Category: Advisers
Non standard insurance applies when a situation doesn’t fit under “standard” policy limits. It’s designed for cases where either the property or the person’s circumstances requires bespoke cover to make sure they’re protected.
It’s important to understand whether your customer falls into this category, as failure to do so could result in them being left uninsured and without the correct protection in place, leaving them at risk of high costs should they need to claim.
A Uinsure Non-Standard insurance policy covers anything outside the limits of our standard home insurance policies, which is £1m for buildings and up to £100k contents. But there’s a number of circumstances that can lead to a property or person falling into the non-standard insurance category, which we’ll go over below…
1. Non-Standard Construction and Listed Buildings
Standard home insurance assumes properties are built from brick or stone with slate or tiled roofs. Anything outside this is non standard, which includes:
- Timber-framed homes, prefabricated builds, concrete houses and cob or wattle and daub constructions;
- Houses with flat or thatched roofs;
- Barn conversions and eco-builds often fall into non-standard property types too;
- Properties protected for architectural or historical reason, otherwise known as listed buildings, also require non-standard insurance.
2. Unoccupied Buildings and Second/Holiday Homes
Homes that are unoccupied for more than 60 days or used as second/holiday homes will likely require non-standard insurance.
In most cases if a property is the primary home but ends up being unoccupied for 60 days or longer then the insurance company will ask to be informed of this, as it provides a greater risk of burglaries or problems arising with nobody there to notice them, such as burst pipes.
But, if it is already known that the property will be unoccupied at the time of getting insurance quotes, it falls into the non-standard category.
3. Buildings with a History of Flooding or Subsidence
Homes that have previously suffered from subsidence, heave, landslip or flooding in the last 25 years are considered higher risk and therefore typically require non-standard insurance. In the case of subsidence, even if the issue has been resolved, insurers will usually continue to treat it as a potential risk due to the possibility of further structural complications or the subsidence returning.
Similarly, properties located in areas with a known history of flooding usually require non-standard cover. This includes homes that have flooded in the past or are located near bodies of water that increase the risk of flooding in the future. To check if a property is classed as being in a flood-risk area you can check the following websites:
England: GOV.UK
Wales: Natural Resources Wales
Scotland: SEPA
Northern Ireland: Department for Infrastructure
Uinsure usually covers up to £1million for loss or damage to your buildings caused by events such as storms and flooding, plus up to £200,000 for temporary accommodation for your family and pets if your home is not safe to live in following an insured event. But, this could amount to much more in high-risk areas. As a result, non-standard insurance will likely be needed.
4. Properties with Ongoing Building Works
Properties that are undergoing building work often require non-standard insurance because the presence of tradespeople, tools, scaffolding, and structural changes increases the risk of damage and accidents. Insurers see active renovation or construction as a risk that falls outside of a standard home policy.
Building work in this context includes major alterations such as:
- Structural changes (e.g. extensions, removing load-bearing walls, loft conversions);
- Roof replacements;
- Internal reconfiguration or significant plumbing/electrical rewiring;
- Garage conversions or adding outbuildings.
Typically building work that doesn’t require non-standard insurance would be smaller changes like decorating (painting or changing flooring), minor non-structural repairs like replacing a door or tap, and kitchen or bathroom refits that don’t involve plumbing changes.
5. Mid-High Net Worth Policies
Mid–high net worth policies often require non-standard insurance due to the higher overall value and complexity of what’s being insured. These are typically for individuals whose properties exceed standard rebuild costs (usually £500,000 or more) and whose contents include high-value items such as fine art, jewellery, antiques or bespoke furnishings.
As previously mentioned Uinsure’s non-standard insurance offers coverage outside of the standard £1m for buildings and up to £100k for contents. Mid-high net worth policies refer to customers with higher value buildings and/or contents than this, hence requiring non-standard insurance.
6. Individuals with an Adverse Claims History
An adverse claims history refers to a record of frequent and/or high-value insurance claims made by an individual in the past. Insurers use this history as an indicator of risk and a pattern of repeated or significant claims may suggest that the individual’s property or circumstances present a higher likelihood of future claims.
This doesn’t necessarily imply fraud or negligence, but from an underwriting perspective it places the policyholder outside the risk profile preferred when it comes to standard home insurance.
