Dealing with a home insurance claim can be stressful and frustrating, especially if it feels like progress has stalled. But it’s important to remember that the home insurance claims process is rarely straightforward, and there’s a lot of work that takes place behind the scenes.
Understanding why home insurance claims can feel slow, and knowing what you can do to support the process, can make the experience far less stressful.
In this blog, we’ll answer some key questions about the home insurance claims process in the UK, including:
- Why do home insurance claims take so long?
- What are the common causes of home insurance claim delays?
- What’s happening behind the scenes during a claim?
- The importance of getting documentation right
- How incorrect information can slow down a claim
- When and how to follow up on your claim
- What does a loss assessor do, and how can they help?
- How to speed up your home insurance claim
- Other frequently asked questions
Why do home insurance claims take so long?
When it comes to your home insurance claim, the repairs are just one part of the process.
All home insurance claims follow the same structure to make sure damage is accurately assessed, the repairs are appropriate to reinstate the property to pre-loss condition, and the associated costs align with your policy cover.
In most UK home insurance claims, there are a few key parties involved in the process:
- Your insurer and claims handler
- A loss adjuster (appointed by the insurer)
- Surveyors or specialists (for example, drying experts)
- Contractors experienced in insurance repairs
For some claims, especially high-value ones, you might also consider working with an independent loss assessor, who will liaise with the insurer on your behalf and fight your corner to make sure you receive a fair outcome from your claim. In cases where the damage is significant or there are complexities to the claim, we always recommend bringing on board a trusted loss assessor, and can introduce someone in the earliest stages to provide support from the offset.
What are the most common causes of home insurance claim delays?
When a major weather event hits, like a storm, heavy rainfall and flooding, or periods of freezing temperatures, your insurer may be managing hundreds or even thousands of claims at once, which can ultimately affect response times. So, if your property has been damaged amidst a recent bout of bad weather, this could be one of the reasons you’re experiencing delays with your claim.
Additionally, although every claim is different, delays do tend to occur around similar stages of the process…
Initial claim review
Once your claim has been submitted, your insurer needs to confirm that the damage you’ve reported is an insured peril (i.e. that it’s covered under your policy). To do this, they’ll need to verify the cause of the damage, the date of the loss, and check over any relevant exclusions that might apply, which can naturally take time.
Loss adjuster availability
For the majority of claims, insurers will appoint a loss adjuster who works on behalf of the insurer to inspect the damage. During busy periods, loss adjusters may become overwhelmed and have limited availability, especially for specialist assessments, which can therefore cause delays.
Damage assessment and investigations
Some types of damage, such as water ingress or structural movement, aren’t always immediately visible, so further investigations might be required before your repairs can be approved. This adds an extra step to the process and can subsequently lead to further delays, depending on the availability of the specialists that are required.
Approval of repair plans and costs
Your insurer will need to review and agree detailed scopes of work and costs before repairs can begin. And when information is missing or unclear, it can often lead to lengthy delays at this stage.
Thankfully, our team of insurance repairs specialists have been compiling scopes of work and insurer-ready repair quotes for over 17 years. We know exactly the type of information your insurer needs to see, and the format they need to receive it in, so our clients experience minimal delays as a result.
Need our help getting back to normal? Send pictures of your property damage on WhatsApp for an instant triage, or get in touch to book your free, no-obligation survey today.
Availability of suitable contractors
After you’ve reported the damage to your insurer, it’s likely that they’ll ask you to gather some quotes for the repairs. If you can find a trusted contractor with experience in insurance repairs (like us!), your insurer may be happy to receive just the one quote, and sign off on it. However, if there are any discrepancies in the quote you provide, they may request that you contact other tradespeople and gather comparison quotes from them.
Finding trusted and reliable tradespeople to actually do the work is tricky enough, but finding those who are willing to provide you with a quote is even harder. Most tradespeople avoid getting involved with insurance repairs because they know that compiling a quote in the right format will take up a lot of their time, and it doesn’t always lead to work for them.
This isn’t the case with our team. As insurance repair specialists, we’re highly experienced in putting together insurer-ready scopes and quotes, and we’ll be on hand to support you throughout the process to make sure that, once your claim has been approved, your property repairs are completed to a standard we (and you) can be proud of.
