End of the honeymoon period for newlyweds

Some of the 28,000 people who got married last month may be at risk from underinsurance as their wedding cover period comes to an end.

According to research by Abbey Insurance, 13 per cent of the home contents insurance products available in the market do not offer a temporary increase in the contents sum insured for weddings. Of those that do, the average length of the temporary cover period is just one month after the wedding, meaning that many of the 28,000 people who got married last month may now be in danger of being underinsured.

Abbey’s research also shows that the average amount of money spent per guest on presents for the bride and groom in the UK is £43, meaning that if the couple has an insurer who offers a fixed amount of wedding cover (as in the case of 30 per cent of the products on the market) they may have already found themselves underinsured if they invited too many guests to the wedding.

Around 70 per cent of all UK weddings take place in the six months between June and November - approximately 170,000 weddings in total Abbey is advising anyone who got married this year to review the insurance on their homes so that in the worst case scenario they don’t start off married life with their homes not properly protected.

Prasad Shastri, Head of Insurance Marketing at Abbey, said: "Because of all the things that need to be thought about during a wedding, insurers make it easier for people to be covered for their home contents by giving them additional cover temporarily. Sadly the amount of cover is often not enough to cover the number of gifts received by couples, and it only lasts for a month on average, potentially leaving newlyweds underinsured.

“If you are ever in a position where the value of your home contents will increase over a short period of time, such as a wedding, birthday or Christmas, it is always worthwhile checking that your home insurance covers you. Some products such as Abbey’s ‘Peace of Mind’ home insurance offer an unlimited total sum insured, meaning that you could be covered regardless of by how much the value of your contents rises.”

For more information about Abbey’s home insurance, visit abbey.com.