This article was published on Mon 11 May 2020. At the time of publishing, this article was true and accurate, however, over time this may have changed. Some links may no longer work. If you have any concerns about this please contact us
As you know, on 30 April we announced one of the biggest decisions Police Mutual has ever made: our proposal to become part of Royal London.
Our dedicated website for you, our FAOs, is now live and available by clicking here: https://faoinfo.co.uk
It’s a ‘one-stop-shop,’ the site provides a range of information and materials about the proposed transfer – including the what; when; and why; and the importance of your role.
The site also includes copies of the voting pack and other materials you have been sent. And, if you have a question which isn’t covered by our FAQs, you are encouraged to submit it via the site.
You will also find details about a series of FAO webinars we are running in the next couple of weeks, the first being at 1pm on Thursday (14 May). Please visit the website to book yourself on to one of these important webinars.
We want you to understand why we are recommending the proposal to become part of Royal London, and the reasons behind the proposal, as well as what it will mean for members.
It’s why all of this is aimed at providing you with as full a picture as possible about the proposal. We want all of you to be able to make a fully informed decision when you cast your crucial vote on securing Police Mutual’s future.
This article was published on Thu 30 Apr 2020. At the time of publishing, this article was true and accurate, however, over time this may have changed. Some links may no longer work. If you have any concerns about this please contact us
Police Mutual is proud of its long heritage serving the Police family and is ready to take the next vital step in its journey.
That next step is a proposal that the Police Mutual group of companies become part of The Royal London Mutual Insurance Society Limited (Royal London).
The proposal would mean the transfer of Police Mutual to Royal London, the UK’s largest mutual life insurance, pensions and investment company. Royal London is a strong mutual organisation that has committed to our goal of improving the financial wellbeing of the Police and Military families.
We believe the proposal preserves what our members, colleagues and the Police service value most about Police Mutual.
Benefits protected There will be no change to the terms of members’ existing products.
Preserving our brand and our purpose The proposal will provide a sustainable future for Police Mutual, and preserve our brand and purpose, creating a new chapter in our long and evolving history.
Better offerings The proposal would make us part of a larger, stronger business that has a broader business mix, and which offers a wider range of products. This partnering with the UK’s largest mutual insurer gives the opportunity to create better customer offerings and will allow improvements in service and propositions and wider support of the Police family.
Why the proposal is good for the Police and members? It means a continuation of our work with the Police service and broader Policing organisations to improve the financial wellbeing of serving and retired Police Officers and Staff and their families.
Next steps We will write to our members and customers with more information in mid-June, following a vote on the proposal by the Force Authorised Officers (FAOs).
This article was published on Thu 26 Mar 2020. At the time of publishing, this article was true and accurate, however, over time this may have changed. Some links may no longer work. If you have any concerns about this please contact us
We are proud that Police Mutual Car and Home Insurance have been independently rated as Five-Star policies by Moneyfacts.
Every year, Moneyfacts’ impartial experts assess the features of financial products to identify the great and the good in the market. Those awarded a Five-Star rating are deemed to be some of the best available.
The star ratings are designed to give people peace of mind around what they are purchasing, for example helping them know that they will get a quality product that offers a full range of cover included as standard without any hidden fees.
Samantha Owens, Star Ratings Manager at Moneyfacts, said: “The Moneyfacts Insurance Star Ratings showcase the most complete products with the highest limits and most extensive range of features, which enables consumers to direct their focus towards the most suitable policy for them. Police Mutual’s Car and Home Insurance policies offer competitive limits with no hidden fees.”
John Perks, CEO of Police Mutual, added: “We’re incredibly proud of the Five-Star ratings we have received from Moneyfacts, not only because this is the highest possible rating, but because it’s off the back of impartial and independent analysis. We’re always striving to offer the best possible products to our members, and to get recognition from Moneyfacts that we’re doing this is very pleasing.”
Find out more about our Five-Star rated policies here:
Police Mutual Car and Home Insurance is provided by Royal & Sun Alliance Insurance PLC, and is arranged and administered by PMGI Limited trading as Police Mutual.
PMGI Limited, trading as Police Mutual, is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Registered in England & Wales No. 1073408. Registered office: Alexandra House, Queen Street, Lichfield, Staffordshire, WS13 6QS.
