Claims handlers and policy administrators: who to contact about your claim

When you buy an insurance policy, you usually buy it from one company, but the phone call you make when something goes wrong may be answered by a different one. Insurers routinely pass claims to specialist claims handlers, and the day-to-day running of a policy, sending renewal letters and collecting payments, is often done by a policy administrator. None of this changes what your policy covers: the insurer stays responsible for handling claims promptly and fairly, updating you on progress and not rejecting a claim unreasonably, whoever does the work¹.

The practical question is simply who to ring. The answer is always in your own policy documents, and it can change over the life of a policy: brands move between claims partners, and several insurers now route claims differently depending on when you bought the policy. This page explains who does what, how to find the right contact for each kind of claim, what to do when the contact changes, and where to go if a claim is handled badly.

Insurer, claims handler or policy administrator: who does what

Three different businesses can sit behind one insurance policy, and knowing which is which saves time when you need to make a claim.

The insurer is the firm that carries the risk: it took your premium, it decides whether the event is covered, and it pays the claim. The regulator's rules, in the FCA Handbook's insurance conduct of business sourcebook, require insurers to handle claims promptly and fairly². The Financial Ombudsman puts the same duty in plainer words: your insurer has to handle claims promptly and fairly and should not reject a claim unreasonably⁶. That duty belongs to the insurer even when other firms do the work.

A claims handler does the day-to-day work on a claim: taking the first call, gathering evidence, arranging inspections, repairs or replacement items, and keeping you updated. Some insurers run their own claims teams; others contract the work to specialist firms. For motor claims involving an injured third party, the rules require the insurer to appoint a claims representative in the UK with the power to settle the claim in full². Whoever the handler is, the insurer remains answerable for how your claim is treated.

A policy administrator manages the policy itself rather than the claim: issuing documents, taking payments, handling renewals and answering questions about cover. Many brands sold by banks and retailers are underwritten by one insurer and administered by another, which is why the name on your documents may differ from the name on the advert.

If you bought the policy through a broker, the broker sits alongside all of this. MoneyHelper notes that if you need to make a claim, your broker might speak to loss adjusters and claims departments and do as much as possible for you⁷, and the government's vehicle insurance guidance similarly suggests you may want to use an insurance broker when arranging cover⁸. A broker is not the claims handler, but it can be a useful route to the right one.

Your policy documents tell you who to call

The claims number is printed in the documents you were given when the policy started: the policy schedule, the policy booklet and often a separate claims card or key facts leaflet. The schedule shows your policy number, what is covered and the excesses, and the booklet sets out the terms and the claims procedure. Before ringing anyone, find the claims section and use the number it gives, because it is often not the same as the sales or customer service number.

Two habits from official flood claim guidance are worth adopting for any claim. First, keep a record of the dates and times you contact your insurer. Second, when you make or receive a call about the claim, note who you spoke to, the date and time, and what was agreed³. Claims can run for months, involve several different people, and turn on what was said early on, and your own notes are the record you can rely on.

If someone else is dealing with the claim for you, some organisations will formally recognise that. The Financial Services Compensation Scheme, for example, lets you appoint a personal representative who receives emails, updates and requests for information and sends documents on your behalf⁹. The FSCS also says that whether you take your claim to a claims management company or come straight to it, you will have to provide the same information¹⁰, which is worth remembering before paying anyone to claim for you. Where a claims management company is involved, the ombudsman expects it to have obtained the relevant paperwork, carried out a preliminary check of statements or loan documentation, and provided enough information, including full name, full address, date of birth with previous names and addresses, and account or policy details where available, to enable a business systems search¹¹.

Home emergency and legal expenses claims often go to a specialist handler

Home emergency cover and legal expenses cover are frequently sold as add-ons to a home insurance policy, but they are often underwritten and handled by a specialist firm rather than the brand on the front of the documents. That means the number to ring when a boiler fails at midnight, or when you need legal advice after a dispute, is not the home insurer's main claims line.

Brands do move these add-ons between specialists, and the change is usually tied to the policy start date. John Lewis, for example, states that from 1 April 2026, home emergency and legal expenses claims on policies starting on or after that date are handled by ARAG LEI, while earlier policies continue to be handled by John Lewis¹². A policyholder who bought in March 2026 and one who bought in April 2026 therefore ring different numbers, even though the cover looks the same on paper.

The practical rule is to check the add-on section of your own documents rather than searching for the brand's claims number, and to check again at each renewal, because the handler named in last year's booklet may no longer be the right one. The dedicated guides to home emergency cover and legal expenses insurance explain what these add-ons cover and how they differ from the main home policy.

Travel insurance claims: the contact depends on when you bought the policy

Travel insurance is the product where the claims contact most often depends on the purchase date, because insurers change their claims partners and apply the change only to new policies. Virgin Money, for example, states that claims for policies starting on or after 7 May 2026 go to a different claims team, phone number and email than earlier policies¹³. esure introduced a new claims process for travel policies purchased on or after 29 July 2026, with a new emergency contact number, an online claims portal and different claims phone lines from earlier policies¹⁴.

