As many gap year students will have to undertake some sort of work while they are away to help fund their year out, it is worth looking at insurance options prior to travelling.

As part of these trips, many people will undertake work such as building, ecological conservation and farm work which present particular risks that may not be covered by a standard insurance policy due to their physical nature and the presence of machinery.

Accidents while working in environments such as these could leave the volunteer without cover, and therefore require them to pay for costly medical treatment.

Insurance help is on hand from Specialist Travel Insurer PJ Hayman:

“With many young people facing an uncertain future, volunteering or working abroad is a really worthwhile option to pursue.  Not only do they offer unique learning experiences and an opportunity to see more of the world but can also provide invaluable skills which can really add something to a C.V. However, the length of travelling time and the nature of the work that gap year travellers are likely to undertake means that they often require a level of cover above and beyond that of the average tourist. To ensure that a trip is exciting but as hassle free as possible, it is vital that they purchase specialist travel insurance.
A policy such as our Longstay & Backpacker insurance covers a wide range of activities, allows policy holders to work abroad, is for trips up to 18 months and has the added security of a 24-hour medical emergency helpline.  All features which will serve to protect the policy holder as well as reassuring their family members at home.”

Channel 4’s The Ugly Face of Beauty is the latest TV programme to catch the imagination of the nation and as highlighted in that show more people are choosing to travel abroad to undergo cosmetic, dental and elective surgery.

This often costs less than in the UK and recuperation can take place in a more relaxing environment. However things can – and do – go wrong, so here are five tips for anyone considering having treatment abroad.

1.            Carefully research the type of treatment desired, the potential side-effects and any international centres of excellence that there may be.  Also check out the qualifications of the surgeon who will be carrying out the surgery and the after care facilities available. The more a consumer knows about the procedure, the easier it will be to make an informed decision about whether they want to go ahead with it and where they should go.

2.            Speak to the experts! For many types of elective, cosmetic and dental surgery, a UK doctor can provide a recommendation as to who to speak to abroad for specialist advice.  Alternatively, consider using a company with a UK base for added reassurance.  However, if this is not possible, then people should contact local standards organisations and membership bodies in the country they are considering – they will normally be able to provide a list of accredited members.

3.            Review the budget thoroughly and look into costs of having the procedure in the UK and abroad.  While countries like Cuba do offer substantially cheaper common cosmetic procedures, costs such as accommodation and flights may need to be factored in.

4.            Remember it is not a holiday! Some people try to pack too much into their time abroad and forget that they will be recovering from what could be major surgery.  The surgeon will be able to give people the best advice on this matter.  The majority of complications take place within 10 days of surgery so leaving sufficient recovery time and ensuring the flight home is not booked too soon, is vital.

5.            Get the right level of insurance cover.   While no-one wants to contemplate anything going wrong with cosmetic, dental or elective surgery, making preparation for this eventuality can offer peace of mind.  Taking out travel insurance cover such as P J Hayman’s Free Spirit Travel for Treatment policy is essential.

Take time to read through these tips before making any decision and also remember that although many foreign surgeons speak English there is nothing as uncomfortable as being in a foreign hospital where you are unable to understand what is being said.

One of the worst hit industries at that time we were told was the DIY industry, the general public with less disposable income appeared to all but give up on that popular English custom of spending eight hours in the local DIY superstore each weekend.

The news that this industry was suffering as people could no longer afford to spend money on doing up their homes came as a relief to some of us who are not quite as adept at others when it comes to putting up a shelf in the lounge.

Judging by the size of my local DIY store I can only assume that things are back to normal and the regular weekend destination is back on the cards.

Well not for me. While I have some great ideas about improving my home and even understand how to go about achieving any improvements that come to mind, I am absolutely useless when it comes to using tools and within ten minutes of starting I invariably wish that I had not bothered.

When it comes to something like fitting a new kitchen there is not even a chance that I would contemplate starting the work, choosing instead to employ the services of a professional.

This in itself throws up the problem of finding decent carpenters and joiners in the UK who are able to quote for the job but thankfully with tradesmen ranked for work they have done for other clients on this site the choice is made simpler.

One thing that I have learnt along the way is before employing any tradesman to carry out work in my property, check that they have the relevant insurance in place.

All decent tradesmen will have public liability insurance in place in case of causing injury or damage to person or property where they are working. If they are offering professional advice it is worth checking whether they also have professional indemnity insurance which covers you in the result of financial loss due to poor advice being given.

This has led the insurer to predict that 2010 will be the second worst on record for Ecclesiastical who saw an increase of metal theft in 2008 when a record 1,382 claims were made in the same five month period of that year.

