Youngsters Off To Uni? Verify if These Costly Devices Are Covered –

Some well timed recommendation from Saga Insurance right here as smartphone and laptop computer theft will increase within the UK;

As college students begin or head again to school this September, dad and mom throughout the UK are asking the identical query: are my little one’s belongings at uni actually protected beneath our dwelling insurance coverage coverage?

The timing couldn’t be extra pressing with the UK’s phone-theft epidemic. In London alone, 116,655 mobiles had been stolen in 2024, the equal of 13 each hour, or 320 a day, in keeping with Met Police figures. With cellphones one of the crucial generally excluded gadgets beneath scholar cowl, Saga Home Insurance warns dad and mom might be unknowingly leaving their scholar kids underinsured.

New professional commentary from Anna Thunstrom, Product Manager at Saga Home Insurance, explains the little-known catches dad and mom want to pay attention to.

Topline findings:

• 1 in 5 contents insurance policies supply no scholar cowl in any respect, whereas solely 1 in 4 embrace it as normal
• Even the place cowl applies, declare limits are often capped round £5,000 and valuables like telephones or bikes are sometimes excluded
• Cover typically solely applies if there are indicators of “forcible and violent entry”, that means gadgets stolen from communal kitchens or unlocked rooms is probably not insured

Anna explains:

1. Are college students’ belongings coated by their dad and mom’ dwelling insurance coverage whereas at college?
“Student cover isn’t always included as standard, so it’s really important parents check their policy. Around one in five UK contents policies offer no student cover at all, while only about one in four include it as standard. In many cases, it’s either a paid optional extra or only available with higher levels of cover.”

2. Is it true that belongings in scholar halls are solely coated if there are indicators of pressured entry?
“Yes, this is a common condition of student cover, but as always, you’ll need to check your specific policy. Parents should look out for the phrase ‘forcible and violent entry’ in their policy wording. It means items stolen from unlocked rooms or communal areas in halls may not be covered.”

3. What do I must test for to see if college students’ belongings are coated and when ought to I contemplate specialist cowl?
“Parents should be aware that some valuable items, like mobile phones or bicycles, may be excluded entirely. Even where student cover is included in a standard home insurance policy, the inner limits (the most you can claim for any one incident) are often relatively low, typically around £5,000. If your child is taking high-value items such as laptops, tablets, bikes, jewellery, or musical instruments, then a separate student contents policy may be a better option.”

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