If you bought an annual policy two years ago and are claiming now, the number that applies is the one for policies bought then, not the one on the insurer's current website. This is why the policy documents you were sent at the time matter more than a web search, and why it is worth keeping the claims card from an annual travel policy for the whole year it runs.

Two other points from ombudsman guidance shape travel claims whoever you ring. Travel policies usually charge separate excesses for each individual claiming under the policy and for each section of the policy being claimed under¹⁵, so a family claim can involve several deductions. And insurers need to be told about medical conditions, past or current, even if you have recovered, because undeclared health issues are a common reason claims are rejected¹⁶. Where a travel policy was mis-sold and the customer would have bought a different policy that would have covered the claim, the ombudsman's approach is to ask the insurer to pay the claim¹⁷. The guides to how travel insurance works and travel insurance with pre-existing medical conditions cover these in more detail.

Motor claims, fault claims and your no-claims bonus

Motor claims are usually started with the insurer's own claims line, and most insurers now take first notification over the phone or through an app. What happens next depends on fault. The ombudsman's guidance, updated in July 2026, explains the rules around no-claims bonuses, and they matter to who you speak to and what you accept during the claim.

The core rules are these. For every year of driving without making an insurance claim, a policyholder is awarded one year of no-claims bonus, and an extra year is only added if there have been no claims in the policy year¹⁸. Your no-claims bonus will always be a whole number, and the amount of discount is not set: it varies between insurers¹⁸. After a non-fault accident, your insurer should only treat it as a claim if it receives a claim from the other driver, and if it has been found that you were not at fault by the renewal date, your no-claims bonus will not be affected, regardless of whether the claim is closed¹⁸.

Fault claims are where disputes arise. The ombudsman's business guidance, updated in September 2026, says that when a claim has been made it is normally fair to reduce a no-claims bonus in line with the insurer's step-back process, as long as this was made clear when the policy was taken out¹⁹. If a claim is settled in the policyholder's favour, a reduction should only last until the claim is settled. Where a customer reported an accident but paid for the damage themselves, the claim should be recorded as "notification only" with no reduction of the bonus¹⁹. A protected no-claims bonus means the amount of the bonus will not change if a fault claim is recorded, but this does not mean the price is protected¹⁸.

Two further points from the same guidance are worth knowing before you switch insurer mid-claim. A policyholder can cancel and set up a new policy with a different insurer whenever they want, even if a claim is ongoing, though the claim will affect the no-claims bonus, and a full year of bonus should not be awarded if the whole year was not completed¹⁹. Insurers should not withhold a no-claims bonus that has been earned, though the ombudsman might not interfere if they have done so because the customer owes them money¹⁸. Insurers vary in how they apply these rules, so each complaint is looked at individually¹⁹. As a marker of how often claims are paid, NFU Mutual reports that 99% of car insurance claims were paid over the three years ending December 2025²⁰. If the other driver was uninsured or untraced, the Motor Insurers' Bureau handles compensation and can be contacted directly²¹. See the guides to making a car insurance claim and no claims discount.

Home claims: subsidence, repairs and approved repair networks

Home claims start with your insurer, and official flood guidance is direct about the first step: contact your insurance company to tell them your home was flooded and that you want to make a claim. Renters are told to ask their landlord to contact the company that insures the building, and to contact their own insurer separately if they have contents cover³. Where there are policies with two different insurance companies, the guidance is to telephone both³. Flood cover can include replacement of damaged items, professional help to clean up, and temporary alternative accommodation if you need to move out during repairs³.

Subsidence is the claim most likely to involve specialists. The ombudsman's guidance on subsidence explains how these claims are handled and by whom, including the ABI Domestic Subsidence Agreement, under which if you claim one year or more from the start of your current policy, the current insurer deals with the claim⁴. That rule matters when a policy has just been renewed: the insurer at the time of the claim, not the one that was in place when the movement started, takes responsibility. Subsidence claims are also getting larger: the ABI reports £72 million paid for domestic subsidence claims in Q2 2026, with a record average claim of £20,000²².

Repairs are increasingly arranged through the insurer's own network rather than by the householder. AXA is launching an in-house Building Repair Network, developed with Cotality UK, in the month after this page was last checked, to overhaul the property claims journey for home and business customers²³. Using an insurer's network can mean the work is organised for you and guaranteed, but you lose the choice of your own builder. If you prefer to arrange repairs yourself, get the insurer's agreement before work starts and keep quotes, invoices and photographs. The guides to subsidence, storm and flood claims and poor repairs or unsuitable alternative accommodation cover the detail.

