Delaware Insurance Commissioner Karen Weldin Stewart announced that her department will not approve any auto insurance company’s rate submission that includes a “widow’s penalty,” under which a widow or widower is charged a higher rate based solely on the change in his or her marital status following the loss of a spouse.
“This so-called widow’s penalty is completely unfair,” said the commissioner. “Becoming a single driver because of the death of your spouse is not the same as being a young, inexperienced single driver. I will not approve any auto insurance rate filings that cannot provide actuarially sound data for including widows and widowers in a higher single rate category.”
The Delaware Department of Insurance noted that auto insurance companies are permitted to charge inexperienced drivers – such as teenagers – a high premium because some actuarial studies show that young single drivers file more claims than young married drivers. However, the department said it is not aware of any such data showing that older single drivers exhibit the same behavior when compared to older married drivers.
The department also said it recognizes that marital status is not the only reason why auto insurance premiums can change following the loss of a spouse.
For instance, many companies offer multi-policy discounts for having both life and auto policies with that company. If one of those policies ends, such as a life insurance policy after a spouse dies, that discount may be cancelled.
Also, a married couple on a policy might have their driving records considered together when determining the premium. When one spouse dies, the premium will change to reflect the risk of the remaining driver. If that driver has a better driving record than his or her spouse, the premium may go down. However, the reverse is also true.
The department’s new policy, contained in Auto Bulletin No. 23, is directed to all insurers writing auto insurance coverage in Delaware.
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