Apia has lifted the cut-off age for eligibility for its $75 good driver rebate in the ACT from 69 to 79.
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The change was announced after Fairfax Media contacted Suncorp, which owns the pensioner-targeted brand, after a complaint from a 75-year-old man whose application for the compulsory third-party rebate had been rejected even though he was over 50 and no longer working full-time.
Doug Bryant, a retired motor dealer, said his last traffic fine had been 24 years ago and his last car accident was when he was 18.
The Weston retiree said the 69-year-old cut off was ''a bit low'' for a brand that went out of its way to target retirees.
Under the change, which is retrospective, the cut-off age for the Apia rebate is now 79.
Because the ACT government, not the insurer, sets the cost of compulsory third-party policies and also acts as the agent for their sale, Suncorp brands including Apia, GIO and AAMI cannot offer Canberrans upfront discounts based on their driving history, age and where their car is garaged, as they do in NSW and elsewhere.
The age cut-off for the lesser rebates offered by GIO and AAMI remain at 69.
A Suncorp spokesman said: ''Although the information on the main Apia website is now clear re the age bracket, updating the actual rebate registration page will take a week or two, meaning that, until then, customers who are 70 to 79 will have to call Apia to get their rebate successfully registered … The age bracket at which customers are eligible for the [Apia] rebate has been increased from 50-69 to 50-79 years of age.
''This change will be retrospective. Customers who have already purchased an Apia CTP policy and fulfil all other rebate criteria will be offered the rebate in the form of a Visa cash card.
''The other criteria include having comprehensive or third-party property motor vehicle insurance, having had no at-fault accidents in the last two years and having purchased a 12-month CTP policy.
''The additional rebate criteria that customers must be not working full-time or be planning to reduce work hours in the next 12 months is currently under review.''
The spokesman said customers who believe they are eligible for the rebate but are having difficulty registering for it online should call Apia on 1300 137 262.