Terrorism insurance gap closed

The Counter Terrorism and Border Security Act 2019, which was brought into law today, makes legal changes that means more insurers will offer new policies to businesses that include ‘losses from a terror attack that are not contingent on damage to commercial property’.

Currently, Pool Re, the government-backed terrorism reinsurer, can only reinsure losses incurred if a company’s premises had been physically damaged by terrorists. Business owners will now find it easier to buy terrorism insurance that will pay out if they lose custom in the wake of a terror attack because they cannot trade or are prevented from accessing their premises.

Economic secretary to the treasury John Glen said, "We will not allow terrorists to change our way of life. So when businesses raised their concerns about a gap in insurance cover following a terror attack, we worked with Pool Re to come up with a solution. Today, we’ve changed the law to give businesses peace of mind, helping them to insure themselves against financial loss as a result of a terrorist attack, even if there is no physical damage to their property. This means businesses will be able take out new and comprehensive policies to protect them in the future."