This can also include individuals who have previously had home insurance policies declined or cancelled by the insurer.
7. Individuals with Criminal Convictions
Having an unspent criminal conviction can make it harder to access standard home insurance. Many mainstream insurers consider criminal records a potential risk factor, particularly if the conviction relates to fraud, theft, or property damage.
In these situations, non-standard home insurance offers a practical solution. Non-standard home insurance is able to provide cover so individuals with past or pending convictions can still protect their home and belongings with a suitable policy.
Now that you know what type or customers and properties fall into non-standard insurance, feel free to take a look at our non-standard insurance page so you can get a better understanding of the type of cover Uinsure offers in these circumstances.
Click here to view our non-standard insurance page.
Or, click here to view our non-standard insurance crib sheet.
If you already work with Uinsure, you can refer your non-standard customers by following the link and selecting ‘non-standard’ to ensure it ends up with the correct team: quotes.uinsure.co.uk/referral-progress/
The Cumberland has announced a new partnership with Uinsure and will now use the award-winning tech firm to provide home insurance quotes to its members.
This collaboration means that The Cumberland’s customers will be able to access the home insurance service in its branches, through the mortgage team or online via its website.
Uinsure will provide The Cumberland’s customers with the best available quote selected from its panel of leading insurers. All of the policies that Uinsure offer carry a 5 Star Defaqto rating, from the independent financial product ratings website.
John Linton, product and governance manager with The Cumberland, says the partnership should ensure customers have a simple way to arrange home insurance in keeping with the building society’s ‘Kinder Banking’ purpose.
“By partnering with Uinsure, we can ensure our members can access quality home insurance cover that could meet their needs without unnecessary complexity. They will have the choice of using Uinsure’s platform via The Cumberland website or speaking to us in person.”
This collaboration represents another key milestone for Uinsure, which has now secured partnerships with five of the UK’s top 10 building societies as it continues to expand its footprint with banks, building societies and financial intermediaries.
Amy Evans, chief new business officer at Uinsure, said more financial institutions were recognising the importance of embedding insurance into their customer journeys.
She added: “The Cumberland has always prioritised providing top-level support to the communities it serves, and we’re both humbled and grateful for the opportunity to collaborate with their team.
“Our continued expansion is a direct response to the growing demand from firms eager to offer insurance directly to their customers, aligning with our shared ambition of making insurance simple, fair, and accessible.”
Skipton Building Society has announced an exciting new partnership with award-winning insurtech provider, Uinsure, to make home insurance more accessible, affordable, and straightforward for its members.
Skipton becomes the fourth top-10 building society to collaborate with the insurtech company and joins a growing list of trusted financial institutions which have committed to delivering innovative insurance via Uinsure’s technology.
This partnership enables Skipton members to benefit from Uinsure’s unique and seamless insurance platform, which automatically generates 5 Star Defaqto-rated quotes from a panel of leading UK insurers and provides the one that offers the best value.
Uinsure has been enjoying impressive growth that has been driven by new partnerships across the bank, building society and financial intermediary space and Skipton is the latest organisation to use its technology to offer insurance.
Umera Patel, Product Lead for Partnerships at Skipton Building Society, said:
“At Skipton, we’ve always focused on creating a better future for our members, making sure they have the tools and support to navigate life’s important milestones. Our partnership with Uinsure represents a continuation of this purpose, as we work together to provide straightforward, affordable, and reliable home insurance. We’re now looking forward to delivering this new and simplified way of accessing quality insurance to our members.”
Lauren Bagley, Chief Distribution Officer at Uinsure, added:
“Skipton Building Society has a proud heritage of serving its members with integrity and care and we share their commitment to creating a positive impact on customers’ lives through technology that simplifies some of life’s essential tasks – like arranging insurance. This partnership is the latest example of the trust that leading financial brands have placed in our team and we’re excited to support Skipton in delivering on its promise of exceptional value for its members.”
Yorkshire Building Society has partnered with award-winning insurtech Uinsure to make home insurance more accessible, affordable, and transparent.
This collaboration enables the mutual to offer its customers easy access to competitive insurance products and it has made the decision to waive all commission fees, so its customers get the best possible price for every policy.
