Does GAP Insurance Cover My Motor Insurance Excess?

Most GAP Insurance policies include an excess contribution, but the rules vary. Some only cover your excess if the car is written off, while others also help with excesses on non–write-off motor claims. Here’s how to tell the difference.

What does GAP Insurance actually cover? Most people know its main job is to make up the difference between your motor insurer’s payout and either what you paid for your car or what you still owe.

However, GAP Insurance often goes further than that.

A lot of drivers don’t realise that GAP Insurance often helps with your motor insurance excess. It might not cover the whole amount, but it can lower the total cost if your car is written off.

Here’s what you should know before buying.

What do we mean by “motor excess”?

Your excess is the amount you have to pay first when you make a claim on your comprehensive car insurance.

For example, if your car is in an accident and the claim is £5,000, with a £500 excess, you pay £500 and your insurer pays the remaining £4,500.

There are two types of excess your insurer sets:

Compulsory excess – the amount your insurer requires you to pay.
Voluntary excess – an amount you choose to add, usually to bring your motor premium down.

If your car is written off or stolen, your insurer takes the total excess off your payout. You usually find this out when you get your settlement letter. This is when the GAP Insurance excess contribution can help.

How GAP Insurance applies the excess contribution

Here’s what usually happens when you make a GAP claim:

Your motor insurer assesses the vehicle as a total loss.
They settle with you directly and deduct your excess.
You submit your GAP claim.
The GAP insurer adds an excess contribution (up to the limit stated in your policy).

This is a straightforward extra payment added to your main GAP settlement. All you need to do is show proof of the excess deduction. Does GAP Insurance pay your motor excess deduction?

Does GAP Insurance pay your motor excess deduction?

Most GAP policies will apply the contribution to:

Your compulsory excess
Your voluntary excess
The excess figure shown on the motor insurer’s settlement documents

This contribution is usually given once for each total-loss claim, and only after your motor insurer has paid you.

What it doesn’t cover

It’s important to know what the GAP excess contribution usually doesn’t cover:

More than the fixed limit in the policy wording
Windshield or glass excesses
Excesses applied to repairs (only total-loss claims qualify)
Any additional fees the motor insurer charges outside the official excess amount

The goal isn’t to cover your whole excess, but to help reduce what you lose when your insurer deducts it.

How much excess will my GAP policy cover?

Most policies have a set contribution, like £250. Some might offer more, but the amount is always shown in your policy document.

A quick example:

Your motor insurer deducts a £450 excess.
Your GAP policy offers an excess contribution of up to £250.
Your GAP payout includes £250 towards that loss.

It helps reduce your loss, even if it doesn’t cover everything.

If you want to know the exact amount for our policies, you can find it in the policy wording for your chosen cover.

What Excess level does Total Loss GAP provide?

Total Loss GAP provide a number of GAP Insurance products from different insurers, and they offer different features when it comes to what excess contributions can be provided.

At the time of writing (December 2025) the current Total Loss GAP products offer the following:

GAP Insurance underwritten by Helvetia Global Solutions Ltd - a maximum of £250 motor excess contribution ONLY in the event of a total loss claim.

GAP Insurance underwritten by Hiscox Underwriting Limited - a maximum of £500 motor excess contribution in the event of a total loss claim. In addition, you can claim up to £300 per annum for additional motor insurance claims during the policy term, up to a maximum aggregate of £1,000.

Does covering the excess affect the GAP settlement figure?

No. The excess contribution is added to your main GAP payout, but it still fits within the overall claim limit if there is one.

It doesn’t change the Return to Invoice, Vehicle Replacement, or Lease GAP calculations. It’s just an extra benefit included in your policy.

Do all GAP policies include excess cover?

Most policies include excess cover, but not all providers do it the same way. Some offer it as standard, some only in certain cover levels, and a few don’t include it at all.

At Total Loss GAP, our policies have a clear, fixed excess contribution, shown upfront in the policy wording. You’ll know exactly what’s covered before you buy.

A note on full excess protection

GAP Insurance may only apply if your car is declared a total loss, depending on your policy terms.

If you want cover for any claim, including repairs, you might want to add a Motor Excess Insurance policy.

This type of cover can pay back your whole excess, both voluntary and compulsory, on any valid motor claim, not just a write-off. It works with GAP Insurance, not instead of it.

If you’re worried about excess costs, it’s a good idea to consider both types of cover together.

Summary

Most GAP Insurance policies help with your motor excess.
This applies to both voluntary and compulsory excess.
There’s a set limit, which you’ll find in your policy wording.
It’s added after your motor insurer settles the total loss. Some policies may offer extended excess cover.
It helps lower your out-of-pocket costs, but might not cover your full excess.

FAQs

Does GAP Insurance cover my full excess?
It can, but only up to a set limit.

Will I need to provide proof of the excess deduction?
Yes, your motor insurer’s settlement letter will show how much excess was taken off.

Does a higher voluntary excess affect my GAP premium?
No. Your voluntary excess only changes your motor policy premium, not your GAP cover.

Can I claim the excess contribution on a repair?
Not usually, but some GAP products might allow it. Always check your policy terms. If you want extra cover, you can look into a separate motor insurance excess policy.

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