What's happening behind the scenes during a claim?
The claims process for property damage can be lengthy, and it’s not uncommon to experience quiet points where updates slow down or you don’t hear anything for a while. This doesn’t necessarily mean your claim is stuck; there’s just a lot of work that needs to happen behind the scenes in order for it to be approved.
In the background, insurers, loss adjusters and assessors are:
- Reviewing the damage against your specific policy wording
- Assessing any evidence you’ve submitted, such as photographs, reports, and surveys
- Waiting for reports to come in from third parties
- Ensuring the repairs proposed in the scope of work meet safety, quality, and UK building standards
- Waiting on requested information from you (the policyholder)
- Checking that the repair costs are fair and reasonable
These steps are a standard part of the process, and they’re in place to protect you financially and ensure your property is repaired properly, but unfortunately, they do take some time.
This is where working with a trusted loss assessor can be particularly beneficial. Not only will they liaise directly with your insurer on your behalf, answering any questions or queries that may crop up, but they’ll also be there to chase things up and request more frequent updates if the comms have gone a bit quiet, advocating for a speedy resolution to your claim so the repairs can begin.
The importance of getting documentation right
When it comes to submitting a home insurance claim, attention to detail is vital. Unfortunately, one of the biggest causes of avoidable delays in UK home insurance claims is incomplete or inaccurate documentation.
When you submit your claim, you may be asked to provide:
- Clear photographs or videos of the damage
- Proof of ownership or occupancy
- An inventory of damaged items
- Receipts or invoices, where available
- Specialist reports (for example, drying or structural assessments)
Providing accurate and consistent information as early as possible can significantly reduce the likelihood of delays cropping up later down the line, but this can be a lot to take on when you’re already experiencing stress from your home or property being damaged.
That’s why we exist — to take the stress of documenting the loss from your shoulders. Within 48 hours of receiving your call, we’ll arrange to attend your property to complete a thorough and accurate damage assessment.
We’ll compile a detailed scope of work and repairs quote to submit to your insurer, and can even bring on board a loss assessor to provide specialist support throughout the process. Once your claim is approved, we’ll then complete all of the proposed repairs to the highest standard, so you can get back to normal in no time.
Ready to learn more? Get in touch with our team today.
How incorrect information can slow down a claim
Having the right documentation can be the difference between a home insurance claim that takes weeks, and one that takes months. Even the smallest of inconsistencies in your documentation can add weeks to the claims process.
Common issues that often elongate a home insurance claim include:
- Conflicting descriptions of the damage
- Missing dates or unclear timelines
- Repair estimates that don’t align with insurer requirements
- Starting permanent repairs before receiving sign-off from your insurer
When information needs to be clarified, corrected, or reassessed, your insurer often has to pause progress until they’ve got the clarification they need. This might involve liaising with third-party service providers, like drying specialists, or your contractor, and if they’re unfamiliar with the insurance repair process they may not necessarily treat those comms as a top priority.
Working with a trusted loss assessor and a contractor that’s familiar with insurance repairs gives you the best chance of reducing delays in your claim and getting back on your feet sooner rather than later. (That’s why we’re here!)
When and how to follow up on your claim
When your home has been turned upside down, it’s completely reasonable to want regular updates — especially if your property is unsafe to live in until repairs have been completed.
By working with a trusted loss assessor, you can shed the stress of when and how to follow up with your insurer, as your loss assessor will handle the communications on your behalf, giving you one less thing to worry about.
However, if you’re going it alone, here are a few top tips for chasing up your claim…
When to follow up:
- If an agreed timeframe has passed without an update
- If you’ve submitted requested documents and your insurer hasn’t confirmed receipt of them
- If delays risks causing further damage to your property
How to follow up:
- Contact the named claims handler or loss adjuster for your case
- Keep communication clear, factual, and polite
- Always provide your claim reference number
- Avoid contacting multiple parties at the same time and always confirm verbal conversation in writing
It’s important to keep a record of all of your communications with your insurer, as this will be helpful should any questions arise further down the line.
What does a loss assessor do, and how can they help?
A loss assessor is someone who works on your behalf throughout the claims process to ensure the treatment and outcome you receive from your insurer is fair. They’re there to counter the loss adjuster (who works on behalf of your insurer), keeping your best interests in mind when entering negotiations.
