During these unprecedented times, we want to inform you that we are still open for business and here to help during this difficult period. Our opening hours remain Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm.

As per government guidance most of our staff are working from home but they are able to handle calls and queries and process policies as normal.

We have taken the regrettable step of closing the office to visitors for the time being due to the limited capacity within the office and also to protect staff and visitor welfare.

We have cancelled any customer visits for the time being.

Please continue to contact us by phone on 01934 522252 or by e-mail on office@birnbeck.com.

We wish you a safe passage to the other side of this most unwelcome and unexpected situation.

Best wishes.

Stuart Rose

In these uncertain times for travellers we thought that we would pass on Axa Insurance’s advices on cancellation cover under their travel policy. All insurance policies have differences but this gives a favour of the likely approach.

Cancelling your trip
Am I covered to cancel my trip?
• You should speak to your tour operator or transport and accommodation provider in the first instance for a refund of costs.
• You should contact your claims team for claims consideration if –
o You are due to travel to an area where regulatory body has advised against travel to and you have costs that will not be covered by your tour operator or transport provider and you can provide written evidence detailing this and any refunds you have received, please contact the claims team for consideration.
o You are unable to commence your trip due to a compulsory quarantine or a regulatory authority advising you not to leave your home. Or the area you are due to travel due is ‘locked down’ due to quarantine.
o You have a pre-existing medical condition and a medical practitioner has advised you not to travel due to a risk to your health.
o You are due to travel to an area where you will need to self-isolate upon return.

• If you are due to travel to an area where no regulatory body has advised to cancel, then no cover is in place for disinclination to travel.

Should you have any further questions please contact us on 01934 522252.

Closed Sign

Many businesses are understandably concerned about having to close their doors following an outbreak of Coronavirus amongst their staff or at their premises.

If you have business interruption insurance in place under your business insurance policy then there are 2 extensions within the business interruption section that need to be reviewed:

1) Prevention of Access. This extension involves closure of the premises by any action of Government Police or Local Authority due to an emergency which could endanger human life or neighbouring property.

Some wordings however do exclude an outbreak of infectious disease under this extension, as it is dealt with by a more specific cover, which is mentioned below.

2) Notifiable Diseases. This relates to a loss of income following illness sustained from an infectious disease at the premises, an outbreak of which the competent Local Authority has stipulated shall be notified to them.

Many insurers however have restricted the cover offered by this extension in view of the capacity for catastrophic losses cause by a global pandemic. Their extension is on a specified illnesses basis only, an outbreak of which is deemed notifiable to a competent Local Authority.

Their policy wording has a list of illnesses that are covered. Coronavirus or Co-Vid 19 is not mentioned on the list of specified illness that are covered and hence is not insured.

Some of the largest insurers in the market restrict their cover to the specified illness basis so many policyholders will need to brace themselves for bad news when investigating their cover.

Should you have any further questions please contact us on 01934 522252.