Protection and life insurance claims

Life insurance claims are usually started by the family or friends of the person who has died, and the first task is finding the policy. Marie Curie's guidance suggests contacting the person's life insurance company to find out about their policy and how to make a claim, and contacting their employer to find out whether they had life insurance through work and how to claim on it²⁴. If you cannot identify the insurer, the Association of British Insurers can help you find the company, and it is worth checking bank statements for regular payments to an insurance provider and checking the person's emails²⁴.

Protection policies that pay out on illness or injury follow a similar pattern: the claim goes to the insurer named in the documents, and medical evidence is central to it. Independent guidance on insurance and genetic conditions explains that the insurance company will always ask for your permission to contact your GP or hospital doctor, and that you are entitled to talk with your GP or hospital doctor before medical reports are sent to the insurance company²⁵. Insurers may consult their Chief Medical Officer or other qualified experts, always with the applicant's permission²⁵.

Providers publish claims statistics that show how often these policies pay. MetLife, for example, reports that it paid 31,553 claims worth £34.1m in 2025, including 12,949 hospitalisation claims and 11,104 broken bone claims²⁶. The protection insurance guide explains the types of policy that exist and how claims on each are assessed.

When the claims contact changes on renewal

Claims contacts change more often than cover does, and the change is usually tied to a date rather than applied to everyone. The pattern seen across the market is that policies starting before a cut-off date keep the old claims route and policies starting on or after it use the new one.

The examples in this page show the range. John Lewis moved home emergency and legal expenses claims to ARAG LEI for policies starting on or after 1 April 2026¹². Virgin Money moved travel claims to a new team for policies starting on or after 7 May 2026¹³. esure moved gadget complaints to Taurus and claims complaints to AXA Partners for policies bought or renewed from 29 July 2026, replacing the earlier route²⁷. Lloyds van insurance gives new customers from 20 January 2026 policy numbers starting with a 9, which route claims to AXA contact numbers²⁸.

The practical consequence is simple: at each renewal, read the new documents rather than assuming last year's claims number still applies, and if a policy number changes format, that is usually a sign the claims route has changed too. The subsidence rule works the other way round: because the current insurer deals with a claim made one year or more into the policy⁴, a renewal can change which insurer is responsible for a claim that emerges later. The guide to insurance renewals covers what else changes at renewal.

Insurance fraud and checking you are dealing with the real handler

Fraudsters exploit exactly the confusion this page describes: they ring people who have recently had an accident or a flood, pose as the insurer's claims handler, and ask for bank details or a fee. The Information Commissioner's Office refers complaints about fraud and scams to Report Fraud, or to Police Scotland in Scotland²⁹. The Payment Systems Regulator's advice if you realise you have fallen victim to a scam is to contact your bank immediately to report it⁵, and its recommended immediate steps are to contact your bank or payment provider, contact the police on 101, report the scam to Report Fraud, and keep records of all contact and correspondence between you and the scammer³⁰.

The reliable defence is that the real claims handler will never object to you ringing back on the number in your own documents. End the call, look up the claims number in your policy schedule or booklet, and ring that. If you have already given money or personal details, act on the steps above, and if documents containing personal information were lost or stolen, report them to the organisation that issued them³¹. The ombudsman also handles complaints involving unauthorised payments and identity theft, which is where a scam that started with a fake claims call often ends up³⁰. The guide to insurance fraud covers ghost broking and the other scams in this market.

Complaining about a claim and taking it to the Financial Ombudsman

If a claim is handled badly, whether by the insurer or by a claims handler acting for it, the complaint route is the same. Complain first to the business itself, setting out what went wrong and what you want it to do. The regulator's rules require the policy summary to tell you how to complain to the insurer and that complaints may subsequently be referred to the Financial Ombudsman Service³³.

If the business does not put things right, take the complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service. You fill in its complaint form, and your case will be assigned to a case handler who will get in touch when they start to investigate³⁴. The handler investigates using evidence from you, the financial business and any relevant third parties, and may ask you for more information later³⁴. You can bring the complaint yourself or ask someone to talk to the ombudsman on your behalf, such as a friend, family member or support worker³⁴. The service is free.

Complaints about claims management companies, rather than insurers, follow a parallel route. The government's guidance sets out the steps: ask the claims company for a copy of its complaints procedure, contact it with your complaint so it has a chance to put things right, and keep a record³⁵. If you are unhappy with the service you have received from a claims company, for example the results of your claim or the fees charged, you can complain to the Financial Ombudsman Service³⁵. The Claims Management Ombudsman, which handles these complaints, asks that the company be given a chance to sort things out first, and needs basic information: your name and address, what the problem is and how you want things put right, and relevant reference details³⁶. The same sequencing applies to other financial complaints: you will normally need to have complained to the provider you are unhappy about first³⁷.

The ombudsman's approach to claim complaints is shaped by the same rules described throughout this page: it decides what is fair based on the policy terms, what was made clear when the policy was taken out, and the insurer's duty to handle claims promptly and fairly. The guides to complaining about an insurer, why claims are rejected and compensation for distress and inconvenience cover what you can ask for and when.