Buildings insurance is there to protect your home from risks such as fire, flood and storm damage, fallen trees or lampposts, or theft and vandalism. It covers the cost of rebuilding your home should something happen and also protects any outbuildings, garages and sheds. It’s important to note that buildings insurance does not cover your possessions or items in your home - for this, you will need contents insurance.
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Age Co over 50s Home Insurance offers both buildings insurance and contents insurance, which can be bought separately or as a package.
Please note, insurance for a non-standard construction property would be based on the customer’s sum-insured amount for the rebuild cost. Cover cannot be provided if you are not the owner.
For full details, please refer to the Home Insurance policy documents. Terms, conditions, limitations and exclusions apply.
Home Insurance (underwritten by Ageas) Policy Document
Home Insurance (underwritten by Prestige) Policy Document
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Below, you can find out exactly what is covered when you take out Age Co Home Insurance for over 50s.
Your home is covered against water damage that occurs from frozen pipes, leaking appliances (such as a washing machine, dishwasher, waterbed or fish tank) and heat or drainage installation. You’ll also be reimbursed for any costs you’ve acquired in finding where the water is coming from.
If your roof is made from slate, tile, metal, concrete or asphalt or is turnerised (made from metal with a layer of bitumen coating), your roof will be coveredfor damage caused by incidents such as fire, explosion, lightning, storm, falling trees and subsidence. However, general wear and tear, such as defective rendering, is not covered. You cannot claim for having a chimney repointed or for general roof maintenance.
Subsidence^^ can be a major problem for a house, causing large cracks and instability. However, with Age Co buildings insurance, subsidence and ground heave of the site your home stands on are covered, though there are some exclusions that you should be aware of. These include if the subsidence is caused by the sea or a river, faulty design, materials that are shrinking and expanding when they shouldn’t or subsidence that started before your policy start date.
The excess will be £1,000 for subsidence claims, however, for a property that is under 10 years old, this reduces to £100.
Age Co buildings insurance covers burst pipes. If you find that this problem is happening regularly, you should lag the outside water taps to prevent them from freezing or look into installing additional insulation.
Buildings insurance will cover almost every structure on your property boundary, including garden walls, paths, driveways, tennis courts and permanent swimming pools or jacuzzis.
Dry rot can be very destructive and it is for this reason that many insurance providers don’t offer cover for an infestation, including Age Co.
Dry rot is a type of fungus that decays wood and spreads very quickly. Once an outbreak has occurred, it can be very difficult to control and it is expensive to replace wooden fixtures that have been affected, like timber beams and door or window frames.
However, you may find that if the dry rot has been caused by an incident that is covered on your insurance, such as a leak, then it is possible that you may be covered for the damage that’s been done.
While buildings insurance protects the structure and foundations of your home, contents insurance is designed to protect the belongings inside your home and garden. It can provide you with the reassurance that the things you value are protected.
If you only need to insure your belongings, for example, if you are in rented accommodation where the landlord arranges the buildings insurance, you could be covered by Age Co Contents Insurance from as little as £59.23~.
Age Co over 50s Home Insurance offers both buildings insurance and contents insurance, which can be bought separately or as a package.
Below is a summary of what contents insurance will cover. For full details, please refer to the Home Insurance policy document.
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What does contents insurance cover?
Contents insurance is there to cover:
Your rent payments could also be covered, as well as alternative accommodation costs if an incident means that your home can’t be lived in. Accidental Damage Cover can be included as an optional extra should you require it, for an additional fee.
Home contents cover is available up to £60,000. Increased contents cover of up to £100,000 may also be available, subject to terms and conditions. Read our guide on how to value your home’s contents and see how much cover you need.
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The contents of your home will be protected against certain accidents or disasters, including:
Generally, fixtures and fittings are covered by buildings insurance and not contents insurance. This is because they are things that are permanent, stay in the home or are built-in, such as fitted wardrobes, kitchen units, wall lights, etc. Buildings insurance typically also covers garden walls, fences and paths.
Instead, contents insurance covers household goods, valuables and personal belongings, such as jewellery, clocks, musical instruments or antique furniture. This even includes the food inside your fridge and freezer, credit cards and cash. Therefore, it’s a good idea to take out both buildings and contents insurance to be sure that everything inside and outside your home is protected.
Items that are not covered under contents insurance include business equipment (owned by a business and not by you personally). Any item that is lost or misplaced in the home is not covered either, unless you have Personal Belongings Cover. Garden equipment, such as furniture, barbeques, lawnmowers, etc. are covered, but trees, shrubs and plants are not.
Accidental damage is usually defined as unexpected and unintended damage caused by something sudden and external. There are, however, certain occasions when the accidental damage may not be covered. For instance, accidental breakage to televisions and desktop computers is covered, unless the damage was caused by cleaning, maintaining, adjusting or misusing the item, by wear and tear, by electrical or mechanical breakdown or by computer viruses.
You should check your policy document to find out what is and isn’t covered under accidental damage.
A washing machine will likely be covered by buildings insurance and not contents insurance as it’s a permanent fixture in your home. However, you should be aware that if it’s broken from general wear and tear or mechanical breakdown, you won’t be able to claim on your insurance for a replacement.
Any contents that are damaged because of an escape of water from your washing machine are covered, and you could receive compensation for these to be replaced.
Boilers are generally not covered under your home insurance. This is because a boiler usually breaks down because of poor maintenance, a mechanical failure or age. If you would like to have boiler protection, you can take out additional home emergency cover. This will cover not just the boiler, but your home’s entire central heating system. It can also cover the removal of wasps’ nests and mice within your home.
Carpets are generally included as a fixture of your home, and therefore is covered by buildings insurance and not contents insurance.
When your home becomes water damaged, either due to a an escape of water or a flood, fixtures and fittings such as carpets, built-in furniture, fencing, etc. will need replacing. However, the contents of your home, such as mobile furniture, books and clothing, will need to be replaced too. This is why it’s so important to have both buildings and contents insurance. Buildings insurance will cover the former, while contents insurance will cover the latter.
Your buildings insurance protects you against the cost of finding the source of the water. For instance, a pipe in your home may be leaking, but it could be difficult to detect where the water is coming from. With buildings insurance, any damage to the walls, floors and ceilings caused when locating the source of the leak will also be covered.
| Product Features | Age Co Home Insurance |
AA | Saga Home Insurance | Tesco Bank Home Insurance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Additional Fees | ||||
| Adjustment Fee^^^ |
£0 | £15 | £14.50 | £25 |
| Cancellation Fee | £0 | £20 | £35 | £35 |
| Coverage | ||||
| Buildings Insurance | Up to £500,000 | Up to £1,000,000 | Up to £1,000,000 | Unlimited |
| Contents Insurance |
Min £60,000 |
Min £40,000 | Min £75,000 | Min £75,000 |
Information sourced on 17 July 2020 for new online policies from Defaqto Matrix.
See what is and isn't covered by Age Co's combined buildings and contents Home Insurance.
In addition to this summary of cover, please refer to the Home Insurance Policy Document for terms, conditions, limitations and exclusions and to the Buildings & Contents Cover Product Information Document for details specific to your quotation.
Buildings insurance |
Standard policy limits |
| Loss or damage to the building, as covered by your policy |
The maximum claim limit shown on your building insurance policy schedule |
| Trace and access source of leak for escape of water and escape of oil causes | Up to the maximum claim limit shown on your policy schedule |
| Property owners' liability | £2 million |
| Cover for rent or alternative accommodation costs if your home can't be lived in due to an insured event |
20% of the building's maximum claim limit shown on your policy schedule |
| Contents insurance | Standard policy limits |
| Loss or damage to your home contents, as covered by your policy | The maximum claim limit shown on your contents insurance policy schedule |
| Maximum claim limit for any valuable | £2,000. Cover for higher valued items may be available upon request |
| Valuables in the home | The maximum claim limit shown on your policy schedule |
| Money | £500 |
| Credit cards | £1,000 |
| Freezer food | £1,000 |
| Public and personal liability | £2 million |
| Unpaid damages | £2 million |
| Tenant's liability | 20% of the maximum claim limit for contents shown on your policy schedule |
| Loss or damage to contents during removal | Up to the maximum claim limit for contents shown on your policy schedule |
| 10% increase in the maximum claim limit for religious festivals, birthdays, family wedding and civil partnership ceremonies | Maximum claim limit for contents increased by 10% |
| Counselling fees | £1,000 |
| Garden cover | £1,500 |
| Accidental breakage to audio/visual equipment, DVD equipment, fixed glass in furniture, mirrors and desk-top computers | Up to the maximum claim limit for contents shown on your policy schedule |
| Fraudulent use of credit cards | £1,000 |
| Carer's contents | £250 |
| Items covered while living in a nursing home, residential care home or staying with family or friends | Up to 20% of the maximum claim limit for contents shown on your policy schedule |
| Medical equipment on loan | £5,000 |
| Accidental damage to wheelchairs and stairlifts in the home | Up to the maximum claim limit for contents shown on your policy schedule |
| Rent and alternative accommodation | 20% of the contents' maximum claim limit shown on your policy schedule |
Buildings Insurance
Loss or damage caused by weight of snow. Loss or damage to gates and fences caused by storm or flood.
Contents Insurance
Loss or damage caused by weight of snow. Theft or attempted theft when your home or any part of it is lent, let or sublet to or occupied by someone who is not a member of your family, unless damaged was caused because force was used to get in or out of the building.
General policy exclusions applicable to all sections and optional extras
Property covered by another policy of insurance. Any criminal or deliberate act by you or your family. Loss or damage caused by wear and tear or lack of maintenance.
Choose from a wide range of optional extras to tailor the cover to suit you.
For an additional charge, you can add these optional extras to your insurance cover. Please download the policy document for full terms and conditions.
Cover | Standard policy limits |
Significant exclusions |
|---|---|---|
| Accidental damage to buildings and contents | Up to the buildings' or contents' maximum claim limit shown on your policy schedule |
|
| Unspecified personal belongings | Limited to £1,000 - £5,000 |
|
| Specified personal belongings | Limited to £10,000 |
|
| Pedal cycles | Limited to £300 unspecified and £1,000 specified |
|
| Static caravan | Up to £35,000 for the structure and up to £2,500 for the caravan equipment |
|
| Touring caravan | Up to £25,000 for the structure and up to £2,500 for the caravan equipment |
|
| Home emergency |
To qualify to add Home Emergency cover, the property has to be owned by the policyholder and also their main residence. Benefits include:
Limited to £1,500 during the period of insurance, with a claim limit of £500 per incident. Provides emergency repair by a qualified professional or permanent repair provided this does not exceed the cost of the emergency repair. Claim limits include the cost of call out, labour, materials and VAT. |
|
| Personal legal protection | Provides up to £100,000 of cover to take legal action for things such as employment, contract or property disputes and personal injuries or clinical negligence. |
|
If you're an existing customer, please call the friendly UK-based team on 0345 603 0512 if you need postal copies of any of your documents. Calls to 03 numbers use free plan minutes if available, otherwise they cost the same as 01/02 prefix calls.
If your policy reference starts with 'UK' it is underwritten by Ageas. If your policy reference starts with 'AU' it is underwritten by Prestige. If you're unsure or if this doesn't apply, please get in touch.
