Payment help | General Accident

Worried about missing a payment?

You may be able to postpone payments during your cover period. This is called a payment holiday or payment deferral.

To make sure the break applies to your next payment, please let us know at least 10 days in advance. If you tell us later, the change may not take effect until the following payment.

Please note: we'll add the postponed amount to your future payments, which means your monthly instalments will be higher once they start again. If this might be difficult to manage, it’s worth considering other support options.

To apply, please complete a payment deferral form.

We'll check you're eligible, then arrange your payment holiday.

Check your cover level still suits your needs

Make sure your cover suits your needs and that you're not paying for extras you don’t need.

You might be able to lower your monthly payments by:

changing your cover tier or level
increasing your excess
removing add-ons you no longer need.

You can make changes to your cover in MyAccount.

Please note: it's important to make sure your insurance covers the full value of what you're protecting. Otherwise, when you make a claim, you may not receive enough to cover your losses.

Change your Direct Debit details

If you need your payment to be taken from a different account, you can update your Direct Debit details in MyAccount.

Please let us know at least 12 days before your next payment. If you tell us later, the change won’t take effect until the following payment.

If you need to change your Direct Debit date, please get in touch using our live chat.

Check your policy details are up to date

Make sure your personal and policy details are up to date, as they can affect your premium.

You may be able to reduce your monthly payments by:

removing named drivers who don't use your car anymore
updating household members if someone has moved out.

You can change your personal and policy details in MyAccount.

Please note: giving incorrect or incomplete information about yourself or others could affect a claim or even lead to cancellation of your policy.

Already missed a payment?

If you miss a payment, we'll send 3 payment notifications. The first notification will include a future cancellation date. If we don't receive payment before then, we'll need to cancel your policy. But you can ask to defer a missed payment as long as you apply at least 48 hours before cancellation.

Pay by credit or debit card

If a Direct Debit payment fails, you can still pay by card by logging in to MyAccount. We won’t charge you for a failed Direct Debit, but your bank might.

Please note: using a credit card to make a missed payment might mean transferring debt from one loan to another. This could lead to extra costs, such as interest charges from your credit card provider.

If you're worried about debt and would like independent support, please see the information in the section below.

Take a payment holiday for a missed payment

If you pay by Direct Debit, you can apply after we’ve tried to collect your payment twice. Please wait 5 working days after the second payment attempt before applying for a payment holiday.

We’ll let you know if a payment hasn’t gone through and send you reminders when a payment has been missed. We'll also give you advanced notice of a cancellation date.

Please make sure you apply to defer at least 48 hours before the cancellation date.

To apply, please complete a payment deferral form.

We'll check you're eligible, then arrange your payment holiday.

Get help with money, debt and the cost of living

If you're struggling with money, you can get free and impartial advice from government and non-profit organisations. They can help you understand your options, prioritise your debts and set up a manageable repayment plan.

Government-backed guidance

MoneyHelper

Free, government-backed guidance on money, pensions and more.

Pension Wise (from MoneyHelper)

Free, impartial retirement advice for those aged 50+.

Cost of living support (from MoneyHelper)

Tools and tips to help manage everyday costs.

Debt and mental health support

Citizens advice

Free confidential advice on debt and other money issues.

StepChange

Free online support to help you manage debt.

Mind

Support for mental health and money worries.

Government benefits

Cost of living support

Benefits, allowances and other help you may be entitled to.

Breathing Space Debt Support Scheme

Temporary protection from creditors while you seek advice (England and Wales only).

Need more help?

If none of the options above feels right, please still get in touch using our live chat.

We'll do our best to find a solution that works for you. Getting in touch won't affect your credit score.

Having trouble accessing live chat? Make sure any other chatbot windows are closed before clicking the live chat link. Having multiple chat windows open can sometimes cause issues.

Do you need extra support?

For example, do you need more time to type your answers, or have you recently lost someone close to you? Please let our live chat agent know so we can offer you as much support as possible.

If you need to contact us in a different way, such as by phone or email, please visit our Accessibility page.

Cancelling your insurance

If you need to cancel your insurance for financial reasons, please contact our live chat agent.

Let our team know that you're cancelling due to financial difficulty—they’ll do their best to support you through the process.

Important to remember: laws and requirements

Motor insurance (third party) is required by law, so make sure you're covered if you still own and use a vehicle.
If you have a mortgage, your lender may require you to have home insurance.