Do I need personal belongings cover?
Learn more about personal belongings cover, the handy home insurance add-on that travels with you.
Helping to protect your goods on the go
Phones, jewellery, wallets and purses. We don’t always stop to think that some of our most valuable items are ones we wouldn’t leave the house without. So how can you help protect them when you’re out in the world?
When you’re on the go, personal belongings insurance can be a way to protect your portable items.
What is personal belongings cover?
This type of add-on cover on your home insurance policy is aimed at protecting personal items you carry with you away from your home.
Many of us can relate to the sinking feeling of reaching into a pocket and realising your phone’s gone missing. Best-case scenario, you’ve left it at home or popped it in your bag without thinking.
If the worst has happened, having personal belongings insurance means your provider should either repair the item, pay for a replacement or make a pay-out. And with our personal belongings cover, you’re protected wherever you are in the world.
What can I cover?
Providers will usually list what you can and can’t insure. To give you an idea, we’ve listed some commonly covered items:
- Cash or credit cards (usually up to a certain limit)
- Smartphones
- Laptops
- Jewellery
- Keys
- Cameras
Put a price on your possessions
Now you know what you want to insure, the next step is to work out how much it’s worth. This might be easier for some items than others. You probably know what you paid for your laptop or can dig out the receipt. But a necklace or watch you’ve inherited or been given as a gift can be trickier. It’s worth getting items like this valued to make sure you’ve got enough cover in place to protect them.
Does my home insurance cover my personal possessions?
Sometimes, but not always. If your belongings are damaged while they’re in your home, your home or contents insurance should cover them, but always check your policy exclusions. However, this coverage may not extend to situations where you are away from home. Having personal belongings cover means your items are insured wherever you take them, giving you that extra reassurance.
Personal belongings cover comes as a handy add-on to our home insurance. When you level-up your plan, things like phones, laptops, cameras and jewellery are covered even when you venture out into the wider world. You’ll only need to let us know about individual items worth more than £2,000.
Unravelling the differences between buildings, contents and personal belongings cover
All insurers will offer slightly different home insurance options. So, check what’s covered and what’s not covered before choosing your policy.
Below we’ve outlined what you can generally expect to be included with different types of home insurance.
Buildings insurance | Contents insurance | Personal belongings cover |
---|---|---|
This will normally cover damage to the structure of your home and any permanent fixtures, such as the roof, windows, fitted kitchens and bathrooms. | Covers the belongings in your home. Usually, your insurer will replace or repair possessions that have been stolen or ruined by events such as floods or fires. | The cover option that travels with you. Specifically designed to protect belongings you carry on your person. With our personal belongings cover, you’re insured whether you’re at home or abroad. |
Our home insurance combines buildings insurance and contents insurance into one convenient package. Although you can buy them separately. You’ll have the option to add on personal belongings cover to your contents insurance for even more protection.
Why might my personal belongings claim be rejected?
We’ve been through what’s covered, but what about what’s not? Understanding this can help you avoid any nasty surprises down the line.
Let’s run through what may not be included and why claims might be turned down.
- Standard wear and tear – the designer handbag you’ve had for years might be starting to fray. But unfortunately, natural wear over time doesn’t mean your insurer will pay out for a new one.
- Breakdowns or faults – electrical goods can fall into this bracket. If your laptop’s suddenly broken down or stopped working, it’s unlikely to be covered by your home, contents or personal belongings cover. For faults like this, it’s worth checking if the item’s still under warranty.
- Deliberate or criminal acts – you might by asking yourself, why would I damage my own belongings on purpose? Sadly, insurance fraud does happen, so insurers will check to make sure any claims are genuine.
- You didn’t take reasonable steps to prevent damage or theft – for example, if you left your phone on your car seat while you went shopping and it was stolen. Always make sure you take valuable items with you or secure them out of sight.
The above information provided is intended as a general guideline. There’s no substitute for thoroughly checking the terms and conditions of your cover. Always make sure you do this before taking out insurance so you’re sure it’s right for you.
Do I need travel insurance if I already have personal belongings cover?
You might think that if you’re going on holiday your most important belongings are already covered by personal belongings insurance.
Even if your personal belongings insurance covers you while you’re abroad, it won’t cover things such as flight cancellations or medical bills. So, you should still consider taking out separate travel insurance to make sure you’re protected from holiday-related hiccups.