - reducing cover to SDP
Please refer to Underwriting
Commercial Taxi - reducing cover to SDP
We are only able to reduce cover to SDP, where the policy holder wants to temporarily remove all forms of business use for the policy, but still requires use of the vehicle for social purposes. Please contact Underwriting with your request. We will adjust the policy manually to change the certificate and discuss premium reduction
Taxi - alternative use request
For Taxi policy holders, we are able to extend the following uses at no additional charge;
• Fast food delivery

• Delivery Driving

• Courier use

Please contact our Underwriting team to confirm what the policyholder will be using the vehicle for

If the request relates to a credit facility provided through you, ERS are unable to help. Any spreading or delay of payments is for you to consider and determine.

ERS understand that drivers have concerns about the implication of the Covid-19 outbreak and want to protect the health of themselves and their passengers. As an insurer it is not within expertise to advise on the safety of these screens, nor whether they are an effective means of safeguarding against transmission of the virus.

ERS are however supportive of our taxi operators taking steps to minimise the risk of transmission of the virus to them and their passengers. As such, we can confirm our motor insurance cover would extend to cover vehicles with bespoke screens fitted subject to the following:

• The local licensing authority has confirmed that is acceptable to install a screen
• The screen complies with relevant local authority regulations
• The screen is professionally and securely fitted (unless the screen has been designed and manufactured to allow self-installation).

Read the full eTrade FAQs here

What do I do if I come across a technical issue?

Please contact technical support at technicalhelpdesk@ers.com. The team are available Monday to Friday 8AM-6PM.

Where will I receive my policy documentation?

Documents are sent to the email address we have on file for your agency

How will I be informed if there is a technical issue with the application?

If a technical issue arises, we will inform you of this with a message online

How long will it take for a referral to be processed?

All referrals going through online trading will be prioritised and we will get back to you as soon as possible. If this is urgent, please contact the relevant Underwriting team directly

Who do I speak to regarding underwriting enquiries?

For Minibus, Transportation, Courier and SCV: Underwriting Call: 0345 600 2280 Email: commercialquotes@ers.com

For Horsebox: Underwriting Call: 0345 600 2284 Email: agriculturequotes@ers.com

I have a show vehicle, what product should this be quoted on?

Only genuine show vehicles for SDP will be quoted under our SCV product under ‘Special Types – Commercial’ – Hazard level ‘Non-business use’. If it’s not a show vehicle, then head over to our Transportation product for a quote

I have a Catering risk that isn’t rating, why is this?

When quoting for a Catering vehicle, a ‘modification’ needs to be selected. This should be input as Catering: Street Food

What ‘use’ do I need to select?

Generally, the SCV product should be ‘Proposers Business’ or ‘Carriage of own Goods’.

If Hire & Reward is selected it’s possible the risk belongs on the Transportation or Courier product. For clarification please call the Underwriting team on 0345 600 2280

I have input the client’s occupation as ‘Mobile Caterer’, can I select the clients Business as ‘Other’ No, this will need to be specified, for example, ‘Mobile Food’ this will help us accurately price the risk.

What overnight parking location should I select?

This is something the client will need to provide but the more specific the better. Instead of ‘At home’ please specify, ‘Kept on Public Road’ ‘Parked on Drive’ ‘Locked Compound’ etc.

What Radius of operation should I select?

This is something the client will need to provide but the more specific the better. Instead of ‘None’ please use an option in the drop down, for example ‘Greater than or equal to 100 miles UK’

How should I input the Gross Vehicle Weight?

Gross Vehicle Weight should be entered in kilos, for example a 3.5 tonne vehicle should be keyed in as 3500

What Vehicle Body Type should I select?

This is something the client will need to provide but the more specific the better. Instead of ‘Unknown’ please use a selection from the drop-down box, if unsure please call the Underwriting team on 0345 600 2280 for clarification

I’m unsure of the Hazard level, should I select ‘Other’?

No, if unsure please call the Underwriting team on 0345 600 2280 or use the table below for reference. The ‘Product Type’ & ‘Hazard level’ should match in order to rate. For example, a Catering product type, must have a Catering Hazard level.

Should I use my MBI agency number?

No, this agency number is for Motor Breakdown business only.

The client has another occupation, will you consider this?

We will look at dual occupations risks on a case by case basis & rate on its own individual merits. These will need to be referred in to the team, failure to do so will invalidate terms.

The client has another Vehicle used for the same purposes insured elsewhere, will you provide terms?

No, we don’t cover split risks and will decline risks of this nature.

Should I use my MBI agency number?

No, this agency number is for Motor Breakdown business only

Can you offer terms for fast food delivery?

No, this scheme is for couriers only and wouldn’t extend to fast food delivery.

What occupation should I use?

Our Courier product is for Courier & Newspaper wholesalers only.