This article was published on Thur 19 Mar 2020. At the time of publishing, this article was true and accurate, however, over time this may have changed. Some links may no longer work. If you have any concerns about this please contact us
Welcome to the Police Mutual App for Force Authorised Officers (FAO) and Authorised Officers (AO). Thank you for downloading it and we hope you find it full of useful information to help you in your role as a Police Mutual advocate. A summary of what you can see in this section of the app is detailed below.
• Latest news to keep you fully updated on all Police Mutual news and specific news articles to assist you in your role • Advanced notice of our special offers, prize draws and our most current campaigns. • Details of how you can support Police Mutual and access materials to promote our campaigns to your colleagues and family • Details of all the events Police Mutual run throughout the year and how to promote them • Guidance for keeping your displays current • Contact details for members of the Police Mutual team who are here to support you in your valuable role as a Force Authorised Officer or Authorised Officer • Details of the Purpose, Role Profile and Best Practice Guidance • Sharing of best practice and to see what great work the FAO/AO community are doing
And we’d love you to give us lots of feedback about what you are doing out there to support us, how you’d like us to support you and what’s going well or not so well. So we have a Community Update section where we can share ideas, successes and development opportunities.
This article was published on Thur 19 Mar 2020. At the time of publishing, this article was true and accurate, however, over time this may have changed. Some links may no longer work. If you have any concerns about this please contact us
We have been considering the increasing concern surrounding coronavirus COVID-19, and we want to assure you that Police Mutual is committed to maintaining our high service standards for you, through all our teams around the country.
We are naturally doing everything we can to ensure the safety and wellbeing of our colleagues and, at the same time, focusing on maintaining the service we provide to you, our Members and customers.
The situation is changing daily, so we continue to monitor, and be guided by, the advice from the World Health Organisation, the Government and Public Health bodies. In order to make sure our operational teams can continue to support you and, at the same time, stay safe, we have progressed several internal contingencies in case of more widespread isolation measures. These contingencies will help us to ensure that we remain open for business as the situation evolves.
How we will be supporting you directly
More of our colleagues are now working remotely so our usual telephone and postal service levels may be impacted to some degree. We will minimise this impact wherever possible, but please bear with us if we are slower than normal to answer your phone call or letter.
Working from home is less straightforward than from the office, so there could be some background noise on occasions, but our priority is to answer as many calls as possible and we are ensuring that the security and privacy of your calls, and data, is always maintained.
Our face-to-face teams who support you around the country are also affected by the current advice from HM Government and the WHO. We will therefore not be conducting all of our planned face-to-face events. This impacts our regular events in Police Stations in connection with financial wellbeing & education, independent advice, and mortgage advice.
Some practical updates
You can help us manage the impact of these changes in the following ways:
Remember, you can access our website where you can view our product range, get a quote and choose to buy your cover for many products. The site is fully optimised for use on mobile devices.
We know that many of you will be working long hours and/or shifts but calling us at less busy periods of the day, i.e. not at 9.00am, just before 5.00pm and avoiding lunchtimes wherever possible, will really help us answer your call more quickly.
We are prioritising claims in conjunction with our insurance partners. If this applies, we will be in touch with you as soon as possible and keep you regularly informed, there is no need to chase for updates. If you need to register a new claim, please contact us.
Reluctantly we have taken a decision to withdraw our Hercules Barista service for the time being. We hope you will understand that Lucas, our barista, meets many of you every day and, we wish to keep you safe as well as Lucas in line with the guidance on social distancing. We hope you understand this temporary change.
Our mortgage advice appointments service is very popular and whilst we have taken the decision not to hold face-to-face clinics for the time being, we already offer this great service by phone so you can still access our expert team in that way.
We have started exploring how we can use webinars and Facebook Live to help us maintain our dialogue with you, across a wide variety of interactions, not just mortgage clinics.
Further information will be posted in our News section as the situation evolves.
This article was published on Wed 18 Mar 2020. At the time of publishing, this article was true and accurate, however, over time this may have changed. Some links may no longer work. If you have any concerns about this please contact us
The App is an easy access portal into everything we do at Police Mutual. It’s designed to help you to easily see:
• what’s new at Police Mutual • what wellbeing support we are providing to the Police family • what events and special offers are taking place • what products we offer • who’s who at Police Mutual and how to contact them • links to partners, useful organisations and charities • how to contact us
The App will be regularly updated and improved so we hope you will keep coming back for more.
We’re making some changes to our telephone numbers and we wanted to keep you updated on what’s happening and how it could affect you.
