Mobility Scooter Insurance

What is covered

• General Questions
  • Q. Do I need to have insurance?
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    A. No, there is no law that states you must have insurance. Many people do opt to take out insurance to protect themselves against 3rd Party Claims (if you injure someone or damage someone’s property) and to protect against theft or accidental damage to their scooters, but it is not compulsory
  • Q. Can use my scooter on the road?
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    A. There are two different types of Scooters, Class 2 Scooters that go up to 4mph and Class 3 Scooters that go between 4mph and 8mph. The Class 3 scooters can go on the road and should be registered with the DVLA. You can find more information on the government website, www.gov.uk and typing ‘invalid carriage’ into the search bar. (www.gov.uk/mobility-scooters-and-powered-wheelchairs-rules)
  • Q. Can I have a Blue Badge?
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    A. We are Blue Badge Mobility Insurance, we provide insurance cover for Mobility Scooters and Wheelchairs. You would need to contact your local council authority for Blue Badge disabled parking.
  • Q. Do I need to take a test to use a Mobility Scooter?
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    A. You do not need take a test or have a driving license to use a mobility scooter.
  • Q. Can you insure me if I have a pre-existing medical condition?
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    A. Our policy states that “You must ensure that you or any friend using the scooter or wheelchair are capable of doing so safely” If you have been advised by a medical practitioner that you shouldn’t be using a mobility scooter then it could invalidate a claim. There are very few regulations around mobility scooter safety, but you can find some guidelines online on the government website, www.gov.uk and typing ‘invalid carriage’ into the search bar. (www.gov.uk/mobility-scooters-and-powered-wheelchairs-rules) There is no legal eyesight requirement to drive mobility scooters or powered wheelchairs, but you should be able to read a car’s registration number from a distance of 12.3 metres (40 feet).
  • Q. Can you advise me what cover I need?
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    A. We are not able to provide advice about what cover you need, we can only explain what is in our policy and what is covered, and answer any questions you may have. We are happy to send you a copy of our policy documents so you can read through the policy and see if it meets your needs. If you opt to take out the policy and then change your mind, or decide the cover doesn’t meet your needs, you will have a 14 day cooling off period where you can cancel the policy and get a full refund.
• Can you Insure Questions
  • Q. I’ve got a manual wheelchair with powered wheels/powered attachment, can you insure it?
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    A. Yes, we can cover manual wheelchairs and powered attachments under one policy as a Powered Wheelchair, as long as the powered wheels/attachments don’t go faster the 8mph, and as long as the combined value of the chair and the wheels/attachment doesn’t exceed £10,000 in value. The wheelchair will be covered for using both with and without the wheels/attachment. *(PLEASE NOTE – WE CANNOT INSURE THE BATEC ELECTRIC OR THE BATEC RAPID ATTACHMENTS DUE TO THEIR TOP SPEEDS)*
  • Q. I’ve got a wheelchair I use for playing sports, can you insure it?
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    A. Yes, we can insure your wheelchair, but it wouldn’t be covered whilst you are actually playing the sport. You would be covered for your Public Liability and Theft and Accidental damage, but if the chair was damaged or if there was a liability claim as a result of the sporting activity then that wouldn’t be covered.
  • Q. I’ve got a Golf Buggy I use a Mobility Scooter, can you insure it?
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    A. As long as the Golf Buggy complies with regulations of the Class 3 Scooters on the gov.uk website and as long as it as being used at a Mobility Aid we can cover it. It will not be covered for using whilst playing golf or whilst on the golf course. If you need cover for it being used a Golf Buggy you will need a specialist golf buggy insurance.
  • Q. I’ve got a Tandem/Two Seater Mobility Scooter, can you insure it?
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    A. As long as the scooter complies with regulations of the Class 3 Scooters on the gov.uk website and as long as it as classed as a Mobility Scooter we can cover it however, the policy would not cover anyone travelling on the scooter a passenger. *(PLEASE NOTE – WE CAN NO LONGER INSURE THE TRYDAN SCOOTER TECH TANDEM SCOOTERS AS IT STATES ON THEIR WEBSITE IT IS NOT A MOBILITY SCOOTER www.scootertech.co.uk)*
  • Q. My chair was provided by the NHS Wheelchair Service, can you insure it?
