RBS car insurance renewals end as U K Insurance Limited stops offering renewal

Royal Bank of Scotland car insurance customers will not be able to renew their policies from 24 June 2022. U K Insurance Limited (UKI), which underwrites and administers the cover, "will be unable to offer a renewal of your car insurance cover" from that date, according to a customer notice on the bank's existing customer car insurance page¹. RBS said it has "taken the decision to end its involvement in the car insurance policies that U K Insurance underwrite", so a current policy cannot be renewed¹.

The policies are underwritten by U K Insurance Limited, which is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority, registration number 202810¹. RBS states that U K Insurance already provides the RBS policy, including the product cover, setting the insurance premium, underwriting the cover, paying claims and other servicing, and carries out the same role for Churchill¹.

U K Insurance also provides Churchill Car Insurance policies and will offer a replacement quote approximately one month before the renewal date, described by RBS as a comparable Churchill Car insurance policy¹. Where a customer has agreed to automatic renewals with U K Insurance for their RBS car insurance product, the replacement Churchill policy will start automatically on the renewal date¹. Customers who have not agreed to automatic renewals will not have a replacement policy started unless they contact Churchill to confirm it, and RBS directs them to check the instructions on the new Churchill renewal invite in case anything changes¹.

Existing claims and other servicing continue to be handled by the RBS insurance team on 0345 246 0453, with different options for claims, renewals and other queries, and a 24 hour emergency helpline¹. Customers who want to lapse cover from renewal or change the automatic renewal setting on a policy can reach the motor insurance team on the same number¹. RBS also notes that anyone claiming for something stolen or vandalised should report the incident to the police and obtain a crime reference number¹.

Why it matters for households

The change affects holders of RBS car insurance underwritten by U K Insurance Limited whose policies fall due for renewal on or after 24 June 2022. Those customers cannot stay on the same RBS policy at renewal, and the bank has said it will not offer renewal because it has ended its involvement in these policies¹.

For households that had agreed to automatic renewals, the practical effect is that a Churchill policy, quoted by U K Insurance, starts automatically on the renewal date unless the customer contacts Churchill to decline the quote or make changes¹. For those who had not agreed to automatic renewal, no replacement policy starts unless they contact Churchill to confirm it¹. In both cases the premium, cover and terms are set by U K Insurance rather than RBS, and the amount payable may differ from the previous RBS policy; the sources do not state how the Churchill quote will compare on price. How insurance premiums are worked out, including Insurance Premium Tax, is set out separately.

The timing matters because a renewal date is the point at which cover would otherwise continue. Customers who do nothing and had automatic renewal in place move to the Churchill policy; those without it risk having no cover from the renewal date unless they act. The general rules on insurance renewals and automatic renewal apply to how policies continue or lapse.

What happens next

U K Insurance will issue a replacement Churchill quote approximately one month before each customer's renewal date¹. Customers who have agreed to automatic renewals will see the Churchill policy start on the renewal date; those who have not must contact Churchill to confirm if they want it to start¹. RBS has not reported any further dates beyond the 24 June 2022 change and the individual renewal dates of affected policies.