For Couriers, please use Occupation: Courier – Business: Courier Services

For Newspaper wholesalers please use Occupation: Wholesale Newspaper Delivery Driver Business: Newspaper Wholesaler

What overnight parking location should I select?

This is something the client will need to provide but the more specific the better. Instead of ‘At home’ please specify, ‘Kept on Public Road’ ‘Parked on Drive’ etc.

What Radius of operation should I select?

This is something the client will need to provide but the more specific the better. Instead of ‘None’ please use an option in the drop down, for example ‘Less than 100 miles UK’

How should I input the Gross Vehicle Weight?

Gross Vehicle Weight should be entered in kilos, for example a 3.5-tonne vehicle should be keyed in as 3500

What use should I select, Is Non-Standard Use suitable?

No, the use on this scheme should be Carriage of Goods for Hire and Reward only.

What vehicle Chassis & Body type should I select?

This is something the client will need to provide but the more specific the better. Instead of ‘Unknown’ please use ‘Van’ if unsure please call the Underwriting team on 0345 600 2280 for clarification.

Will you accept ‘Any driver’ on single vehicle risks?

No, Single vehicle risks are acceptable on a named driver basis only.

The client has another Van for Courier use insured elsewhere, will you provide terms?

No, we don’t cover split risks and will decline risks of this nature.

The client uses Agency drivers, is this acceptable?

No, risks requiring the services of Agency drivers are unacceptable & will be declined.

The client has another occupation, will you consider this?

We will look at dual occupations risks on a case by case basis & rate on its own individual merits. These will need to be referred & failure to do so will invalidate terms.

Can you offer terms for Private cars?

No, this scheme is for Commercial vehicles only.

What do I put for Horsebox vehicle details when the registration number is not pulling through any or only some information?

Due to the nature of the Horsebox product, there often isn’t all the information on file about your clients vehicle.

Horsebox manufacturers purchase a chassis and running gear from a manufacturer before the definitive model is known. The manufacturer then builds the horsebox and registers the vehicle with DVLA sometimes using the manufacturer but then their own model type e.g. Peugeot Equi-Trek.

This means that only some or no information will be on file against the registration number. We suggest you pick the make and model that most closely resembles the original donor vehicle.

The Gross Vehicle weight and value are the most important factors so please confirm these with your client.

Updated use of vehicle for Horsebox

We have changed some of our terminology for the ‘Use of Vehicle’ section:

What is a Green Card?

The Green Card is an international Certificate of Insurance, providing visiting motorists have the minimum compulsory insurance cover required by law of the countries subject to the Green Card free circulation area, as currently permitted within ERS policy wordings (see Foreign Use section).

With the end of the UK’s membership of the EU from 31st December 2020 UK motorists have been required to carry a physical Green Card with their hard copy motor insurance certificate to both be presented when travelling through Europe. Without a Green Card, motorists run the risk of being denied access at the country borders, being fined for not having the proper insurance documentation or having their vehicle seized.

On 1st July 2021, the European Commission has agreed that UK drivers should no longer be required to carry a Green Card as proof of a valid motor insurance when driving in the EU and EEA states. This requires to be approved formally by the European Commission, which can take up to 20 days to become legally binding. Find out more.

In the meantime, British motorists must continue to approach their insurer for a Green Card before driving in Europe. The MIB has recommended that UK drivers do continue to use Green Cards for a limited period, until 31st August as it may take a short while for the news to filter through to European border and roads policing authorities across the European Economic Area.

Does the Green Card need to be on Green Paper?

No, since 1^st July 2020 the EU Commission agreed that the Green Card can be printed on either green or white paper with black ink and this was now acceptable by all participating countries.

Can a customer show a digital copy of their Green Card at the border?

No, a physical copy of a Green Card on plain A4 white or green paper is needed when travelling, as digital copies are not currently accepted. If customers arrive at the border without a physical Green Card on plain white or green paper, they will not be allowed to drive in that country. ERS are permitted to share a Green Card with policyholders in an electronic format, however, to be accepted at international borders they must be printed.

What is ERS’ process for issuing a Green Card?

Policyholders are advised to contact their insurance broker or intermediary to request a Green Card if they're travelling outside the UK in their insured vehicle from the 31^st December 2020.

Brokers can request a Green Card through accessing the dedicated ERS Green Card portal, which will produce a PDF version of the Green Card; this PDF will be emailed to the Broker to be printed.

Please note this must be printed on A4 plain white or green paper to be valid and effective dates of cover must be within the period of insurance shown on the Certificate of Insurance.

The Green Card will allow customers to drive in which countries in the EU after Brexit?

