Problems with an insurance claim

Summary

There may be a good reason why your insurer has made their decision about your claim. Before you do anything, check your policy document to make sure that what you want to complain about is covered by your policy. If it is, write to your insurer, giving details of your complaint, and telling them what you would like them to do about it and giving them a time in which to reply. You should keep a copy of your letter and send any correspondence by recorded delivery. If you’re not satisfied with your insurer's reply you can make a formal complaint using your insurer's official complaints process. To find out how the complaints process works, look at your policy documents or on your insurer's website. If you are still not satisfied with the outcome of the formal complaints procedure, you can consider taking the complaint further. If your insurer is a member of Lloyds, you can make a complaint to the Policyholder and Market Assistance Department. If you are not satisfied with the outcome of this complaint, you can then complain to the Financial Ombudsman Service. All insurers must be covered by the rules of the financial watchdog, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). This means that.

Key information

• •six months of receiving a final response from the trader. This response has to mention that you have a six month time limit to go to the ombudsman
• •six years of the event you are complaining about. If it’s more than six years from the event, you have three years from when you knew, or could reasonably have known, you had a reason to complain.
• •There are different time limits for complaints about mortgage endowments. See www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk.
• •Check your policy documents to make sure there is a not a good reason why your insurer won't pay you
• •Write to your insurer using their complaints process
• •If you can't sort the problem out directly with your insurer, you may be able to complain to the Financial Ombudsman Service.
• •There may be a good reason why your insurer has made their decision about your claim. Before you do anything, check your policy document to make sure that what you want to complain about is covered by your policy.
• •If it is, write to your insurer, giving details of your complaint, and telling them what you would like them to do about it and giving them a time in which to reply. You should keep a copy of your letter and send any correspondence by recorded delivery.
• •If you’re not satisfied with your insurer's reply you can make a formal complaint using your insurer's official complaints process. To find out how the complaints process works, look at your policy documents or on your insurer's website.
• •If you are still not satisfied with the outcome of the formal complaints procedure, you can consider taking the complaint further.
• •If your insurer is a member of Lloyds, you can make a complaint to the Policyholder and Market Assistance Department. If you are not satisfied with the outcome of this complaint, you can then complain to the Financial Ombudsman Service.
• •All insurers must be covered by the rules of the financial watchdog, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). This means that if you have a complaint about an insurer, you can take it to the Financial Ombudsman Service. This is a free service available to you if you have already followed your insurer's complaints process.

Practical guidance

• •Source: [Problems with an insurance claim](https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/insurance/problems-with-insurance-policies/problems-with-an-insurance-claim/)

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