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Can insurance companies find out?

Arran

Can insurance companies find out if a person taking out a policy has an official diagnosis of Asperger syndrome? If so, then how do they do it?

I have have not informed my car insurance company about my diagnosis when I took out a policy but I have been verbally informed that failure to inform them means that I'm effectively driving without insurance.

  • It is interesting to note that insurance companies ask customers if they have any criminal convictions. It doesn't matter whether it is jailed for 30+ years for being a serial killer or a fine for dropping litter. Many insurance companies will not offer insurance to people with criminal convictions and others charge extortionate prices. Failing to declare a criminal conviction invalidates the policy.

    A discussion between Unlock and Malcolm Tarling of the ABI revealed that most insurance companies do not have the mechanism or the facility to assess the severity or relevance of criminal convictions. It's a binary black and white, all or nothing, approach.

    I am wondering if a similar situation applies with ASD. The insurance companies have no knowledge of the condition nor the mechanism to handle the situation when computing premiums. Therefore they just refuse to offer insurance or pluck an extortionate price out of thin air.

  • What do insurance companies know about Asperger syndrome? Where did they obtain their knowledge from? How do the actuaries factor Asperger syndrome into their calculations?

    Is failing to tell an insurance company about a diagnosis of Asperger syndrome a lie that could easily invalidate a policy? Do insurance companies for disabled drivers provide competitive rates for cars in high insurance groups or are they set up to insure superminis with 1.1 litre engines for people with traditional disabilities?

  • Who informed you of this?

    Asperger's does not disqualify you from driving.  The only proviso the DVLA makes is that you inform your GP and if they advise you not to drive then you shouldn't.

    http://www.autism.org.uk/living-with-autism/out-and-about/driving.aspx

    You will see near the bottom it says this:

    Insurance

    A car insurance company should be notified of a disability. Under the Equality Act 2010 (or Disability Discrimination Act 1995 in Northern Ireland), insurers can only charge disabled people higher premiums if the extra charge is based on factual or statistical data, or there are other relevant factors which indicate that a disabled person is at higher risk.

    The NAS Autism Helpline does not know of any car insurance companies who are specifically aware of ASDs. We can only suggest that you check in detail the policy of individual insurace companies. Please see the 'Useful contacts - insurance' section below for details of some specialist companies who provide insurance for people with a disability.

    https://www.gov.uk/asperger-and-driving

    http://www.asperger-syndrome.me.uk/car.html