Compensation changes cost UK car insurers £3.5bn
Car insurers in the UK experienced combined losses of £3.5bn ($4.5bn) last year following the introduction of new compensation rules for serious injuries, according to a report from consultancy EY. The study predicts that the changes to the Ogden formula, used in UK court cases, will also lead to further increases in insurance premiums, particularly for younger drivers. One of the worst affected companies was Admiral, which saw a £105m fall in profits to £284.3m. The NHS and other public sector groups, including the armed forces, are expected to face costs of almost £6bn.
Britain’s car insurers suffered combined losses of £3.5bn last year due to controversial new compensation rules for serious injuries, according to a report which predicts further sharp rises in insurance premiums, especially for young drivers.

Consultancy EY said the new Ogden formula led to significant underwriting losses for the motor insurance market in 2016. The unexpectedly deep cut in the Ogden rate, from 2.5% to -0.75%, prompted a furious backlash from insurers who claim that it will “overcompensate” victims of car crashes or medical errors in hospitals.

Although the change to the discount rate was announced in February, most insurers reflected the impact on outstanding claims in their 2016 figures.

EY estimates the overall cost of the Ogden rate change to insurers and reinsurers at £3.5bn. About £2.4bn of these losses have been disclosed so far, with Admiral one of the worst hit. Its 2016 pretax profits were reduced by £105m, falling by a quarter to £284.3m.

However, the NHS and other parts of the public sector such as the armed forces are set to take an even bigger hit, of nearly £6bn. The first case settled under the new Ogden rate in late March forced an NHS trust to nearly triple its payout to a 10-year-old girl left with cerebral palsy from £3.8m to £9.3m.

UK car insurance rates hit record highs between January and March, totalling £462bn, according to the Association of British Insurers. Rising claims costs due to the new Ogden rate and the rise in insurance premium tax to 12% from this month could push premiums up by a further 9% in 2017 to £503bn, EY predicts. This will add £28 to the average cost of a comprehensive policy.

Tony Sault, the UK general insurance market lead at EY, said: “Further effects will be felt next year when annual reinsurance cover for large claims come up for renewal. Young drivers will undoubtedly have to bear the brunt of the increase due to the disproportionate number of larger claims they cause. A fundamental review of Ogden and the government’s proposed whiplash reforms are increasingly urgent for consumers and must not be abandoned in the aftermath of the general election.”

He said there could be some respite for insurers if the promised whiplash reforms and a review of the Ogden methodology materialise.