How to get a break from paying your car and home insurance due to coronavirus

City watchdog, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), adds that it's held discussions with insurers about how to treat customers fairly.

But as of yet, no wide ranging measures have been announced as we've seen happen with mortgages, loans, and credit cards.

An FCA spokesperson said: "As you would expect, we are in regular contact with the firms we supervise in their respective sectors, including the insurance sector, and earlier last week we held a virtual meeting with insurance chief executives and the ABI to discuss how they can best provide support to their customers during the crisis.

"This covered a range of topics, including the importance of settling claims quickly and fairly to ensure that money gets to hard pressed customers when they most need it."

Are insurers giving payment holidays?

Here's what the major insurers have told us so far:

• Admiral: Offering payment holidays on a case by case basis to those who pay premiums monthly.
• Aviva: Offering up to three month payment holidays on monthly policies. It won't, however, offer payment holidays or refunds annual policies.
• Axa: Giving monthly customers the ability to pay off their policy in one payment or arrange a payment plan to clear arrears over an agreed period of time - on a case by case basis. Annual policyholders should also get in touch if they're struggling, although Axa wouldn't say what options are available to them.
• Churchill and Direct Line: Offering monthly payment holidays on a case by case basis. On annual policies, you need to contact the insurer to discuss your options, which could include moving to monthly repayments or reducing cover levels.
• More Than: Offering payment holidays for one month at a time on a case by case basis, for up to three months. Annual policyholders can't defer payments but should get in touch if struggling.

How do I apply for Admiral's scheme?

Contact Admiral's customer services team for help with repayments if you're struggling.

It says any customer offered a payment holiday still needs to pay the remaining amount of their premium, or loan, before the end of their policy term or contract agreement.

But the price of a customer’s future insurance premium is unlikely to be affected if the payment holiday has been agreed in advance.

How do I apply for Aviva's scheme?

To be eligible for Aviva's payment freeze, you need to have been furloughed but not yet received the 80 per cent payment of your wages, up to £2,500 a month, from your employer.

Or you could be self-employed and unable to work or trade because of coronavirus, and haven’t yet received the 80 per cent earnings payment from the government.

Alternatively, you need to have been made unemployed at any point after March 1, 2020.

Aviva won't ask for proof of any of these scenarios, but you shouldn't lie as it may affect your cover.

To apply, complete the relevant online form on .

Note that applications only cover one month's payment, so if you need help for future payments you’ll need to apply again, up to a maximum of three months.