That spate of theft blamed primarily on the financial crisis at the time, cost the company £4.2million and led to warnings that premiums would increase unless increased security in insured buildings could be proven.

Whether that advice was heeded by Ecclesiastical’s clients is not clear, but once again as the crime increases the same message applies.

The worrying statistics are say Ecclesiastical linked to the scrap value prevailing at the time of theft, the higher the current value for scrap, the more robberies take place.

It is not just the traditional theft of lead from Church roofs that is involved with 20% of claims now involving schools and heritage properties.

From TV screens going blank during the game, to volcanic ash disrupting travel, terrorist attacks and freak weather conditions, the risk profession plays a key role when it comes to big tournaments, even though they have provided over £6 billion worth of coverage for the month-long event.

Munich Re estimates the broadcasting rights earned FIFA 2.2 billion Euros for the 2002 and 2006 World Cups. If the event is cancelled, FIFA faces substantial claims by companies who have licensed the media coverage.

Swiss Re Group estimate the cancellation of the event is one of the biggest risks insured, and the Olympics and the World Cup are two of the largest events insured for event cancellation coverage. FIFA alone has purchased $650 million in insurance for total cancellation of the World Cup 2010.

Other risks associated with the World Cup are household damage, increased thefts, player injury and even trauma suffered by fans whose teams have underperformed in the games. Surely something that England fans will not have to endure!

This interesting video gives some background to the huge risks and financial costs that must be considered when taking on the responsibility of staging a global event such as the World Cup 2010.

The Icelandic volcanic ash and the consequences of strike action by British Airways staff can make for a very unpleasant experience, even more so if travelling with inadequate travel insurance cover.

Below are ten things that you should consider when buying travel insurance:

1.       No cover for pre-existing medical conditions – Some cheaper policies provide no cover if the individual (or anyone who has an effect on their travel plans) has a pre-existing medical condition which results in a claim, for example, cancellation or medical expenses due to a recurrence of a heart condition.

2. Policies with very specific exclusions – Some insurers, in an attempt to get premiums to the absolute lowest level, use a strategy of harsh exclusions which inevitably trap people at the claims stage.  Examples include very strict interpretation of unattended personal effects, valuables and money as well as a requirement to get a written police report, even though these are often difficult to get in many countries.

3. Selling policies with low levels of cover – Budget covers often have very low limits for elements such as baggage, money and delay – indeed some do not even cover these sections.

4. Selling policies with very high excesses – The higher the policy excess the lower the premium can be. This is not always obvious with travel insurance until a medical claim is made and the customer finds most, if not all, of their claim falls within the excess. There are now policies on the market with medical excesses as high as £400.

5. Confusing exclusions – For example, an exclusion which applies to a “set of circumstances that could be reasonably expected to give rise to a claim”. In this instance, ‘reasonable’ is vaguely defined and open to interpretation from the insurance company who ultimately process the claim.

6. Deductions for wear and tear on baggage claims – Household insurance typically provides ‘new for old’ cover. Many travel insurance policies do not, which means the claim will be reduced depending on the age of the lost, stolen or damaged item.

7. Excesses per person per section rather than per event – This means that an event such as a mugging could result in a large number of different excesses being deducted.  For example: medical costs of £450 with a £75 medical excess, damage to clothing and loss of personal effects amounting to £250 with a £50 excess, loss of money equivalent to £120 with a £50 excess, resulting in total excesses for the claim of £175 rather than £75 on an ‘event’ basis.

8. Missed connections – If an individual is delayed getting to the airport and as a consequence misses their connection, many policies will not cover the additional costs that result, such as additional ticket costs or even an unplanned overnight stay.

9. Breaking down on the way to the airport – It is often assumed that travel insurance provides cover for additional costs if the policy holder misses their flight due to their car breaking down on the way to the airport. However, some cheaper policies will only cover the breakdown of ‘public transport’, and not private vehicles.

10.   Close relatives –The definition of ‘close’ is fairly ill-defined, so while you may think that all of your relatives are ‘close,’ if you study the definitions you may find that many policies limit these. So your favourite uncle becoming ill just before you go on holiday may result in a declined claim for cancellation.

For your own peace of mind, don’t be one of the many travellers who find themselves having to sleep on the floor of a foreign airport overnight because they did not pay for the best cover. All good travel insurance companies will offer comprehensive cover, including travel insurance specialists P J Hayman who provided this check list.

Peter Hayman, Director at P J Hayman explains:
“We have seen several stories in the news recently when people have had an accident or fallen ill abroad but have not had their bills paid by their insurance company due to the fact they did not declare a pre-existing medical condition.  Therefore, we are urging people to read the small print of their policies and speak to their insurer if they have any concerns.

