Erie Insurance COVID-19 Information Center

Yes. At ERIE, we’re focused on our customers and on doing the right thing always. We are in unprecedented, challenging times and we want to deliver relief to our customers that is impactful and meaningful.

Our pricing philosophy is steady and stable. A rate reduction has staying power and once approved, is meant to impact customers now and in the future. This also reflects our mission to provide superior protection and service at the lowest possible cost.

In addition, in this time of social distancing, driving behavior has changed significantly, as reflected in fewer miles driven on average and a reduction in auto insurance claims.  The decision to issue Policyholder dividends/relief payments  for personal and commercial auto builds on all of our efforts to respond to the coronavirus pandemic and support our customers during this time. By issuing dividends/relief payments, and reducing auto insurance rates, we can provide our customers both an immediate financial benefit and longer-term rate relief. 

Yes. Dividends will be mailed to all personal and commercial auto customers with policies in force on April 1, 2020. A relief payment will be mailed to New York customers. The amount will vary based on your annual premium.  Commercial payments will be limited to fleet and non-fleet policies. Autos on garage policies will not receive a payment. These policies will receive a rate decrease later in the year, pending regulatory approval. Garage customers can talk to their ERIE Agent about other ways to update coverages and premium.

Yes. Customers in New York will receive a relief payment representing 30 percent of two months’ auto insurance premium (May and June) for an eligible customer with an in-force policy as of April 1, 2020. Customers can use the following equation: Annual premium as of April 1 multiplied by .30 / divided by 6. Customers should refer to the annual premium showing on the policy declaration page effective as of April 1, 2020.Please note that any policy changes made that result in a higher or lower premium as of April 1 may impact the relief payment. Customers can expect to receive one relief check for the two months in early June.

The dividend will vary by customer based on policy premium and represents approximately 30 percent of two months’ auto insurance premium for an eligible customer. Customers can expect to receive one check for the two months. To calculate the approximate dividend, customers can use the following equation: Annual premium as of April 1 multiplied by .30 / divided by 6. Customers should refer to the annual premium showing on the policy declaration page effective as of April 1, 2020.

For example, a policy with an annual premium of $1,400 for a policy in force as of April 1 would receive a check for $70 as calculated below:

$1,400 annual premium * .30 = $420

$420 / 6 = $70 check

*Please note, the annual premium should take into account any policy changes made that could have resulted in a higher or lower premium as of April 1. For example, if  the policy effective date is 1/1/2020 and the annual premium at inception is $1,200 for the year but a change is made effective March 30 that reduces annual premium to $1,000, then the formula for annual premium will use the new premium of $1,000.

ERIE will use the premium as of April 1 to determine the check amount.

We arrived at a date within the reduced exposure period to reflect average reduction in driving.

No.  Auto premiums are based on driving exposure. In this time of social distancing, exposures have dropped significantly, as reflected in fewer miles driven on average and a reduction in auto insurance claims.  We are not seeing a reduction in exposure for homeowners nor a reduction in claims, so we are not issuing dividends (relief payments for New York customers) or making adjustments to our traditional homeowners’ policies.

No. Relief payments for New York customers and dividends for all other states are limited to commercial auto customers. If you have another commercial account with ERIE, such as workers’ compensation policy, please contact your ERIE Agent to discuss options to update coverages and lower your premium.

Yes. We understand customers are experiencing hardships during this time. That’s why we are providing immediate relief to customers in the form of a one-time dividend/relief payment and a longer-term approach by proposing to take an overall 5 percent reduction in personal and commercial auto premium. The rate reduction will vary by insured and individually purchased policies. We’re working to determine the details by state and product.

We anticipate that the lower rates will be approved this summer. Premium adjustments will take effect at the time of new policy initiation or upon renewal after the effective date of regulatory approval.

Since premium adjustments will take effect after rates are approved, you will see the benefit at the time of your next renewal. And for more immediate relief, we announced a dividend/relief payment for personal and commercial auto customers. This represents approximately 30 percent of two months’ auto insurance premium for an eligible customer. That translates to 5 percent of a customer’s annual premium. Customers can expect to receive one dividend/relief check for the two months.