Should you choose to work with a loss assessor, they will:
- Manage all the documentation and evidence relating to your claim
- Ensure all damage is fully and accurately assessed
- Liaise and negotiate directly with your insurer
- Help to prevent delays caused by missing or incorrect information
- Chase your insurer for updates when comms go quiet
- Save you the time and stress of dealing with your insurer yourself
For complex or high-value home insurance claims, the support of a loss assessor can make a meaningful difference to the timeline of your claim, and the outcome you receive.
As part of our service, we enjoy partnering with a number of experienced loss assessors across the area, each of whom is committed to reducing the stress of home insurance claims for our clients. Under your instruction, we can introduce you to one of our trusted loss assessors, who will be involved from the earliest stages to support you in achieving the best possible outcome from your claim.
Get in touch to learn more about how our service works, or read an overview here.
The ultimate answer for speeding things up
One of the most effective ways to reduce delays in a home insurance claim is to work with a complete claims and repairs service that understands how insurers operate and what they require at each stage of the process.
At Action Insurance Repair, we take great pride in the service we provide to our customers, and the relationships we build along the way. With us (and the trusted independent loss assessor we’ll bring on board), you’ll have one main point of contact from the initial assessment right through to the final repairs. Fewer people in the chain means fewer handovers, less risk of misunderstandings, less duplicated work, and clear communication from start to end.
Because our team is experienced with insurance repairs, damage is assessed and documented in a way that aligns with insurer expectations from the outset. Repair scopes are prepared accurately, with the right level of detail, and the associated quotes are presented in a format your insurer will expect. This helps to reduce back-and-forth queries and can shorten the time it takes for your claim to be approved.
When it comes to home insurance claims and repairs, we know that timing is of the essence. If emergency and/or temporary repairs are needed, we’ll be sure to arrange them quickly with the relevant specialists to prevent further damage, while your permanent repairs are carefully planned to make sure they meet the requirements of your policy, and will ultimately stand the test of time.
We exist to remove the stress from your home insurance claim. So, if chasing updates, coordinating contractors, or trying to understand insurer requests sounds like too much, get in touch today to learn more about how we can support you in getting back to normal.
FAQ
Why is my home insurance claim taking so long?
Home insurance claims often take time because your insurer needs to assess the damage carefully, review your policy cover, and approve the repair costs. Much of this work happens behind the scenes, which is why the process can feel slow. Working with a contractor who specialises in insurance repairs and a trusted loss assessor can help to speed things along.
How long should a home insurance claim take in the UK?
There’s no fixed timeframe as every claim is different. Straightforward claims may take a few weeks, while complex claims involving structural damage, water ingress, or specialist reports can take several months (especially after major weather events where insurers will receive a large influx of claims).
What are the most common causes of home insurance claim delays?
Common causes include lack of available loss adjusters, incomplete documentation, insurer queries relating to repair scopes and costs, and limited availability of qualified contractors experienced in insurance repairs.
Can I start repairs before my insurer approves them?
You can usually carry out emergency or temporary repairs to prevent further damage - in fact, your insurer may well expect this - but permanent repairs shouldn’t start without approval from your insurer. Starting work too early can lead to delays or disputes over costs.
How can I help speed up my home insurance claim?
Providing clear photos, accurate information, and requested documents promptly can help avoid delays. Working with an independent loss assessor will take much of this work from your shoulders and help to ensure a fair outcome from your claim.
What is a loss assessor, and do I need one?
A loss assessor is someone who represents you (the policyholder) during a claim. They manage documentation, liaise with your insurer, and help to ensure all damage is properly assessed. Working with a loss assessor can make the claims process a lot less stressful.
Will appointing my own repairs contractor slow down my claim?
Not necessarily. Using a contractor that’s experienced in insurance work, like Action Insurance Repair, can actually help to speed things up as they’ll be able to provide accurate scopes, use policy-compliant repair methods, and maintain clear communication with your insurer and/or loss assessor.
What should I do if my home insurance claim feels stuck?
Not necessarily. Using a contractor that’s experienced in insurance work, like Action Insurance Repair, can actually help to speed things up as they’ll be able to provide accurate scopes, use policy-compliant repair methods, and maintain clear communication with your insurer and/or loss assessor.