Even managed pre-existing medical conditions such as asthma, high blood pressure and diabetes can cause a claim to be turned down if they are not declared.    It is therefore vitally important that consumers look beyond the price and take note of the terms and conditions of a travel insurance policy before they take one out.”

Research shows that over 60% of us do not read travel insurance documentation thoroughly and 9% do not bother reading it at all. That is until it is necessary to make a claim – which is too late!

P J Hayman offers Free Spirit, a policy which is specifically designed for people who have these types of conditions – and is able to insure 96% of people who approach them for cover – even those who have terminal illnesses.  There is no upper age limit and the policy also covers medical aids and medications.

doodson motorsport insurance

British Superbike rider James Ellison has been provided with a great deal on his Motorhome insurance for the 2010 Championship season, the racer who finished in third and first in the two races of the first round of the BSB series at Brands Hatch, was made the insurance offer by Doodson Broking Group.

Doodson are no strangers to giving their support to motorcycle teams and riders, they have a heavy involvement in the off road season and this year are committed on tarmac racing as well.

James Ellison may have benefited from a good insurance deal, but that isn’t the end of Doodson BG’s commitment to British Superbike.

Doodson are this years title sponsor for rider Tom Tunstall’s Doodson Motorsport campaign in the BSB Championship, although Tunstall missed out on scoring points at Brands Hatch he is confident going in to round two at Thruxton.

The insurance broking group have extended their support for Aztec GP team for 2010 and they are hopeful that the two young riders, Danny Kent and Andy Reid will continue their positive start in the 125cc class, throughout this season.

They have continued their support for Jordan Thompson who rides under the Bob Grant Racing banner and they have also started providing some support to Josh Caygill riding in the MAP Centurion Triumph Team, both riders competing in the 600 class.

Doodson BG have also become a team sponsor to TAS Relentless Suzuki, who had a fantastic showing in the second race at Brands Hatch with a podium place for Alistair Seeley and also a fourth place for team-mate Michael Laverty.

Alongside this Doodson are also continuing their support with Ian Lowry, this year Ian is riding for the JMW FOGI Racing team and will be competing in the Spanish Moto2 Championship with his first round being this Sunday 18th April at Cartagena in Spain.

Lowry who finished top rookie in the British Superbike season in 2009 is excited about this new Moto2 challenge and is looking forward to some wildcard rounds in the MotoGP Moto2 series.

Doodson Broking Group are also branching out into four wheels and this year are keen to be helping Frank Wrathall Jnr in the Ginetta Cup Series and also Jack Goff Racing in the Clio Cup, this is in the hope that the Doodson name will be recognised in all forms of motorsport.

Doodson Motorsport can offer insurance cover for Governing Bodies, Teams, Dealers, Clubs,  Riders Personal Accident, Equipment -bikes, tools, Transport -van, trucks, motorhomes including travel in Europe.

Figures issued by the National Caravan Council claim that there are 335,000 UK owners of static holiday homes and a staggering 498,000 owners of touring caravans. On top of that there are an additional 112,000 motorhome owners, making this a lucrative area for insurers to offer an insurance solution.

Simple Static Insurance offers cover for vans with a value up to £40,000 and Simple Touring Caravan Insurance offers cover on vans between £1,000 and £25,000 in value.

Both policies offer discounts for vehicles that are fitted with alarms and tracker devices and for meeting certified safe storage criteria.

The company also offers cover for campers, who can cover their camping equipment up to a value of £10,000.

The new product developed by HomeLet is launched this month and includes buildings and contents insurance and offers an unparalleled level of cover including Emergency Assistance and up to £500,000 of buildings cover as standard.

Key areas of cover include loss of rent or re-letting costs following a claim, enabling the landlord to recover rent for up to two years (up to £50,000) if something serious happens and the tenant is forced to move out.

HomeLet Managing Director John Boyle said;

“Landlords, particularly in today’s economy when unemployment and crime are both on the increase, are exposed to more risks than ever before. There’s a real need for a specialist insurance policy that covers landlords against the potential risk that they face. HomeLet’s Landlord’s Insurance+ is our most comprehensive and competitively priced landlord’s product to date.

It’s unlike anything else currently available on the market. One of the many benefits for example is automatic cover for kitchen fixtures and fittings and bathroom sanitaryware in leasehold properties within the contents section of cover.

When it comes to taking risk out of property rental, HomeLet is the specialist. We’ve been in the industry since the birth of buy-to-let, which means we have more experience than anyone else. We’ve used our specialist knowledge of the residential lettings industry to develop some of the most comprehensive and cost-effective products on the market today which is why we’re number one.”