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Claim-free years

The more claim-free years you have, the higher your no-claims bonus

Here’s how claim-free years work

What are claim-free years?

Claim-free years are the years in which you don’t make a claim on your car insurance. You’re rewarded for this: you get a no-claims bonus, so your premium is lower.

How do claim-free years work?

The more claim-free years you have, the higher your no-claims bonus is. If you make a claim, you’ll start again with a lower no-claims bonus. But your no-claims bonus will rise again as you build up more claim-free years.

Where can I see my claim-free years?

To find your claim-free years:

  • Check your insurance policy, which you’ll find on Internet Banking or in the ABN AMRO app under ‘Insurances’.
  • Contact your current insurance company. They have access to the central Roy-data database and can tell you exactly how many claim-free years you’ve built up.

This information will help you to calculate your premium.

Claim-free years and no-claims bonus

Each year that you have car insurance and don’t make a claim counts as a claim-free year. The table below shows the no-claims bonus you’ll get for your claim-free years. This is also known as the bonus-malus system.

 

Claim-free yearsDiscount percentageClaim-free yearsDiscount percentage
15 or more80%464%
1479%362%
1378%258%
1277%154%
1176%050%
1075%-145%
974%-238%
872%-330%
770%-415%
668%-50%
566%  

Avoid unpleasant surprises:
Check your claim-free years to calculate the correct premium!

Your new insurance company will check the exact number of claim-free years in Roy-data. If you state a different number to what the database says, your premium may be adjusted accordingly.

Calculate premium

How to request car insurance

Check your claim-free years

Step 1

You can find them on your policy or by contacting your current insurance company.

Enter your claim-free years

Step 2

Start the request process and enter the number of claim-free years. This enables us to calculate your personal premium.

Request your insurance

Step 3

View your premium. Choose your start date and take out the insurance.

Examples of no-claims bonus and claim-free years

You’ve had your car for 5 years, and you made a claim in the second year

Year 1 was a claim-free year. Unfortunately, you damaged your car in year 2 and had to make a claim. You made no claims in the other years.

This is how it works:

  • You start off with 0 claim-free years 
  • You don’t make a claim in year 1. You have 1 claim-free year, entitling you to a 54% no-claims bonus.
  • You make a claim in year 2. You drop back 5 claim-free years to -4 and your no-claims bonus falls to 15%. 
  • After that, you build up 1 claim-free year every year, gradually restoring your no-claims bonus. 
  • After 5 years, you reach -1 claim-free year and the discount on your premium is 45%.

You have 15 claim-free years

Let’s say you have 15 claim-free years. Well done! As a reward, you get a no-claims bonus of 80% on your premium. This is the absolute maximum.

Your no-claims bonus won’t rise any higher, even if you continue to build up claim-free years. However, you’ll be better protected for any claims you make in the future. This is because the higher the number of claim-free years, the less no-claims bonus you lose and the faster you recover your discount. Take a look at the table on this page for more information.

You make a claim, but you don’t lose claim-free years

The following types of damage don’t affect your claim-free years: 

  • Theft and break-ins 
  • Damage caused by fire, storm and natural disasters 
  • Windscreen damage 
  • Damage caused by transporting an injured person 
  • Damage that can be claimed back from someone else 
  • Personal injury to a pedestrian or cyclist if you can prove it was not your fault 

If you claim for any of the types of damage shown above, you won’t lose any claim-free years.

You pay for the damage yourself

You can choose to pay for the damage yourself. Your claim-free years won’t be affected. So in certain situations, it may be cheaper to pay for the damage yourself, so that you can keep your no-claims bonus and not pay a higher premium. 

Let’s say you take 15 claim-free years with you when you take out a new car insurance policy with ABN AMRO. This will give you an 80% discount on your premium. 2 years later, you make a claim. You had 17 claim-free years at the time.

Is it worth making a claim?
If you do, you’ll drop down to 10 claim-free years. This is because you always drop down to 10 claim-free years if you’ve built up over 15 claim-free years. Your no-claims bonus drops from 80% to 75%. This 5% can make a big difference every year. But if you don’t make another claim, your no-claims bonus will rise to 80% again in a few years.

Paying for the damage yourself
If you pay for the damage yourself, you keep your high no-claims bonus and your buffer. In other words, you don’t lose any claim-free years.

If you’re wondering whether to make a claim or pay for the damage yourself, you can always call us on +31 (0)38 49 67 123. Lines are open from 9 am to 12 noon Monday to Friday (usual call charges apply).

The damage doesn’t affect your claim-free years

The following types of damage don’t affect your claim-free years:

  • Theft and break-ins
  • Damage caused by fire, storm and natural disasters
  • Windscreen damage
  • Damage caused by transporting an injured person
  • Damage that can be claimed back from someone else
  • Personal injury to a pedestrian or cyclist if you can prove it was not your fault

If you claim for any of the types of damage shown above, you won’t lose any claim-free years.

Frequently asked questions about claim-free years: