What is voluntary excess?

You may be able to lower your insurance premium by choosing to add a voluntary excess The voluntary excess is your own choice of level of excess payment that is added to the compulsory excess and makes up your total excess amount payable if you make a claim.

Bennetts will let you choose which level of excess you want to add to the compulsory excess. You may be able to choose £0. However, as a rule the higher the voluntary excess you are willing to pay, the lower the insurance premium, so you need to make a judgement as to what is right for you.

So if you have a compulsory excess of £50 and a voluntary excess of £150 and your claim is for £500, then your total excess is £200 you will receive £300 back from your Insurer. If the accident was not your fault, you may be able to recover your excess from the person to blame (third party) or their Insurers.