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    A. Yes, we can provide cover for wheelchairs provided by the NHS. If you need cover for theft and accidental damage then we will need to know an approximate value of the wheelchair. If you can contact the wheelchair service and ask them how much the chair is worth, or alternatively you can look online and see how much the make and model are being sold for.
  • Q. I’m going to be renting a scooter, can you insure it?
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    A. We can insure rented scooters, but we only offer an annual policy, we don’t offer any short term insurance, so you would need to purchase a policy for the year. Our prices start from £44 for the year for a scooter that is under £3,000 and we would need to know the make, model and value of the scooter in order to insure it for you.
• Liability Questions
  • Q. Is there any excess to pay?
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    A. No, in the event of a claim there is no excess to pay
  • Q. I want to insure my scooter, but I don’t have/can’t find a serial number
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    A. That’s not a problem, we don’t need a serial number to insure your scooter. All we need is the Make and Model, Date you got the scooter (approximate Month/Year) and the Value of the scooter. We will take the serial number if you have one, but if you don’t it’s not a problem.
  • Q. I have two scooters, can you insure them both on the same policy?
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    A. No, we are insuring the scooter rather the user, so we can only insure one piece of equipment per policy.
  • Q. Does this policy cover me to use any scooter?
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    A. The scooter will be covered for anyone who the policy holder has given their permission to use the scooter. If you have two scooters and you want them both insured you will need to take out two policies.
  • Q. My Sheltered Accommodation/Housing Association (etc) have told me I need to get insurance in case my scooter causes a fire. Does your policy cover if my scooter causes a fire?
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    A. Our policy covers you for your 3rd Party (Public) Liability, so if, whilst using your scooter, you cause an accident which injures someone else of damages someone else’s property then we will look to cover your liability up to £2 million. However, if your scooter was to spontaneously combust and cause a fire, then this would not be covered under the insurance. It would either be covered under a home/building insurance, or you would need to claim directly against the manufacturer of the scooter.
  • Q. Is my partner/friend covered to use my scooter?
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    A. Yes, the policy will cover your scooter to be used by anyone who you give your permission to.
  • Q. I only want 3rd Party Cover
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    A. We can set a policy up for you on our Standard Cover for £44 which will cover you for £2 million public liability.
  • Q. The scooter/wheelchair is being used by my son/daughter, do you put the policy in their name or mine?
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    A. It’s entirely up to you, we can put the policy in your son/daughters name, and put a note on the policy to say they’re under 18 and to discuss the policy with yourself, or alternatively we can put the policy in your name, the equipment is covered for whoever you give your permission to use it. If you would like to policy in your name, we can put a note on the policy to say it’s your son/daughter that is actually using the scooter/chair
• Theft/Damage Questions
  • Q. Is my scooter covered if I leave it unattended?
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    A. Yes, you can leave your scooter unattended for up to 1 hour. If it is left unattended for more than 1 hour it either needs to be; in a locked building, in a locked vehicle or chained to an immovable object with a padlock and chain
  • Q. Is my scooter covered if it’s stored in my car?
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    A. Yes, while your scooter is in the car it will be covered for theft and accidental damage.
  • Q. Is my scooter covered on holiday?/I’m taking my scooter on a cruise, am I covered?
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    A. Yes, the policy includes up to 90 days cover outside the UK for public Liability and Accidental damage. We are not able to cover your Public Liability in North America and Canada. You will still covered for theft and accidental damage in North America and Canada)
  • Q. My scooter is chained up outside overnight, is it covered if someone vandalises it?
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    A. Our policy will cover you for theft of your scooter, but if it is left outside for more than 12 hours or overnight we are not able to cover it for damage.
  • Q. My scooter has a canopy/cover, is this covered?
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    A. Yes, we would look to cover any theft or accidental damage to a canopy or cover for your scooter, but only if the scooter is damaged or stolen at the same time. You need to state that you have a canopy when taking out the insurance
  • Q. Does my scooter need to be regularly serviced for the insurance to be valid?
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    A. No, there is nothing in our policy that states you must have your scooter serviced. It just states that “You must maintain your scooter or wheelchair in good condition and take all precautions to prevent accidents, injury, loss or damage. You must use and maintain your scooter or wheelchair according to the manufacturer's instructions”
  • Q. Does the insurance cover my batteries?
