{"id":1561,"date":"2025-07-29T12:08:38","date_gmt":"2025-07-29T12:08:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/knowledge\/sme-insurance\/what-does-excess-mean-in-insurance\/"},"modified":"2026-01-30T15:53:35","modified_gmt":"2026-01-30T15:53:35","slug":"what-is-excess-in-insurance","status":"publish","type":"knowledge","link":"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/knowledge\/sme-insurance\/what-is-excess-in-insurance\/","title":{"rendered":"What is excess in insurance? A UK guide"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you\u2019ve ever bought insurance before, then you\u2019ll probably have heard the term \u2018excess\u2019. This is the amount you have to pay to kick-start the claims process. But with both voluntary and compulsory amounts, it can be difficult to know what you\u2019re agreeing to.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-azure-200-background-color has-background has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-30c80bf8 wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"border-radius:35px;margin-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--90);margin-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--90);padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--90);padding-right:var(--wp--preset--spacing--90);padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--90);padding-left:var(--wp--preset--spacing--90)\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-how-does-excess-in-insurance-work-a-quick-summary\">How does excess in insurance work?\u00a0 A quick summary\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Excess is\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\">the amount you pay to start a claims process\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\">typically refunded by the insurer if your claim is successful and it\u2019s as a result of something that wasn\u2019t your fault\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\">a voluntary amount set by you and a compulsory amount set by the insurer\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-what-is-insurance-excess\">What is insurance excess?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Insurance excess is a pre-agreed amount that you pay towards a claim. You\u2019ll usually need to pay the excess to start a claim, then your insurer will begin the claims process. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Insurance excess is split into two types \u2013 compulsory and voluntary. The compulsory amount is decided by the insurer, while you choose the voluntary sum. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Even though you\u2019ll usually pay your insurance excess straight away, this doesn\u2019t mean you\u2019ll never see the money again. If a claim isn\u2019t your fault, your insurer will typically refund any excess you\u2019ve paid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-how-does-insurance-excess-work-in-business-insurance\">How does insurance excess work in business insurance?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The total excess you\u2019ll pay is made up of the compulsory and voluntary amounts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You\u2019ll have to pay the excess amount on any claim related to your business.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-azure-300-background-color has-background has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-69910985 wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"border-radius:10px;padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20);padding-right:var(--wp--preset--spacing--90);padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--50);padding-left:var(--wp--preset--spacing--90)\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>For example:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\">you have business insurance with a voluntary excess of \u00a3200\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\">the compulsory excess is \u00a3300<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\">your business premises is flooded and causes \u00a31,500 worth of damage to your stock and equipment<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Your claim is successful so your insurer pays out \u00a31,000 (with the \u00a3500 excess deducted).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-why-does-insurance-excess-exist\">Why does insurance excess exist?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Insurance excess can help by:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\"><strong>reducing the amount of small claims<\/strong> being made on policies<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\"><strong>lowering the cost of your premium<\/strong> as you\u2019ll take on some of the risk<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\">encouraging policy holders to make claims responsibly\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>For example:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You dent your business van while driving it into a car park. It costs \u00a3200 to fix in a garage. If your compulsory excess is \u00a3500, it would be more expensive to get it fixed through your insurance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This means you\u2019ll typically only make a claim on your insurance for events that exceed your excess. Depending on the terms of your policy, you might not be able to make a claim lower than your compulsory excess.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"nba-body-001\">\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Types of excess<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><tbody><tr><td><strong>Compulsory excess<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Voluntary excess<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Set by the insurer<\/td><td>An additional amount you choose to pay on top of the compulsory excess<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Can\u2019t be removed<\/td><td>Can lower your premium (monthly\/annual costs)<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-what-is-compulsory-excess\">What is compulsory excess?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The compulsory excess is the minimum amount that you\u2019ll pay towards a claim. It\u2019s set by your insurer when you take out your policy and will be in your policy documents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The amount of compulsory excess you pay can vary depending on the cover you\u2019re making a claim on. If you have <a href=\"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/landlord-insurance\/\" data-type=\"page\" data-id=\"1608\">landlord insurance<\/a>, for example, you might have a policy with contents and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/landlord-insurance\/building-insurance\/\">buildings insurance <\/a>included. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">With buildings insurance, your excess might be higher than for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/landlord-insurance\/content-insurance\/\">contents insurance<\/a>, since the potential costs of a claim are higher. You should check your policy documents for more details on this.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-what-is-voluntary-excess\">What is voluntary excess?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Voluntary excess is the amount you\u2019re willing to contribute towards a claim. It\u2019s pre-agreed at the beginning of a policy and is decided by you. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As it\u2019s voluntary, you don\u2019t have to choose any voluntary excess if you don\u2019t want to. But many people choose to add it to their policy because it reduces the cost of your insurance premium.