Admiral in hot water over pricing
Insurer Admiral Group has been accused of breaking the Race Relations Act by a consumer watchdog for quoting higher premiums to drivers hailing from outside the UK.
Which? said Admiral added an average 18% to car insurance premiums for a driver who was not native to these shores.
The consumer group contacted Admiral Group and 15 other major car insurance providers in January and February asking for quotes for a 50-year-old computer analyst from north London driving a 2008 Citroen.
It found Admiral quotes for applicants who claimed to have moved to the UK aged 15 were 18.31% higher than those who said they were born here. Admiral was the only insurer to ask if the applicant had lived in the UK since birth and charge higher premiums as a result.
Admiral Group includes Admiral, Bell, Diamond and Elephant.co.uk.
Which? said it consulted legal experts over the issue, who believed it was "a clear cut case of discrimination on the basis of national origin".
The watchdog said it would pass the full details from its investigation to the Equalities and Human Rights Commission.
Which? chief executive Peter Vicary-Smith said: "We're calling on the Admiral Group to stop this shameful practice immediately."
Admiral said: "Admiral respects every customer, regardless of race, colour or religion. We do not rate on race, colour or religion but we do rate on the age someone first comes to the UK. Our advice is that this is consistent with the Race Relations Act."