If the customer is travelling outside the UK after the Brexit transition with their vehicle and foreign use is extension is covered by the policy coverage. Then the countries covered automatically by the Green Card are as follows:

EU Countries: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Republic of Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain & Sweden

EEA Countries: Andorra, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Serbia and Switzerland

For travel to Gibraltar, please refer to the specific question further down in these FAQs.

What if the customer wishes to travel outside of EEA countries?

The Green Card Portal will only cover countries in the EEA, Andorra, Serbia and Switzerland as permitted currently within the ERS Policy (where applicable). If additional countries are required then a request will need to be made to greencards@ers.com stating the country that the customer wishes to visit.

Will customers still be provided with motor coverage outside the UK after Brexit?

ERS will continue to offer the extension our policy coverage within the EU as permitted. Please refer to the policy wording for the level of insurance cover and length of time permitted for any visit. However, going forward it will need to be supported by the issuance of a Green Card alongside a valid Certificate of Insurance.

Do Policyholders need separate printed Green Cards for each trailer or Caravan?

In some EU member states, a separate Green Card is needed for each trailer or caravan, which for further details you should refer to DfT. Where applicable, you should produce two Green Cards from our Green Card Portal (one for the towing vehicle and one for the trailer) if insurance cover is provided by ERS.

When will access to the ERS Green Card Portal be available?

The ERS Green Card Portal has been available since 14th March 2019 at ers.com/greencard - click on the dropdown option at the top of the screen entitled ‘Green Card Portal’.

Having issues producing a Green Card through the portal?

If you are experiencing problems producing the Green Cards through the ERS Portal (ers.com/greencard), then please send your query by email to greencards@ers.com and we will provide a response within 24 hours.

What will happen if a policyholder drives abroad without a Green Card?

It will be illegal to drive abroad without a valid Green Card from 31st December 2020. Motorists may be prosecuted, face penalties/fines, or have their vehicle seized.

Will a Policyholder need two Green Cards if their policy expires during travel in EU after Brexit?

If a Policyholder’s policy is due for renewal during the period of travel, they will be required to obtain two Green Cards - one for each ERS policy period. The Green Card must align to the dates to shown on the Certificate of Insurance. If the policyholder changes insurer, they should ask both their ERS and their new insurer to provide a Green Card relating to the period of travel in EU.

Do I need a Green Card to drive my vehicle in Gibraltar?

Under the EU Commission definition of Gibraltar, it is including under the United Kingdom as is the Channel Islands and Isle of Man. However, from the 31^st December 2020, Gibraltar will no longer be under the current definition in our policy wordings under foreign use for the United Kingdom or EU. So for policy coverage to be granted we will need to endorse the policy with an extension of the United Kingdom definition and then support this with a Green Card from our portal.

Do UK Citizen’s need to display a GB sticker on their vehicles when travelling outside the UK?

UK registered vehicles will need to display a GB sticker when driving in any of the EU countries, though you do not need to display a GB sticker to drive in the Republic of Ireland (as stated on the UK Government website).

Drivers currently only need the GB sticker if the insured vehicle does not have a blue EU registration plate that displays the GB initials; unless you travel to Spain, Cyprus or Malta and a GB sticker is required regardless of the registration plate.

Do ERS need a copy of the Green Card produced?

No. This is because any Green Cards produced through the ERS portal are retained and we have direct access to these. ERS deem them to be in the possession of the insured unless voided on the ERS portal.

We don’t publish a list of ERS brokers, however, if you are looking for a motor insurance broker, we recommend finding a broker using BIBAs recommended list. When you find a broker you’d like to use, just ask for the ERS price on your risk.

Being Lloyd’s rated reassures brokers and their customers that an insurer has complied with Lloyd’s stringent regulations meaning that it’s very remote that the insurer will ever fail and leave a customer exposed with no insurance. In fact, no insurer has failed since Lloyd’s oversight regime was put in place. This gives security to both customers and brokers

Additionally, a Lloyd’s rating comes with a rating from Standard and Poor’s. ERS’ S&P rating is A+ which means brokers and their customers can depend on our policies.

If a Lloyd’s rated insurer did ever fail, all policies are honoured by Lloyd’s and claims are paid from a guaranteed central fund by Lloyd’s – customer and brokers are always protected if a Syndicate cannot meet its obligations.

If you choose not to select insurance from a rated insurer, we recommend you use the litmus test from BIBA.

If you’re a policyholder with a question about your ERS policy the best person to contact is your broker, who will know your policy and be able to answer all your questions.

If you need to report a claim please visit here for more information

If you need to report a breakdown here's all the numbers you need

Free Commuting for all Key Workers’ SDP policies

We’ve automatically added commuting to Key Worker’s SDP policies during the lock-down period. There’s no need to contact us and there’s no extra cost.

