Increase in insurance claims from gap year students

According to a recent report there has been a marked increase in the number of insurance claims being made by gap year students. One insurance firm has reported that the number of claims that are being made by gap year students on their travel insurance policies has leapt by more than half compared to a year earlier.

EssentialTravel.co.uk. which provides travel insurance, said that from December of last year and May of this year the number of claims on its backpacker insurance policy had increased by over 61 percent compared to the same period a year earlier. Just over 52 percent of claims were down to medical expenses, and over 18 percent were for personal effects according to the insurance firm’s figures.

More than half of the claims that were made originated in Asia and Australia, and officials said that this was due to the fact that regulations in these destinations regarding dangerous sports was more relaxed than in many other destinations. The higher claims for personal effects were put down to backpackers often travelling with costly items such as cameras, laptops, and similar high value gadgets.

The group also pointed out that the value of the claims being made by gap year travellers had increased over the past year, rocketing from £77 per claim to £584 per claim, which reflected an increase of 658 percent.

Stuart Bensusan, of EssentialTravel.co.uk, said: “It is unnerving, particularly for parents, to hear that claims from backpackers encountering mishaps abroad are on the rise, but it goes to show how important it is for them to take out adequate insurance before they leave. Preparing for a gap year abroad is arguably the most exciting time in a young person’s life and nobody wants to think about the potential pitfalls.”

Tags: gap year, fact, dangerous sports, travel insurance, group, insurance claims, finance, Insurance