If you have a conviction, whether it's for a motoring offence or something else, then you might think it's impossible to get work and find affordable insurance. This isn't necessarily true however.

It's certainly true that some employers and insurers might choose not to deal with you at all if you have a conviction but there are still options out there.

Below are some of the important things to be aware of.

Do I need to declare my conviction to employers?

One of the most important things to be aware of when you have a conviction is whether you need to declare it or not. Whether you need to declare your conviction to employers will depend on whether it's spent or unspent.

For more serious convictions that carry a prison sentence of 2 and a half years or longer then the conviction will remain unspent indefinitely. For convictions that come with a fine or community service then they'll be spent after 5 years. For prison sentences of 6 months or less, the conviction will be spent after 7 years. For convictions with a 6 months to 2 and a half years prison sentence, they'll be spent after 10 years.

If you'd like to find out more about your particular conviction then here's a full list of motoring convictions along with their codes. 

Working as a freelance van driver

The alternative to finding employment as a van driver is to set up as a freelancer. The good thing about working freelance is that you won't have the issue of having to declare your conviction to employers. However it's important to note that you'll still need to declare any unspent convictions to insurance providers. The same rules mentioned above apply.

Getting insurance at an affordable price

If you're looking for convicted driver's insurance then the best way to go about it is by going to a specialist provider. Many mainstream insurance providers don't deal with drivers who have a conviction; or if they do they only offer policies at drastically increased prices. The reason for this is simply because convicted drivers are statistically more likely to make a claim.

The good news is that there are specialist providers of van insurance for convicted drivers who deal with each person on a case-by-case basis. Although the price you can expect to pay for your van insurance will still be higher than it would if you didn't have a conviction, you will find that specialist providers offer much more reasonable prices that most people can afford.