This article was published on Fri 05 Apr 2019. At the time of publishing, this article was true and accurate, however, over time this may have changed. Some links may no longer work. If you have any concerns about this please contact us
We’re replacing our non-geographic telephone numbers (i.e. those starting 08 and 03) with our regional numbers.
Using regional numbers provides an opportunity for us to save costs without impacting the services that you will receive. We also want to reduce the telephone numbers we use, to make things more efficient to manage, and more straightforward for you.
We recently conducted a review of our telephony usage overall and the decision to make the changes was made to ensure we are managing our business in the best possible way for our members. This ensures we can continue to support our affinities for the long-term.
Unfortunately this means now that depending on whether you are calling from a landline or a mobile and the call plan you are on, it could now cost you to call us. Geographic UK numbers cost up to 13p per minute from a landline and from 3p to 15p per minute from a mobile. You can read more about call charges here.
Our numbers will begin to switch over from Saturday 6 April 2019, but don’t worry it shouldn’t impact our services to you. For the next 12 months, if you do call one of our old numbers they will still work but there will be a message advising you of our new numbers that you will need to use in the future.
Here are the new phone numbers you will now need to contact us:
This article was published on Mon 01 Apr 2019. At the time of publishing, this article was true and accurate, however, over time this may have changed. Some links may no longer work. If you have any concerns about this please contact us
The Spring Statement is the first of the Treasury’s annual updates on the country’s economic health, and this year it has the added complication of coming just two weeks before the date the UK is scheduled to leave the European Union.
The Chancellor opened his statement by referring to the Brexit vote of the 12th March 2019, saying it “leaves a cloud of uncertainty hanging over our economy” but he insisted the economy is “remarkably robust”. He pledged £26.6 billion to boost the economy if the UK leaves the European Union with a deal but warned that a disorderly Brexit could deal a “significant” blow to UK economic activity over the short term.
Amongst the reports on public finances, growth forecasts and government borrowing the Chancellor announced the following plans and initiatives:
UK – Open for Business
In a bid to improve the flow of passengers and the overall experience at the UK border, from June 2019, citizens of the US, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, Japan, Singapore and South Korea will be permitted to use e-gates at UK airports and Eurostar terminals
From June 2019, landing cards at UK airports will begin to be abolished to reduce bureaucracy and speed up the processing of passengers in arrival in the UK
The environment
To ensure that new homes are better for the environment and to help keep consumer energy bills low, the government will introduce a Future Homes Standard by 2025. This will support the future proofing of new build homes with low carbon heating and world-leading levels of energy efficiency
Schools
To help tackle period poverty, free sanitary products will be available in secondary schools and colleges in the next school year
Knife Crime Funding
£100 million will be made available over the next year to Police forces in England and Wales to help tackle knife crime. This has been ring-fenced to pay for Police overtime and to fund new ‘Violent Crime Reduction Units’
Spending Review
The Chancellor announced plans to launch a full three-year spending review this summer, assuming that the UK leaves the EU with a deal. This will set departmental budgets for resource spending on such things as social care with a focus on “high-growth economy with public services that work for everyone”
This article was published on Fri 01 Mar 2019. At the time of publishing, this article was true and accurate, however, over time this may have changed. Some links may no longer work. If you have any concerns about this please contact us
Anyone planning to take their vehicle to Europe after 29 March (the date the UK is due to leave the EU) is being urged to prepare for a no-deal Brexit.
Drivers are being encouraged to ensure they have the correct documents in place. Until new agreements with EU countries are finalised, drivers risk breaking the law without them.
Do I need a Green Card?
A Green Card is a document that proves a driver is insured when driving in any EU country, Norway, Iceland, Switzerland, Serbia, Andorra or Liechtenstein.In the event of a no-deal, EU regulations state motorists need to carry proof of insurance with them in the form of a Green Card.
A Green Card is a document that proves a driver is insured when driving in any EU country, Norway, Iceland, Switzerland, Serbia, Andorra or Liechtenstein.
Drivers should obtain a Green Card from their insurer one month before they travel, the Association of British Insurers (ABI) has warned.
If you’re a Police Mutual Car Insurance policy holder and are planning to drive in Europe, make sure you contact us at least two weeks before you travel so we can get your Green Card issued in time.
The best way to get in touch is to call us on 0151 236 4511.
Those who travel without a Green Card may be breaking the law so it’s always best to check with your car insurance provider before you travel.