Home Insurance Policy Document
(viewable in pdf, file size 1 MB)
Buildings & Contents Cover Product Information Document
(viewable in pdf, file size 414 KB)
Buildings (Only) Cover Product Information Document
(viewable in pdf, file size 413 KB)
Contents (Only) All Risks Cover Product Information Document
(viewable in pdf, file size 414 KB)
Contents (Only) Cover Product Information Document
(viewable in pdf, file size 414 KB)
Home Insurance Policy Document
(viewable in pdf, file size 1 MB)
Buildings & Contents Cover Product Information Document
(viewable in pdf, file size 411 KB)
Buildings (Only) Cover Product Information Document
(viewable in pdf, file size 410 KB)
Contents (Only) All Risks Cover Product Information Document
(viewable in pdf, file size 410 KB)
Contents (Only) Cover Product Information Document
(viewable in pdf, file size 410 KB)
Home Emergency Cover Policy Document
(viewable in pdf, file size 636 KB)
Home Emergency Cover Product Information Document
(viewable in pdf, file size 407 KB)
Personal Legal Protection Policy Document
(viewable in pdf, file size 1 MB)
Personal Legal Protection Cover Product Information Document
(viewable in pdf, file size 407 KB)
If you are unsure who underwrites your policy, you can find this information on your policy schedule, or you can call the Age Co Home Insurance policy administration helpline on 0345 128 7916. Lines open Mon-Fri: 8am to 8pm, Sat: 9am to 1pm.
If you are aware of an incident that might lead to a claim or you need to make a claim, you must do the following as soon as possible:
Any claims against you can be negotiated, defended or settled in your name and on your behalf. Legal action can also be taken in your name but for the benefit of the insurer to get back any payment made under the policy.
Words written in bold/italicised have special meanings.
These meanings are explained in the policy definitions section of the policy booklet on pages 7-9.
Age Co Home Insurance is administered by Ageas Retail Limited^^
Simply call the claims helpline (telephone number shown on your policy schedule), which is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. An operator will immediately confirm whether your policy covers you for the incident. Please have your policy details available.
If you want to make a claim on your Home Emergency cover, please call 0800 952 3189.
If you want to make a claim on your Personal Legal Protection policy, please call 0333 005 0353 and quote “Age Co Personal Legal Protection”.
Age Co Home Insurance is designed with the over 50s in mind, however there is no age restriction and anyone can apply providing your home is:
In order to provide buildings cover, the property must be owned by you.
Cover cannot be provided if you or anyone living with you has:
Please note that other factors may also affect eligibility, not just those listed above.
No. If you live in rented accommodation, your landlord should have buildings insurance and you only need contents insurance. However, if you own your home, the Citizen's Advice Bureau recommends to have both contents and buildings insurance (https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/debt-and-money/insurance/types-of-insurance/buildings-insurance/).
All claims for contents cover are settled on a ‘new for old’ basis. So, damaged items will be repaired and anything stolen or damaged beyond repair will be replaced as new. With buildings cover, claim settlements are based on the full repair or rebuilding cost. Please note, the sum insured must be high enough to cover the full replacement or rebuilding cost at today’s prices.
Not necessarily. But, if you need to insure high sums or depending on the area you live in, you may need to take additional precautions as part of the arrangements for providing your buildings and contents insurance cover. See page 10 of the policy document for more details.
If you’re not satisfied with your policy, you can cancel at any time by telephoning or writing to Age Co Insurance. You will only be charged for the time you have been on cover unless a claim has been made. If a claim has been made, you will need to pay the full annual premium. See page 10 of the policy document for more details.
The insurance arranger will be happy to discuss the options with you, so that you can decide what cover you need. When you apply, just let them know which extras – if any – you want to include in your cover.
If you make a change to your policy during the period of insurance and the difference in the premium is less than £10, you will not be charged an additional premium or have a refund. Plus, unlike most insurers, Age Co Home Insurance will not charge you an admin fee for changing your policy.
'Hidden admin fees' can include adjustment fees, cancellation fees and duplicate document fees. Age Co Home Insurance have no fees for policy amendments, cancellations, and duplicate documents.
Defaqto are a leading independent UK financial researcher, specialising in analysing and comparing financial products such as insurance. They rate hundreds of insurance products, giving each a 1 to 5 rating based on quality and comprehensiveness of the features and benefits it offers. This may help you make a more informed decision about which one suits your needs. Defaqto are completely independent and unbiased and never knowingly exclude a product or policy from their Star Ratings.
