A group of 20 housing associations is investigating setting up an insurance scheme in an attempt to tackle rising premiums.
Insurance experts have warned the sector that costs could rise by a quarter in the next two years (HT 4 April, page 14).

The National Housing Federation is setting up a meeting between brokers Thomas Miller and IRMG and 20 associations who have already expressed an interest in setting up the self-insurance schemes, known as captives. The associations include Richmond Housing Partnership and Wandle Housing Association.

The meeting, which will follow a fringe session on insurance at the NHF's annual conference in September, will take place on 29 October in London.

The meeting will look at the insurance options available, the pros and cons of each, any legal and regulatory issues, and the capital and start up costs required to get competitive cover.

The associations may decide during the meeting to commission a feasibility study into captive models of insurance.

Malcolm Wilson, finance director of Wandle Housing Association, said the captives would probably insure lower-level claims for repairs and "slips and trips". Larger claims would not be part of the insurance scheme. Funders had not expressed any worries about risks to their loans, he added. "There will be a funders issue the ones I have spoken to so far do not see it as a huge problem."

Source

Housing Today