Co-op Insurance has relaxed the underwriting criteria on its travel insurance to extend cover to people waiting for a diagnosis for conditions such as ADHD or autism. It will also cover people who are waiting for the results of medical tests. However, cover is excluded for cancellation, cutting a trip short and medical emergency expenses relating to the condition.

Research from Allianz UK has found that a third (34%) of SMEs do not adjust their business insurance to reflect the seasonality of their business. It has warned that this may leave them underinsured as a result of increased stock and operational demands during their busiest periods.

Managing general agent Commercial Express has announced gross written premium of £35.8m for 2024, which was up 36% on the previous year. It said it was aiming to exceed £50m by the end of this year. Commercial Express said its longer-term vision was to break the £100m barrier, although it did not put a timescale on this goal.

International consulting firm BRG has launched its first business insurance claims practice and has appointed Richard Cameron-Williams as head of business insurance claims. The practice will serve the EMEA region and is the first time BRG has moved beyond its domestic US market.

General insurance provider Paymentshield has reintroduced unemployment cover to its mortgage protection policy, which already includes accident and sickness cover. Paymentshield has also migrated its mortgage protection and income protection book to AmTrust Specialty Limited, a subsidiary of AmTrust International. Under the deal, Uris Group will administer claims.

Managing general agent Avid Insurance has agreed a deal with insurance and investment business Starr. The agreement will generate fresh capacity to provide employers’ liability and public liability products across the three specialised liability lines of groundworkers, motorsport and leisure.

The Financial Conduct Authority has issued a warning that Grand Guard is not a regulated business but has been contacting people pretending to be an authorised firm. The regulator said Grand Guard and its representative were claiming to work for genuinely authorised and regulated Brighton-based business, Premium Wise Insurance Brokers Ltd.

Data from HMRC has shown that receipts for insurance premium tax were £1.48bn in May. This was an increase of £50bn in the same month last year. In the first two months of the 2025/26 financial year, the tax has raised £2.13bn, up on the £2.05bn recorded in the same period last year.

Managing general agent Arkel, which is part of the Atec Group, has made its landlords let property insurance product available on the Acturis broker software platform. The product offers landlords cover for buildings, contents, malicious damage and theft by tenants, accidental damage, alternative accommodation and property owners’ liability.

Data from the latest Confused.com Car Insurance Price Index in association with WTW has shown that comprehensive car insurance premiums are down 16% on last year and now stand at an average of £757. This is the lowest average premiums have been for the past 18 months after reaching a peak of £995 in December 2023.

The Clear Group has acquired Surrey-based commercial broker CR Toogood & Co Limited. The move extends Clear’s presence in the South of England and complements it existing offices in Horsham and London. CR Toogood is a third-generation family business and controls gross written premiums of £14.5m and has a team of 19 people.

Folgate is offering sums insured limits of up to £20m for landlord products traded electronically via Acturis or extranets. The carrier said there was a drop-off in insurers and managing general agents that would quote for e-trade risks with limits over £10m and it estimated that 70% of the market would not quote for e-trade risks with limits over £15m. Folgate said it wanted to plug this gap.

Pen Underwriting is pushing to enhance its e-trade capabilities across its multi-line underwriting and distribution operations. To drive this move, the managing general agent is promoting Jamie Lawson to the newly created role of head of digital e-trade. He previously led on e-trade and distribution for Pen Underwriting’s SME and personal lines division.

Aviva’s acquisition of Direct Line is on course to complete in July after the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority both approved it. The Solicitors Regulation Authority also gave the greenlight to the deal in respect of Aviva taking over DLG Legal Services Limited. Aviva said it was confident of securing the required unconditional clearance required from the Competition and Markets Authority.

Liberty Specialty Markets, which is part of Liberty Mutual Insurance Group has created three new divisions within its UK and MENA region. They are marine and aviation, specialty and property. Meghan Walker (pictured) will lead marine and aviation. Mike Burle will lead the specialty division. The property leader will be announced in due course.

The Association of British Insurers has welcomed the government’s commitment to invest £7.9bn over ten years in flood defences. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said the investment underpinned the largest flood defence programme in history and that every pound spent was expected to prevent around £8 in economic damage.