Since premium adjustments will take effect after rates are approved, you will see the benefits at the time of your next renewal. You can also contact your agent about more immediate changes to your coverage that may result in a lower premium.

If you drive to work on a daily basis, your personal auto premium is, in part, based on the miles you drive.  Consider calling your Agent to discuss how working from home full time may affect your premiums in the short-term.

Yes, there will be rate reductions for ERIE Rate Lock; however, current ERIE Rate Lock customers’ rates won’t change until the customer makes a change to driver, vehicle or address.

Most customers will see a premium reduction after rates are approved; however, each customer’s needs are different and therefore, their choices and coverages are different. Because of this, in some cases, customers might still see a future increase in their overall premium. In those circumstances, the amount of that increase will be less than it may have otherwise been.

The intention is that everyone will be positively impacted by the rate reductions once approved.  For existing customers, the reductions will apply at renewal or if the customer has the ERIE Rate Lock® feature, at the time of a qualifying ERIE Rate Lock trigger. For new customers, the new rates will apply at the time of policy inception.

We understand that each customer’s situation is unique and we continue to offer flexibility to customers facing hardship.

ERIE Agents can help Customers with updating coverages. Agents and ERIE’s Customer Care teams can also assist with delaying payment dates, adjusting installments, changing pay plans and waiving penalties and fees. Customer Care can be reached at (800) 458-0811 to discuss these options.

Customers can also access their personal lines and life policies, view current and previous invoices, pay their bill and monitor a claim through Online Account.

If you are a personal or commercial (fleet and non-fleet) auto insurance customer with policy in force as of April 1, 2020, you are eligible for the dividend/relief payment. 

In accordance with our filing in New York, your check is a relief payment rather than a dividend.  Our New York customers are receiving a relief payment that represents about 30% of premium for a two-month period (May and June) for your policy in-force as of April 1, 2020. This corresponds to the dividend that customers in our other states are receiving.

Checks will mail May 21 through May 28. Due to the large volume, check distribution is broken out by state in the following order: District of Columbia, Indiana, Tennessee, Virginia, Illinois, Maryland, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Ohio, Kentucky, Wisconsin, North Carolina and New York. Once a check is mailed, it should arrive at the customer’s mailing address within 10 business days.

Checks will be mailed in a white envelope with a window for the mailing and return addresses. The return address is for Erie Insurance Treasury Operations.  See a sample of the mailing envelope.

We have cross-checked customer information, including names and addresses; however, if a check is undelivered due to incorrect information on file, it will be returned to ERIE. This could be the reason for your delay. You can inquire about the timing of your check by contacting your ERIE Agent or call us at 1-800-458-0811, option 4 for billing, then option 6 for dividends/relief payment. Please note, New York customers will not receive checks until the first week of June due to a delay with regulatory approval in the state.

For an eligible customer, the dividend/relief payment amount is equal to about 30 percent of two months’ auto insurance premium for an eligible customer.

To calculate the approximate dividend or relief payment, customers can use the following equation: Annual premium as of April 1 multiplied by .30 / divided by 6.  Customers should use the annual premium showing on the policy declaration page effective as of April 1, 2020. Please remember, any changes made to coverages, limits and premium prior to April 1 or that are effective as of April 1 may impact the amount of the dividend/relief payment. If you receive your dividend/relief payment and you have questions regarding the amount of your check, please contact your ERIE Agent or you can contact Customer Careby calling 1-800-458-0811, option 4 for billing, then option 6.

To apply your dividend/relief payment to your premium due, deposit the check into your bank account. Many banks today offer mobile banking so you can simply snap a photo of the check and deposit it right into your bank account.  Then, make a payment at erieinsurance.com or through your ERIE online account. Once you sign up and/or log in, you can view current and previous invoices and pay your bill from the comfort of your home. Unfortunately, business owners cannot view business polices via online account at this time. You can also call your ERIE Agent to make a payment or Customer Care by calling 1-800-458-0811, option 4 for billing.