Here’s the list of Key Workers:

• Health and social care: This includes but is not limited to doctors, nurses, midwives, paramedics, social workers, care workers, and other front-line health and social care staff including volunteers; the support and specialist staff required to maintain the UK’s health and social care sector; those working as part of the health and social care supply chain, including producers and distributors of medicines and medical and personal protective equipment
• Education and childcare: This includes nursery and teaching staff, social workers and those specialist education professionals who must remain active during the Covid-19.
• Key public services: This includes those essential to the running of the justice system, religious staff, charities and workers delivering key front-line services, those responsible for the management of the deceased, and journalists and broadcasters who are providing public service broadcasting.
• Local and national government: This only includes those administrative occupations essential to the effective delivery of the Covid-19 response or delivering essential public services such as the payment of benefits, including in government agencies and arms length bodies.
• Food and other necessary goods: This includes those involved in food production, processing, distribution, sale and delivery as well as those essential to the provision of other key goods (for example hygienic and veterinary medicines).
• Public safety and national security: This includes police and support staff, Ministry of Defence civilians, contractor and armed forces personnel (those critical to the delivery of key defence and national security outputs and essential to the response to the Covid-19 pandemic), fire and rescue service employees (including support staff), National Crime Agency staff, those maintaining border security, prison and probation staff and other national security roles, including those overseas.
• Transport: This includes those who will keep the air, water, road and rail passenger and freight transport modes operating during the Covid-19 response, including those working on transport systems through which supply chains pass.
• Utilities, communication and financial services: This includes staff needed for essential financial services provision (including but not limited to workers in banks, building societies and financial market infrastructure), the oil, gas, electricity and water sectors (including sewerage), information technology and data infrastructure sector and primary industry supplies to continue during the Covid-19 response, as well as key staff working in the civil nuclear, chemicals, telecommunications (including but not limited to network operations, field engineering, call centre staff, IT and data infrastructure, 999 and 111 critical services), postal services and delivery, payments providers and waste disposal sectors.

We’ll waive the Accidental Damage excess for Medical Professionals

To support staff in the medical profession, we will be waiving the AD excess in the event of a claim regardless of the fault status. This will apply to claims that occur from the 1st April 2020 up until the 31st July 2020. The occupational categories that we are including under the definition of medical staff is detailed below;

• Health Care – NHS
• Health Care – private
• Health Authority
• Hospital Staff

Free courtesy car for Medical Professionals

We’re also guaranteeing the provision of a courtesy car for medical professionals to ensure we can assist in keeping them on the road regardless of fault status. The courtesy car will be a standard Corsa/Fiesta type vehicle provided by Enterprise Hire. This will apply to claims that occur from the 1st April 2020 up until the 31st July 2020. The occupational categories that we are including under the definition of medical staff is detailed below;

• Health Care – NHS
• Health Care – private
• Health Authority
• Hospital Staff

If you wish to reduce cover to laid up (fire and theft) coverage, please contact your broker to consider your needs.

If you wish to reduce cover to laid up (fire and theft) coverage, please contact your broker to consider your needs.

If a credit facility has been provided through your broker then you must contact your broker to look at options of spreading or delay of payments, where possible.

The e-cover note portal is for brokers only – the portal lets you register for access and sign in.

The Account Reconciliation Centre (ARC) lets you settle your account online quickly and easily and switch from paper statements to electronic delivery of your premiums.

Once you’ve registered, We'll move your statement over to ARC and send you an email confirming that you can start accessing your account online.

Register and sign in to ARC

ERS has a zero tolerance to claims fraud because it can negatively affect innocent policyholders in two ways:

• The Association of British Insurers believes that it adds £50 to the cost of motor insurance premiums.
• Criminals may seek to manoeuvre innocent motorists into induced accidents in order to benefit from claims.

If you suspect fraud then please contact our dedicated hotline on 03300 535 891. All calls will be treated in the strictest confidence.

It is important that your insurance policy is based on the correct information.

Providing incorrect or false details, or failing to disclose information when requested, could render your insurance policy as 'null and void' or cancelled.

To ensure we sell the correct cover, the following are details which may be checked by ERS, or your broker on our behalf:

• Your claims history
• Your identity
• Your address
• The validity of any debit or credit card used to purchase your policy – to ensure that stolen and cloned cards are not used
• Your No Claims Bonus entitlement
• The ownership of your vehicle
• Any motoring convictions you have
• Your taxi license - if applicable
• That approved security devices are fitted - where required under our policy terms Whether you or any named drivers have had previous insurance cancelled or declared void for fraud reasons

To help prevent fraud, we work with the following organisations:

• Insurance Fraud Bureau - the IFB are a 'not for profit' organisation focussed on detecting and preventing organised insurance fraud.
• Insurance Fraud Enforcement Department - the IFED are a dedicated team at City of London Police, targeting the investigation of insurance fraud at all levels and from all sectors.