Insurance premiums set to soar after compensation changes

I was able to find this story on the BBC News Page. It was published on the 27^th February 2017 by Brian Milligan; Personal Finance reporter.

The story reveals how the average car insurance premiums could increase by up to £75 a year as a result of a government ruling as the industry experts have said.

A new formula for calculating compensation payments for those who suffer long-term injuries has been announced by the Ministry of Justice.

But the Association of British Insurers (ABI) called the decision "crazy".

The Ministry of Justice said it had no choice under the current law, and said it would consult on possible changes.

Shares in insurance companies fell, with some saying that profits would be hit by millions of pounds.

·      What the change means?

When the victim of an accident is awarded compensation in a lump sum, the discount rate reduces their payout.

This is to make up for the extra money they could make by investing that lump sum over many years.

The Ministry of Justice has decided to reduce the discount rate from 2.5% to minus 0.75%.

This is because the formula is based on gilt yields, or the interest rate on government bonds.

By the time inflation is taken into account, real returns on such bonds have become negative.

'£1,000 increase'

Reducing the discount rate to minus 0.75% was a "crazy decision", said Huw Evans, director-general of the Association of British Insurers (ABI).

"Claims costs will soar, making it inevitable that there will be an increase in motor and liability premiums for millions of drivers and businesses across the UK," he said.

"We estimate that up to 36 million individual and business motor insurance policies could be affected in order to over-compensate a few thousand claimants a year."

Experts said higher insurance premiums could cost drivers under the age of 22 up to £1,000 a year.

"We anticipate an increase of £50-£75 on an average comprehensive motor insurance policy, with higher increases for younger and older drivers - potentially up to £1,000 for younger drivers, and a rise of up to £300 for older drivers," said Mohammad Khan, UK general insurance leader at accountancy firm PwC.

However, accident victims are set to benefit as they will receive higher pay-outs.

Lawyers who had campaigned in favour of the changes welcomed the news.

"People already coping with the most severe injuries have been deprived of the help and care they need for years," said the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers.