Start Rescue review

Updated September 28, 2026 · AssureCue Editorial Team · Facts checked September 26, 2026

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Our verdict

Start Rescue suits drivers and riders in the UK who want one monthly policy for a car, motorbike, van or home plus roadside help. Entry cover starts at £31.58 a year with an excess from £0, though it is a broker rather than the risk carrier itself.

Key facts

Best for
One monthly policy for a vehicle or home with breakdown help added on.
Premium from
£31.58 (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Insurance types
Breakdown, Auto, Motorcycle, Van, Home (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Provider type
Broker (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Monthly payments
Yes (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Excess from
£0 (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Claims channels
Phone, Mobile-app (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Legal entity
Call Assist Limited (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Headquarters
United Kingdom (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Founded
1998 (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Support channels
Phone, Help-centre (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Pricing model
Monthly
Official website
startrescue.co.uk

Apps and profiles

Get the app
Google Play
Elsewhere
TrustpilotXtrustedtraders.which.co.ukreviews.co.uk

Pros and cons

Pros

  • Cover starts at £31.58 a year, with an excess from £0 on the entry tier.
  • Monthly payments are available, so cover runs alongside a monthly budget rather than a single annual charge.
  • A single range covers breakdown, auto, motorcycle, van and home policies, so one provider can hold a multi vehicle household.
  • Support runs on phone and help centre, and claims can be opened by phone and mobile app.
  • Trading since 1998 under the legal entity Call Assist Limited, with a Prudential Regulation Authority licence in the United Kingdom.

Cons

  • The £31.58 entry price sits well above the site median of €8.37 and the breakdown cover median of €23.33.
  • Start Rescue is a broker, so the policy sits with an insurer elsewhere rather than with the name on the paperwork.
  • Support runs on phone and help centre only, with no other listed route for account questions.
  • Van cover is a niche line here, held by 100% of the brands in that ranking, against 100% across all of them.
Start Rescue

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Scored 8.9 / 10 by AssureCue.

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Who it suits

  • UK households wanting one monthly policy across a car, motorbike, van or home
  • Drivers who would rather pay monthly than commit to an annual premium
  • Anyone who wants vehicle cover and breakdown help on a single policy

Who should look elsewhere

  • Readers wanting the lowest entry price, since Good Sam Insurance Agency covers a much wider set of categories
  • Those who want an insurer rather than a broker, so the risk sits closer to the cover provider
  • Buyers shopping on a breakdown-only budget who will find the entry premium steep against the category median

What cover costs

Entry cover starts at £31.58 a year, and the excess on that tier starts at £0. Monthly payments are available, so the premium can be spread across the year instead of paid in one go. The price sits well above the site median of €8.37 and above the €23.33 median for breakdown cover, where most of the cheaper options sit. Among the brands ranked on this premium, Start Rescue sits at position 193 of 252. The wider site range runs from €0 to €3,431.08, with the middle of the market running between €2.92 and €29.72, so the entry figure here sits in the upper part of the market rather than the bargain end.

Safety and regulation

Start Rescue is a broker, which means it places cover with an insurer on the other side of the policy rather than carrying the risk itself. What that means for money is that your contract, your claims and your money sit with the insurer named on the documents, and Start Rescue acts as the intermediary that arranges and handles them. The company holds a Prudential Regulation Authority licence in the United Kingdom, reference 202106, so it is authorised to operate under UK financial rules. Support and claims both run through named channels, which matters most at the point a vehicle is immobile and money is moving.

Regulation

The regulatory position rests on two facts: Start Rescue is a broker, and it is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority in GB under reference 202106. Since it is a broker, the contract of insurance itself belongs to the insurer it places you with, so the details that decide a claim, such as what is covered, the excess and the limits, come from that document rather than from the broker. Reading that insurer's wording matters more for money here than the price on the quote page. Broker status is also common across the market, sitting at 37.2% of the brands listed, against 42.4% for insurers.

Who runs it

The company behind the policy is Call Assist Limited, which trades from GB and has been operating since 1998. Support runs on phone and help centre, and a claim can be raised through phone and mobile app, which includes a mobile app alongside phone. The regulatory side is covered by a Prudential Regulation Authority licence in the United Kingdom, reference 202106. Taken together, the facts point to a long standing UK intermediary with a focused product range: breakdown, auto and motorcycle rather than a general insurer with a broad book.

How Start Rescue compares

Where Start Rescue is available

Available
United Kingdom
Licence in United Kingdom
Prudential Regulation Authority (202106), checked September 26, 2026

Countries from the brand (Source, checked September 26, 2026)

Frequently asked questions

How much does Start Rescue cover cost?+

Entry cover starts at £31.58 a year, with monthly payments available so the premium can be spread rather than paid in one block. That entry figure sits above the site median of €8.37 and above the €23.33 median for breakdown cover. Start Rescue ranks at position 193 of 252 on this premium.

Is there an excess to pay on Start Rescue policies?+

The excess starts at £0, which is the lowest point on the range rather than the whole figure. Anything above that sits with the policy tier you pick, so the excess and the premium move together. Check the wording on the quote for the vehicle or home you are insuring, because the amount you would pay on a claim is set there.

Is Start Rescue an insurer or a broker?+

It is a broker, so it arranges cover on behalf of an insurer rather than carrying the risk itself. The contract of insurance, the claims and the money all sit with the insurer named on your documents. Start Rescue is the intermediary that places and handles the policy, so read the insurer's wording before you sign.

Which regulator authorises Start Rescue?+

It is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority in the United Kingdom, with the licence recorded as 202106. That licence is the check on the firm placing your cover, and it is separate from the insurer named on the policy itself. Look the reference up before you start a policy if you want to confirm the standing yourself.

How do I make a claim with Start Rescue?+

Claims can be raised through phone and mobile app, so you have phone and a mobile app to work with. For anything about the policy itself rather than a claim, support runs on phone and help centre, which lists phone and a help centre. The app route is the quicker one if a vehicle is immobile and you are reporting it from the roadside.

What kinds of insurance does Start Rescue offer?+

The range is breakdown, auto and motorcycle, which covers breakdown, auto, motorcycle, van and home. That means one provider can hold cover for several vehicles in a household, or a vehicle policy plus the home, rather than spreading them across separate brands. Breakdown cover is a small share of the wider market at 9.9%, so the main lines here are the vehicle and home policies.

Who is behind Start Rescue?+

The company is Call Assist Limited, trading from GB and operating since 1998. It also holds a Prudential Regulation Authority licence in GB under 202106. As a broker, its role is placing and servicing your policy with the insurer it works with.

Can I pay monthly rather than once a year?+

Monthly payments are available, and the pricing model is monthly, so the premium can be spread across the year. That suits households running several policies on the same budget or a driver who prefers a fixed monthly amount. There is a single monthly model across the market at 100%, so expect this to be normal rather than a distinguishing feature.

Sources

  • startrescue.co.uk/breakdown-cover checked September 26, 2026

    Backs: Claims channels, Excess from, Headquarters, Insurance types, Legal entity, Pricing model, Monthly payments, Premium from, Support channels

    “Once your vehicle has been reported either over the phone or via our mobile app, a recovery operator will be dispatched to repair or assist with the vehicle”

  • startrescue.co.uk/info/aboutus checked September 26, 2026

    Backs: Founded

    “Established in 1998 Call Assist Ltd works with an extensive network of over 400 approved Recovery Operators throughout the UK”

  • startrescue.co.uk/info/regulatedby checked September 26, 2026

    Backs: Provider type, Licences

    “Start Rescue is supplied and administered by Call Assist Ltd, Registered Company Number 3668383. Call Assist Ltd, Firm Reference Number 304838 is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct...”

Compiled from 3 source pages, checked September 26, 2026. We did not open an account.

Start Rescue

Start Rescue

One monthly policy for a vehicle or home with breakdown help added on.

8.9/10See alternatives

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