Transferring accrued claim-free years: how does it work?

Claim-free years transferable since 1-1-2022

Since Jan. 1, 2022, claim-free years are transferable in some situations. Upon death, for example, they can be transferred to the surviving partner. Also for lease drivers and drivers who have lived abroad for years, it is now possible to transfer claim-free years. This way they do not lose their accumulated claim-free years. You can read more about this new regulation in our blog post.

Can I transfer claim-free years to partner?

Claim-free years are associated with a car insurance policy. If you are the policyholder, the claim-free years are in your name. Even if your partner drives the car as much or maybe even more often than you. Because the car insurance is in your name, you accrue claim-free years. In some situations, however, it is possible to transfer claim-free years to a partner, for example in case of divorce or death.

Is it possible to divide claim-free years in a divorce?

Claim-free years are personal. You only build up claim-free years if there is a car insurance policy in your name. A partner who drives the car as much as you do, but who does not have a car insurance policy in your name, does not build up any claim-free years. If you are still together, this is probably not a problem. But what exactly is the situation in a divorce? In a divorce, assets are divided. However, it is not possible to divide claim-free years. Therefore, if you get divorced, one of you is left without claim-free years. However, there is an exception. Suppose you and your partner have two cars. Both cars are insured in your name. In that case, either set of claim-free years can be transferred to your partner.

Can I transfer claim-free years to others?

Transferring claim-free years is only possible in a limited number of cases. The policyholder can transfer the years to someone who is registered on the policy as one of the regular drivers. In that case, the other person has actually contributed to accumulating the claim-free years. Giving a son or daughter a number of years is only possible if they are registered on the policy as a regular driver.When transferring claim-free years to your child, no splitting of claim-free years can take place.

Is it possible to transfer claim-free years after death?

In principle, it was not possible to transfer the claim-free years to the next of kin upon the death of the policyholder. However, many insurance companies did not take this lightly when it came to the partner of the deceased. Since 1-1-2022, however, it is possible with every insurance company to transfer claim-free years to the surviving partner in the event of death.

Transfer to lease driver?

Employees who drive a company car do not officially build up claim-free years. After handing in the car, lease companies can issue a so-called lease declaration. This shows how many years the car has been driven and how many damages have been caused. With a lease car, it is customary to claim all damages. Also the small damages. This is why the lease statement is often not good for the lease driver. With leasing, no claim-free years are transferred, but the lease statement can be used to prove damage-free driving. Since 1 January 2022 however, it is also possible to allocate pure claim-free years which have been built up during a lease period in Roy Data.

In this blog, you can read more about the new regulation regarding the transfer of claim-free years.

Aren't claim-free years valid indefinitely?

Claim-free years expire when you cancel an insurance policy and do not take out an insurance policy within three years where you use the claim-free years. You can also temporarily stop a car insurance policy. Temporarily stopping the car insurance is also called suspending. As it were, you interrupt the car insurance without terminating it. This way, your claim-free years will also remain valid for three years. This can be a good option when you are not sure how long you will be without a car.

During a current car insurance policy, claim-free years will not expire. What can happen, however, is that you lose claim-free years. By claiming on your car insurance, you lose claim-free years. One claim can cost you five claim-free years. Because of fewer claim-free years, the premium in the following insurance year can rise sharply. Not all claims result in the loss of accrued years. Damages that are insured in the WA limited casco are not at the expense of the claim-free years. These include, for example, windshield damage, storm and hail damage and theft of the car. In case of damage caused by a collision or vandalism, the claim on the insurance will be at the expense of your claim-free years.