You can find out more about Green Cards at the below links.
If you travel before 29 March 2019, you can use your UK driving licence to drive within the EU/EEA. If you drive outside of this area, or are travelling after the UK leaves the EU, you’ll need an International Driving Permit (IDP).
It’s a recognised multi-language translation of your driving licence.
It costs £5.50 and you can buy it from the Post Office. You have to be over 18 and own a full driving licence to be able to apply for an IDP.
Although the minimum age for driving a car in the UK is 17, other countries may have their own rules so it’s worth checking.
Driving without an IDP could result in you being fined or prosecuted. In addition you must carry your UK licence too.
You can find out more about IDPs at the below link.
Don’t forget, you get a 10% discount when you buy your car insurance with us online. Visit our Car Insurance page to find out more and get a quote today.
This article was published on Fri 01 Feb 2019. At the time of publishing, this article was true and accurate, however, over time this may have changed. Some links may no longer work. If you have any concerns about this please contact us
Safer Internet Day 2019 takes place on 5 February 2019 and creates a wide range of activities to promote the safe and responsible use of technology by children and young people. With many children now using tablet devices, phones and laptops, it’s important to remind children of how they can stay safe online as well as ensuring that the latest security updates are installed on all their devices.
Many children use the internet to play games, watch videos (YouTube Kids is a well-known favourite!), use social media and research topics to help with their homework. So, teaching them lessons about the risks could prove to be very valuable in the long term. If you haven’t thought about it already, maybe take a few minutes to brush up on your knowledge by reading our checklist below.
Teaching children to stay safe online – checklist
1) General risks
Children need to be made aware that using the internet comes with a range of risks – their actions are directly linked to their online safety and can even have an impact on your wallet. Talking openly and regularly to your child, sharing time on the internet together and setting family rules about using the internet are some of the best ways to help keep your children safe online. They need to know that the internet is a useful tool but that actions online can have repercussions. If you make this clear to them, in language they can understand, it’s an important first lesson. Most social media platforms will have age restrictions to protect children, so it’s worth checking that your child is only accessing sites suitable for their age.
2) Don’t trust that people are who they say they are
It’s easy for someone to create a false identity online. And, sadly, not everyone has good intentions. Have a rule with your children that they should never arrange to meet someone they have ‘met’ on the internet and to tell you immediately if they’re worried about something (or someone) they encounter online.
3) Keep personal contact details private
Make sure your child understands never to give out personal details to anyone online, including phone numbers, email addresses, their home address, or anything relating to their age, school, friends or family.
4) Be careful when posting or sharing content
If you let your children post in chat rooms then it’s a good idea to check that the chat room is moderated. This means that a comment will be approved by an administrator before it’s posted for the world to see.
Encourage them to think about what they choose to post, reminding them that whatever they say could be around for a long time. The internet doesn’t easily forget – show them examples of recent celebrities whose old social media posts have come back to haunt them!
5) Friend requests
It’s important for children to understand that online security is more important than popularity contests, so they should keep their social media accounts private and only accept friend requests from people they know.
If possible, it’s also a good idea for you to become ‘friends’ with your child on social media, so you can see what they’re posting and who they’re connected to. This is a particularly good idea if you’re worried about who they’re speaking to or notice a change in behaviour.
6) Parental control settings
Parental controls are an important way to keep your child safe online. They can be used to block upsetting or harmful content, control in-app purchases or manage how long your child spends online. Some even allow you to set up regular reports for your peace of mind. And the good news is that parental controls are really easy to set up. Innocent searches sometimes reveal results that are not so innocent. So if you’re worried about what your child is searching for online, who they’re talking to or what they’re seeing, use parental controls. Most devices have some inbuilt control features and you can search for more tools online.
What to do if they’ve got any problems…
Make sure your children know to tell you if they have any issues online. You can then choose the right course of action to take, whether that’s just a case of reassuring them or checking for more information. In extremely rare cases, you may need to seek advice from Action Fraud, the CEOP (Child Exploitation and Online Protection Command), or by calling 101 to speak to the Police for non-emergency guidance.
It’s also worth checking with your children’s school to see what ‘internet security’ teaching they cover as part of the curriculum.
Police Mutual Assurance Society Limited, trading as Police Mutual, is an incorporated friendly society. Registered office: Alexandra House, Queen Street, Lichfield, Staffordshire WS13 6QS. Authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority
