AXA’s No-Fuss Guide to No Claims Discounts

No claims discount is a discount you get on your car insurance premium for each claim-free year of driving on the policy. It's your insurance company's way of saying thank you for being a safe driver. The more claim-free years you have, the better your discount will be. With AXA, you can accrue up to 20 years of no claims, which can save you a packet when it's time to renew.

You build up your no claims discount for each claim-free year on your car insurance policy.

If you have an accident that’s not your fault, your discount will stay the same if your insurer can recover all costs from the other driver's insurance.

Your current insurer will send you a renewal notice that shows how many years of no claims you have. You can use this as proof of no claims when switching to a new insurer. Make sure the policy on the notice expired no more than two years ago. Your no claims history can also be checked through an insurance database, so you might not need to provide proof yourself

Your no claims discount can be affected by claims you make. However, if you’re in an accident caused by another driver, your discount won’t change, as long as we can recover costs from their insurance. If no other driver is involved, your discount may be affected.

With AXA, your discount also remains if an uninsured driver hits you, as long as it’s not your fault and you can provide the car’s make, model and registration number. Claims for windscreen damage don’t affect your discount.

Insurers have different rules for how a fault accident affects your no claims discount. The impact depends on your insurer's NCD scale, your current discount level, and how many fault claims you have in the policy year.

For information on how your own discount could be affected, it’s always best to speak to your insurance provider.

Your premium is based on several factors, including your no claims discount, your address, age, driving history (including claims and convictions), and how you use your car.

Your proof of no claims will usually be accepted for up to two years after the expiry date shown on the policy. This can vary from insurer to insurer, so it’s always a good idea to check with your current provider. So if you’re off the road or not driving for more than two years, you may have to start from scratch and build up new no claims.

It’s usually only the policy holder that earns the no claims discount. Some insurers allow named drivers to earn a discount, but it’s often only valid with that specific company.

So usually, if you're a new driver uusing your parents' policy or are the second driver of your spouse's car, you'll start from zero if you get your own car insurance in the future. However, it’s always worth checking with the new company to see if they’ll recognise no claims earned as a named driver.

If you’ve been claim free while driving a company car, you'll be happy to hear that some insurers will allow no claims discount earned during this time. You’ll need proof on company letterhead, signed by the fleet manager or company director, and dated within the last six months.

You must also have been the main driver on the car – had no more than one speeding conviction and no at-fault accidents within the last three years.

Sorting out the costs of an accident privately might sound like a good way to avoid impacting your no claims discount, but it's never a good idea. The other party’s claim could turn out to be more expensive than originally thought, meaning that they claim through their own insurer who in turn may contact your insurer. This could result in your insurer refusing to deal with the claim, declaring your policy invalid, and could also affect your no claim discount. You still don't have to make a claim, it's just important to let them know what's going on.

It takes a lot of careful driving to build up no claims discount, and most drivers desperately want to protect it once they earn it. No Claims Discount Protection lets you keep your discount even if you do get into an accident or need to claim. With AXA’s Protected No Claims Discount, you can make one claim in a year or two claims over three years without losing your discount. You can add this protection after just one year of no claims.