Will insurance replace a child car seat after an accident in the UK?

What does RoSPA's letter to insurers actually say?

RoSPA publishes a short letter you can send with a motor claim. The live HTML version is Replacing a child seat after a crash; the PDF is the letter for insurers signed by Nick Lloyd, Head of Road Safety.

• Replace the seat that was in a car involved in an accident, even if there is no visible damage, because it may have been weakened.
• It is very difficult to judge how severe an impact needs to be to damage a child seat.
• Replacement may not be necessary if it was a very low-speed impact, and there was no or very little external damage to the car, and there was no child in the seat when the impact occurred.
• The only reliable laboratory test would destroy the seat.
• Some manufacturers give their own advice on when to replace.
• If in any doubt, replace the child seat.
• RoSPA believes insurers should treat the replacement cost as legitimate, "just as they would fund repairs to the vehicle's bodywork".
• Check the seat belts and attachments that were in use, and include repair or replacement of those in the same claim.

That last point is RoSPA's belief about what insurers ought to do. It is not a policy wording, an excess figure, or a promise that your insurer will pay. Ask them.

What should I ask my insurer — without assuming a payout?

MayTally cannot quote your schedule. Motor policies differ on accessories, child seats, courtesy cars and who pays an excess. The useful move is to put the seat on the claim in writing and attach RoSPA's letter.

1. 1
   Tell them a child seat was in the vehicle Say whether a child was sitting in it. RoSPA's three "may not be necessary" conditions all have to be true together; your insurer will still apply their own wording.
2. 2
   Ask them to include the child seat and used seat belts Use RoSPA's sentences: replacement even without visible damage; belts and attachments that were in use should be checked and costed.
3. 3
   Send the PDF letter RoSPA's crash page says: if your insurance company is reluctant to agree to replace the seat, this letter may help. "May help" is the most that page claims.
4. 4
   Ask what their policy actually covers Request the clause in writing. Do not treat a comparison-site article or a forum post as cover. This page does not invent excesses, betterment or payout amounts.
5. 5
   Ask the manufacturer the same week RoSPA says some makers publish their own replacement rule. Their answer can be stricter than the three low-speed conditions.

Do manufacturers run their own swap schemes?

Only cite a scheme you can open on the brand's site. PlayPennies published an older piece saying Maxi-Cosi would replace a seat free after a crash. The current UK page to check is Maxi-Cosi's SWAP / Accident Exchange Service (checked 10 September 2026).

If your seat is another brand, email that brand's UK support with the model, the accident facts and photos. Do not assume a swap exists because one competitor offers one.

Should I sell the old seat if the insurer is slow?

RoSPA's starting advice on second-hand seats is not to pass on a seat whose history includes a crash. A delayed claim is not a reason to put the seat on Marketplace. Keep it until the insurer or the manufacturer tells you what they need to see, then dispose of it so it cannot be reused as an unknown used seat.

If you need a seat for school runs while the claim is open, that is a new-seat or hire question for your insurer — not a used-seat listing.

What if the crash felt minor but I am not sure?

RoSPA's letter does not give a miles-per-hour figure. It only groups three conditions that must all hold before it says replacement may not be necessary. If any one is missing — speed was not "very low", the car has more than very little damage, or a child was in the seat — you are outside that narrow window. If you are still unsure, the letter's closing line is: if in any doubt, replace the child seat.

In shortAttach RoSPA's insurer letter and ask your own insurer to include the seat and used belts. Check the maker's scheme if they publish one — Maxi-Cosi's UK SWAP page is one example and excludes second-hand seats. Nobody on this page can tell you what your policy will pay.

Do the adult seat belts need replacing as well?

RoSPA says the seat belts and seat-belt attachments, especially ones in use at the time, should be carefully checked, and you should include their replacement or repair cost in the same insurance claim. That is a vehicle-safety point, not a child-seat optional extra.