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The more you voluntarily pay in insurance excess, the less you\u2019ll pay in total for your insurance. But it will cost you more if you need to make a claim, so make sure the amount you choose is manageable and always <a data-type=\"knowledge\" data-id=\"956\" href=\"\/knowledge\/income\/how-to-budget-calculator-and-guide-for-the-self-employed\/\">within your budget<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-azure-300-background-color has-background has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-69910985 wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"border-radius:10px;padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20);padding-right:var(--wp--preset--spacing--90);padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--50);padding-left:var(--wp--preset--spacing--90)\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Increasing your voluntary excess can reduce the cost of your insurance premium \u2013 but it\u2019s important to make sure the amount is accessible to you if you do need to make a claim.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-how-much-excess-should-you-pay\">How much excess should you pay?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This all depends on how much you can afford. Because the voluntary excess is added to the compulsory excess whenever you make a claim, it\u2019s worth making sure that the total amount is manageable. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If your voluntary excess is \u00a3250 and your compulsory is \u00a3300, you\u2019re agreeing to pay \u00a3550 towards any claim you make. If your excess is too high and you\u2019re unable to pay it when making a claim, your insurer can refuse to file the claim or they might offer a payment plan.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-can-you-make-changes-to-your-excess\">Can you make changes to your excess?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You can make changes to your voluntary excess at the beginning of a policy and when you renew it, but not during. When you renew, you can increase, reduce, or entirely remove the voluntary excess. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But the compulsory excess is set by your insurer and you can\u2019t change it. Each policy will have its own terms and conditions so it\u2019s important to check your own to be sure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What does it mean if your insurance policy has an excess of \u00a3500?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If your insurance policy has an excess of \u00a3500, this is the amount you\u2019d have to pay towards an insurance claim.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This means you can\u2019t make a claim for less than this amount.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">When don\u2019t you pay excess?&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You might not have to pay any excess if your claim is a result of something that\u2019s not your fault. In this instance, your insurance company will recover the excess from the third-party.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sometimes it\u2019s possible to get an insurance cover without any excess to pay, or you can pay for an \u2018add-on\u2019 that means you won\u2019t pay any excess if you make a claim.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-azure-200-background-color has-background has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-30c80bf8 wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"border-radius:35px;margin-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--90);margin-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--90);padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--90);padding-right:var(--wp--preset--spacing--90);padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--90);padding-left:var(--wp--preset--spacing--90)\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-4-key-takeaways\">4 key takeaways<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\">Excess is usually paid by you at the start of the claims process but occasionally it can be deducted from the final amount paid out by the insurer once a claim has been settled\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\">An insurance excess is pre-agreed between you and your insurer\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\">It includes both a compulsory amount and a voluntary amount \u2013 so your total excess can be quite high<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\">If the total cost of the claim is less than your excess, then you won\u2019t be able to make a claim\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-read-more-articles\">Read more articles<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/knowledge\/vehicles\/comprehensive-vs-third-party-insurance\/\" data-type=\"knowledge\" data-id=\"1368\">What\u2019s the difference between comprehensive and third party insurance?<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/knowledge\/vehicles\/what-is-business-breakdown-cover\/\" data-type=\"knowledge\" data-id=\"1576\">What is business breakdown cover?<\/a> <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\"><a data-type=\"knowledge\" data-id=\"1211\" href=\"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/knowledge\/vehicles\/electric-cars-and-vans-for-business\/\">Business guide to electric cars and vans<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"nba-upsell-001\" class=\"wp-block-group has-azure-200-background-color has-background has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-94e519ba wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--80);padding-right:var(--wp--preset--spacing--40);padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--80);padding-left:var(--wp--preset--spacing--40)\">\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\" id=\"h-ready-to-set-up-your-cover\">Ready to set up your cover?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center wp-block-paragraph\">As one of the UK&#8217;s biggest <a href=\"\/business-insurance\/\" data-type=\"page\" data-id=\"5152\">business insurance<\/a> providers, we specialise in <a href=\"\/business-insurance\/public-liability-insurance\/\">public liability insurance<\/a> and protect more trades than anybody else. Why not take a look now and build a quick, tailored quote?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-content-justification-center is-layout-flex wp-container-core-buttons-is-layout-a89b3969 wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/quote.simplybusiness.co.uk\/business\">Start your quote<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"nba-body-end\">\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Learn the difference between voluntary and compulsory excess.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":4171,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"sb_hreflang":"","sb_hreflang_url":"","disable_breadcrumbs":false,"sb_breadcrumbs":[],"sb_reviewed_by":"","sb_review_date":"","sb_enable_content_gating":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[337],"hidden-category":[],"coauthors":[23],"class_list":["post-1561","knowledge","type-knowledge","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sme-insurance"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.2 (Yoast SEO v27.2) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>What is excess in insurance? (UK) - Simply Business UK<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Insurance excess in the UK is the amount you have to pay to start the claims process with your insurer. Here\u2019s how it works.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/knowledge\/sme-insurance\/what-is-excess-in-insurance\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"What is insurance excess in the UK?\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Learn the difference between voluntary and compulsory excess.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/knowledge\/sme-insurance\/what-is-excess-in-insurance\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Simply Business UK\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/simplybusiness\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-01-30T15:53:35+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2024\/06\/what-is-insurance-excess.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:title\" content=\"What is excess in insurance? 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