Post Office

The Post Office has a rich and storied history, first launched as the General Post Office following the restoration of the monarchy in 1660. A year later in 1661, they began to offer postal services to the general public.

More than 300 years later in 2015, Post Office expanded into financial products and services with Post Office Money.

Currently, the Post Office offers a range of insurance products including car, pet, travel, life, and home insurance.

Who underwrites Post Office insurance?

Home insurance policies from Post Office are underwritten by Ageas Insurance Limited. Their Family Legal Protection and Home Emergency enhancement cover is underwritten by DAS Legal Expenses Insurance Company Limited.

Types of home insurance available with the Post Office

The Post Office offers three types of home insurance:

• Buildings insurance
• Contents insurance
• Combined buildings and contents insurance

These are offered over two different cover levels, Silver and Gold. 

The table below highlights the basics of what each home insurance type offers.

Policy	Policy Type	Buildings maximum sum insured	Contents maximum sum insured
Post Office Home Insurance Silver	Buildings	Up to £1 million	N/A
Post Office Home Insurance Gold	Buildings	Up to £1 million	N/A
Post Office Home Insurance Silver	Contents	N/A	Up to £80,000
Post Office Home Insurance Gold	Contents	N/A	Up to £100,000

What does the Post office buildings insurance cover as standard?

Buildings cover with Post Office is designed to give you peace of mind should the worst happen to your home. Their buildings insurance is available across two levels: Silver and Gold.  policy you opt for will depend on your individual needs.

The table below gives a comparison of both levels of cover.

Cover	Post Office Silver Buildings Insurance	Post Office Gold Buildings Insurance
Rebuilding or repairing of your home as a result of fire, storm, flood, subsidence, or other damage.	Up to £1 million	Up to £1 million
Rent and alternative accommodation if your home cannot be lived in	Up to £200,000	Unlimited
Additional Accidental Damage	Available as an optional add-on	`Included

What does Post Office contents insurance offer as standard?

Like their buildings insurance, Post Office offers two different kinds of contents insurance: Silver and Gold.

The table below provides a comparison of both levels of cover.

Cover	Post Office Silver Contents Insurance	Post Office Gold Contents Insurance
Contents	Up to £80,000	Up to £100,000
Valuables inside the home (on belongings such as jewellery, ornaments and works of art)	Up to £24,000	Up to £30,000
Valuables single item limit (the maximum paid out on a valuable item)	Up to £2,500	Up to £2,500
Additional Accidental Damage	Available as an optional add-on	Included
Away from Home Cover	Available as an optional add-on	Up to £3,000
Matching Sets	Not Included	Included

Optional extras

In addition to what is included with their buildings and contents policies, Post Office also offers a range of optional extras. These can be bolted on to either your buildings, contents, or combined buildings and contents policy to further customise your home insurance to suit your personal needs.

Be aware, however, that an optional extra you choose will increase the cost of your monthly or annual premiums.

Home emergency cover

Cover that offers immediate help if an emergency strikes your home such as heating or plumbing failures, power supply failure, or damage caused by vermin.

Family legal protection

Providers legal advice and professional guidance and representation for a range of legal issues.

Excess and no-claims discount

When it comes to home insurance, there are two types of excess: compulsory and voluntary. Both these types refer to the amounts that policyholders agree to pay towards a claim before their insurance provider covers the remaining costs. However, they differ in how they’re determined and applied.

Compulsory excess, also known as policy excess, is a fixed amount set out by the insurance provider and is mandatory for all policyholders to pay in the event of a claim. Compulsory excess is typically determined based on factors such as the type of property being insured, its location, and the level of coverage chosen.

On the other hand, voluntary excess is an amount that policyholders choose to pay in addition to the compulsory excess. It allows the policyholder to have more control over their insurance premiums, as usually, opting for a higher voluntary excess will mean a reduction on your premium. Unlike compulsory excess, voluntary excess can be selected and adjusted by the policyholder at will.

Post Office states that they do have compulsory excess with a number of claims, but that this exact amount can only be determined once someone has run a quote through them.

No-claims discount

Unfortunately, the Post Office does not offer a no-claims discount on its home insurance policies.

Defaqto rating

Both of Post Office’s Silver and Gold levels of cover have been awarded five-stars by Defaqto for 2023.