Hi Turbocabbie,

Occupations do represent rating factors for most forms of Insurance and there are differing results between products.

Insurance is almost entirely stats driven, with historic claims performance combined with perceived exposure being the factors that would potentially influence the terms provided.

Whilst quite a number of occupations can be classified together, Insurers gather the data separately to analyse any trends.

There are some that would impact upon terms provided and the best way of describing this is using some examples, so see below:

Health Insurance
A sedentary or driving job (ie office job where you sit behind a desk or wheel all day) combined with a lack of exercise, or high level of stress (ie. stockbroker, moneybroker) could impact upon terms from a Health Insurer, as this would represent heightened exposure to them.

Conversely, someone with a physical job would receive preferential rating.


Income Protection Insurance
People with a high income/greater earning potential or a heightened risk of being injured within their line of work, such as footballers or other professional sportsmen would pay dramatically heightened premiums to regular occupations such as retail.


Household Insurance
A jeweller is an occupation that can receive heightened terms when looking to apply for policy cover under a household contract, which under a general contents (blanket contract) would be based upon perceived exposure & historic claims experience.

People working from home with client/customer visitors would pay a heightened premium to reflect increased exposure to public liability claims.


Motor Insurance
Professional photographers (modelling), models, sportsmen or celebrities again represent increased exposure to some Underwriters, due to heightened personal Injury payments for passengers carried.

By taking your actual occupation the Insurer would also be better placed to offer terms where business use is required.

Leaving on a building site, on the road/public car parks (sales/consultants), high business mileage, simply commuting to different branches - are all examples of varied business use, which will be rated differently by the insurer. But the manner in which they ascertain the extent of the use would be derived from capturing your occupation (along with business mileage) and as to whether you require business use.


Public Liability cover
A self-employed plumber/heating engineer that uses a blow torch or other naked flame represents an increased fire risk compared to say a gardener.


Whilst the above are some obvious examples, the idea of quoting some of these was to highlight differing exposures from different occupations.

Hopefully this has helped in principle, but if you would like more detail specific to your own occupation simply PM me.

Kind regards

Tony