It is important to base your financial decisions on the quality of a product - not just how much it costs. Star Ratings assess products based on the features and benefits they offer, helping you see at a glance where a product sits in the market. Age UK Home Insurance provides one of the highest quality policies in the market as indicated by a Defaqto 5 Star Rating.
Another great benefit of being over 50 is that you could find that you get a better deal on your home insurance, simply because you are over 50. This is because the over 50s are less likely to cause damage by having, for example, un-planned parties. Because of this you could be considered as less “risk” to the insurance company, and instead older and wiser!
At the same time, it’s important to make sure you have cover that’s designed to meet your needs. For instance, people over the age of 50 are more likely to have a greater number of high-value items~, having collected them over a lifetime. The over 50s are also more likely to have larger family homes. It’s also important for the over 50s to make sure you select cover which settles claims on a ‘new for old’ basis. This ensures that the cost of a replacement will be calculated based on how much it would cost to replace the item today, rather than the price you originally paid for it, be it 5, 15 or even 25 years ago.
And finally, the over 50s are more likely to use their free time to travel, so you should also consider how frequently your property might be unoccupied or whether you want your personal possessions to be covered while you are away from home.
Buildings insurance is compulsory if your property is mortgaged, and is highly recommended (but not compulsory) if you own your house outright.
Buildings insurance covers the structure of your property and your permanent fixtures and fittings, such as your kitchen and bathroom. To put it simply, buildings insurance covers the things you can’t take with you if you were to move to a new house. You cannot take out buildings insurance for a property you don’t own.
Whether you are in owned, rented or temporary accommodation, you should also protect your belongings. Contents insurance covers the items within your home from loss, damage or theft. Again, to put it simply, contents insurance covers the items you would take with you if you were to move. Most content insurance policies will have the option of covering items while you are away from your home or on holiday. An additional charge may apply.
It is sensible to have both buildings and contents insurance, as independently they might not give you the cover you need. Plus, many insurers will provide a discount to customers who take out both buildings and contents insurance from the same provider.
0800 028 7601* 0800 028 7601*
Lines open Mon-Fri: 8am to 8pm, Sat: 9am to 1pm. Calls may be recorded.
^The UK based service team have been awarded the Feefo Platinum Trusted Service Award 2021.
†On standard construction properties.
~52% of all customers who bought a Home Contents policy between May and October 2020 paid £59.23 or less (includes insurance premium tax at the applicable rate).
^^The excesses are £1,000 for subsidence (reducing to £100 for properties under 10 years old) and £250 for escaping water.
^^^In the event of a change of circumstances, premium charges may apply.
*If you call the 0800 number, you will be dealing with Ageas Retail Limited.
Age Co Car, Breakdown and Home Insurance are arranged and administered by Ageas Retail Limited. Age Co Insurance Services is the trading name of Age UK Enterprises Limited, a trading subsidiary company of Age UK (registered charity no. 1128267). Age UK Enterprises Limited donates its net profit to Age UK. Both Age UK Enterprises Limited (Financial Services Register no. 311438) and Ageas Retail Limited (Financial Services Register no. 312468) are authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Age UK Enterprises Limited registered office: Tavis House, 1-6 Tavistock Square, London, WC1H 9NA (registered in England and Wales, number 3156159). Ageas Retail Limited registered office: Ageas House, Hampshire Corporate Park, Templars Way, Eastleigh, Hampshire, SO53 3YA (registered in England and Wales, number 1324965).
Age Co Home Emergency Cover is provided by AXA Assistance (UK) Ltd.
Age UK Enterprises are always committed to providing good customer service. If you buy a product from Age UK Enterprises, you may be contacted by our partners Feefo on our behalf to find out about your buying experience.
If you need to make a complaint, please refer to the policy documents.
Age Co are unable to offer insurance to residents of the Channel Islands.
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