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    A. Our Standard Insurance covers Theft and Accidental Damage, it doesn’t cover if your scooter just stops working. We do offer an Extended Warranty for scooters under 5 years old, which covers for mechanical and electrical faults, but unfortunately this doesn’t cover wear and tear of the batteries.
  • Q. Who does the repairs to my scooter?
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    A. We let our customers choose any reputable Mobility Shop or Engineer to carry out repairs to their scooters. We don’t have a list of repairers, but if you don’t know anyone to do the repairs we can look online and find two or three phone numbers of local repairers.
• Personal Injury Questions
  • Q. If I fall off my scooter and break my arm can I claim? / Is personal injury covered?
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    A. There is a section on the policy for personal injury, which covers up to £3,000 but there are only 3 occasions on which we can pay out which are; Death, Loss of one of more limbs, or permanent blindness in one or both eyes. Broken bones or other injuries are not covered.
• New For Old Replacement Questions
  • Q. My scooter is over 2 years old, if it’s stolen will you give me a new one?
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    A. We offer a New for Old Replacement up until the scooter is 2 years old. Once the scooter is over 2 years old we would then do a like for like replacement, so in the event that your scooter was stolen or written off our claims team would look to replace your scooter with one of a similar age, make and model to one you currently have.
• Recovery Service Questions
  • Q. Who do I call for the recovery service?
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    A. You can call the Recovery Service on 01730 233 101 and press option 2. This will take you straight through to the 24/7 Helpline at National Breakdown. You should receive a sticker with your documents that will have this phone number on.
  • Q. How long will it take for the recovery service to get to me?
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    A. The recovery team will aim to get to your within 1 hour, but as a mobility user you do get their top priority on their call outs.
  • Q. Is there a limit to how far the recovery service will take me?
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    A. The recovery team operate throughout the whole of the UK. They can take you anywhere you’d like to go within a 20 mile radius of where you’ve broken down. In the event that you needed to go further than 20 miles, they can do this, but there would be an additional charge per mile that you would need to pay directly to National Breakdown.
  • Q. Is there a maximum number of times I can use the recovery service?
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    A. Yes, the recovery is limited to 4 call outs per year.
  • Q. Will the recovery service take dogs?
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    A. Yes, but it is at the discretion of the driver so you will need to advise National Breakdown that you will need transport for a pet too.
  • Q. Do I have to use National Breakdown?
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    A. No, we provide you with National Breakdown, who have a 24/7 helpline for you to use, however if you wish to use an alternative company you may do so, but you would need to pay the alternative company for their services and then claim the money back from us. (Maximum of £100 per claim)
  • Q. I can’t travel in the recovery vehicle, what happens then?
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    A. If you are unable to travel in the recovery vehicle then a taxi can be arranged for you. If you are not easily able to transfer from your scooter/wheelchair into a taxi, then a wheelchair accessible vehicle can be arranged for you, but you would need to let the recovery team know this when you call to request assistance.
  • Q. Will the recovery service fix my scooter?
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    A. No, the recovery service is just a rescue service to get you home in the event that your scooter stops working, they don’t carry out any repairs to you scooter.
  • Q. Do I need to give my policy number to get recovered?
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    A. No, the recovery service should be able to locate your details on their system using your postcode.
• Payment Questions
  • Q. Can I pay by direct debit?
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    A. At present we do not have a direct debit facility available so we would take the full payment at the start of the policy with either a debit or credit card
  • Q. Is there a charge for paying with a debit/credit card?
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    A. No, there are no charges for paying with a debit or credit card.
  • Q. Can I pay by cheque?
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    A. Yes, you can pay by cheque, please make it payable to Blue Badge Mobility Insurance or ‘BBMI’ and post it to us: No 7 Ridgeway Office Park, Bedford Road, Petersfield, Hampshire. GU32 3QF
  • Q. I don’t have a bank account/card how can I pay?
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    A. We can accept postal orders which you can get from the Post Office (the post office do charge a 12.5% fee for postal orders) or someone else can pay for the policy on your behalf, but we will need to speak to the card holder at the time of the sale to confirm they are happy for us to process the payment.
  • Q. Will my policy automatically renew next year?
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    A. No, we do not store any card details on our system. We will write to you about 21 days before the policy is due for renewal. If you would like to renew your policy you will need to contact us to make a payment.