By leveraging Uinsure’s advanced technology and partnerships with a panel of leading UK insurers, Yorkshire Building Society customers receive tailored insurance quotes based on a 5 Star Defaqto-rated policy. The only variable between options is price, simplifying comparisons and making it easy for customers to see which policy is the best value.
As part of its customer-first ethos, Yorkshire Building Society’s decision to forgo commission demonstrates its commitment to long-term value and this innovative approach has already proven to be popular after the partnership reported strong sales in the first official month of business.
This partnership strengthens Uinsure’s position as a trusted insurance provider for the financial service industry, with Yorkshire Building Society becoming the third top-10 building society to join its growing portfolio, alongside Leeds Building Society and The Nottingham Building Society.
The need for accessible home insurance is underscored by new research from Yorkshire Building Society that revealed:
- Almost a quarter (23%) of UK households have no buildings or contents insurance.
- Cost remains a key barrier, with 31% citing high premiums as the reason for not having insurance.
- Over a quarter (26%) of respondents admitted they review their policies only every two years or more, leaving them vulnerable to outdated coverage.
Chris Irwin, Director of Savings at Yorkshire Building Society, said:
“I’m really pleased to launch this new service to our customers. Finding partners that hold values aligned to our purpose was absolutely essential. We’re confident we’ve found this in Uinsure and I’m excited to see how they can help our existing and future customers with their protection needs going forward. It is important for our customers to be able to access the right insurance products at an affordable price available in ways that they want. We believe by passing commission back to customers, reducing their premiums, continues to demonstrate our commitment to member value and we hope this new service will enable customers to enjoy life knowing we have options available to give them the protection they need.”
Lauren Bagley, Chief Distribution Officer at Uinsure, added:
“Our mission is to make insurance more accessible by offering a seamless, user-friendly purchasing experience for our partners’ customers. At the core of this mission is our innovative technology, which sets us apart and empowers us to deliver on this commitment. Our collaboration with Yorkshire Building Society reflects the trust that major brands place in our technology and service. Their dedication to delivering excellent customer outcomes aligns perfectly with our values, creating a natural synergy between our teams. Together, we’ll enhance the insurance journey, making it effortless for Yorkshire Building Society customers to secure the protection they need.”
Uinsure has partnered with Suffolk Building Society to offer insurance solutions to the mutual’s customers in branch and online.
Suffolk Building Society adds to Uinsure’s growing number of bank and building society partners.
The insurtech firm has signed agreements with Virgin Money, Leeds Building Society, Nottingham Building Society, Leek Building Society, Quilter and Motability throughout 2024.
The company has also onboarded 232 financial intermediary partner firms, who will be offering insurance to their clients via UinsureCX technology.
Lauren Bagley, Uinsure’s Chief Distribution Officer, said:
“2024 has been a transformational year for us and this partnership with Suffolk Building Society is another major step as we change perceptions of how insurance can be offered and arranged across the country. We’ve seen remarkable growth that has largely been driven by our expanded partner network. Our collective commitment to customer experience is at the heart of these collaborations and is a major reason why we’ve been able to make a success of the partnerships we’ve launched this year.”
Uinsure has partnered with Motability Home Insurance to support more than 7,000 of Motability’s policyholders following RSA’s recent withdrawal from the home insurance market.
Motability Enterprises Limited (MEL) is a wholly owned subsidiary of Motability (operating as ‘Motability Foundation’), a charity dedicated to building a future where all disabled people have the transport options to make the journeys they choose.
Lauren Bagley, Chief Distribution Officer at Uinsure, said:
“This partnership with MEL reflects our commitment to reshaping the insurance landscape, delivering customer-centric technology to respected organisations to provide accessible cover where it’s needed. We’re proud to partner with them to make sure existing home insurance customers they introduce to us have access to quality cover when they need it.”
Gary Parker, Director at Motability Enterprises Limited (MEL), added:
“It was vital for us to identify a new home insurer that would meet the needs of our customers. We know that Uinsure prioritises the customer experience – which is why we were happy to trust them with the migration. We’ve been pleased with Uinsure’s professionalism and commitment to do the right thing for our customers with the first customers having now switched over successfully.”
