help and support for people with convictions
At homeprotect we are committed to helping people with convictions get a fair deal on home insurance.
We understand that the insurance industry in general has made it difficult for people with convictions (and their families, if they live in the same household) to obtain the cover they need to protect their home and belongings. That is something we have been determined to change over the past few years.
Our homeprotect policy for ex-offenders, underwritten by AXA Insurance, is designed with convenience in mind. So if you want to buy it online, no problem - you can do so immediately, irrespective of your conviction. Want to buy over the phone? We're waiting to take your call and you can be sure that our operatives will be 100% confidential and discreet and will treat you with fairness and respect.
Beyond providing access to home insurance for ex-offenders and the convenience of choosing between an online or telephone-based service we have also worked to create awareness of the issues surrounding insurance and convictions and to help increase the levels of financial inclusion for ex-offenders. To that end we have worked closely with UNLOCK, the National Association of Reformed Offenders and sponsored two of their key initiatives this year:
1) Insurance & Convictions: a guide for consumers
The guide, produced by UNLOCK in consultation with the ABI (Association of British Insurers), is considered to be the definitive guide for people with unspent criminal convictions and contains clear guidance on insurance issues, such as when people are legally required to declare their convictions.
If you'd like to view a summary version of the guide (2 pages) or print off the full version of the guide (19 pages) then you can access the following PDF files:
Insurance and Convictions - summary guide (PDF, 189KB)
Insurance and Convictions - detailed guide (PDF, 426KB)
2) Criminal Record Disclosure Calculator
disclosurecalculator.org.uk, a website produced and owned by UNLOCK and which homeprotect sponsors, is able to instantly calculate which convictions are ‘spent’ under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (ROA) 1974, and which ones still need to be disclosed.
The ROA can be devilishly complex to decipher, particularly for individuals with multiple convictions, non-standard sentence/disposals or a mixture of different sentences. And yet understanding and interpreting the ROA is fundamental for individuals who want to understand when their record is spent. There is currently no official way in which, in England & Wales, you can obtain a record of only your ‘unspent’ criminal convictions (you can approach Disclosure Scotland for a basic disclosure but this costs £25, takes up to 14 days, and is issued in accordance with the law in Scotland, which is subtly different to the law in England & Wales) and so the Disclosure Calculator is a fantastic free resource to help you determine when your convictions are due to become spent.
Here's what you need to do in four simple steps:
- Register to use the website
- Enter: name of the conviction; date of conviction; type of offence; sentence or disposal received
- Submit the form to see the results
- Enter your email address if you want the results sent to you
A detailed guide of how the Disclosure Calculator works is available via UNLOCK's website.