How to Complain About Insurance Companies

Your step-by-step guide to making a formal complaint about a UK insurance company, including your rights under FCA rules, response timelines, and how to escalate to the Financial Ombudsman Service.

Your Rights as an Insurance Customer

Under the FCA's Consumer Duty and the Insurance Act 2015, insurers must:

  • • Handle claims promptly and fairly — they cannot unreasonably delay or deny valid claims
  • • Provide clear policy documents that explain what is and is not covered
  • • Offer products that provide fair value — premiums must be proportionate to the cover provided
  • • Not use opaque terms to avoid paying claims — policy wording must be clear and unambiguous
  • • Treat you proportionately if you made an innocent mistake on your application (under the Insurance Act 2015, an honest error should not automatically void your policy)

Since January 2022, the FCA has also banned the loyalty penalty in home and motor insurance — insurers cannot charge existing customers more than new customers for equivalent cover at renewal.

Common Insurance Complaints

Claim Denied or Underpaid

The most common insurance complaint. If your claim has been denied, ask the insurer to explain exactly which policy term they are relying on. Under the Insurance Act 2015, if you made a qualifying misrepresentation that was not deliberate, the insurer must consider what they would have done if they had known the true facts — they cannot simply void the policy.

Claim Delays

Insurers must handle claims promptly and fairly under FCA rules (ICOBS 8). If your claim is taking unreasonably long, you can complain formally. Keep records of all communication dates and any promises made about timescales. Excessive delays can result in the Ombudsman awarding compensation for distress and inconvenience.

Premium Disputes

Unexpected premium increases, being charged more as a loyal customer (now banned for home and motor insurance), or hidden fees. If your renewal price is significantly higher than quotes for equivalent new business, the insurer may be breaching the FCA's pricing rules.

Policy Terms and Exclusions

If you believe a policy exclusion is unfair or was not properly brought to your attention before you purchased the policy, you can challenge it. Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, contract terms must be fair and transparent. Exclusions buried in small print that a reasonable consumer would not expect may be unenforceable.

Cancellation Problems

You have a 14-day cooling-off period on new insurance policies during which you can cancel for a full refund (minus any days of cover used). After this period, the insurer's cancellation terms apply. If the cancellation fee seems disproportionate, you can challenge it as an unfair term.

How to Escalate Your Complaint

  1. 1

    Contact the insurer's complaints team

    Ask to raise a formal complaint — not just query a claim decision. The insurer must log it and give you a complaint reference number.

  2. 2

    Put it in writing

    Email or letter creates a paper trail. Include your policy number, claim reference, specific dates, and what you want as a resolution. Use our free complaint letter generator.

  3. 3

    Wait for the final response (up to 8 weeks)

    Under FCA rules (DISP 1.6), insurers must send a final response within 8 weeks. They should keep you updated on progress during this period.

  4. 4

    Review the final response

    The insurer's final response letter must explain their decision and tell you about your right to refer the complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service within 6 months.

  5. 5

    Escalate to the Financial Ombudsman

    The Financial Ombudsman Service is free. They can order the insurer to pay your claim, pay compensation for distress and inconvenience, or take other corrective action. Awards can be up to £430,000.

Key Timelines

Action Timeframe
Cooling-off period (new policies) 14 days
Insurer must acknowledge your complaint Promptly (within a few days)
Insurer must send final response 8 weeks
You can escalate to the Ombudsman After 8 weeks or on receipt of final response
Deadline to refer to Ombudsman 6 months from the final response
Ombudsman investigation Typically 3-12 months

Complain to a Specific Insurer

We have complaint contact details and letter templates for these insurance companies:

Admiral View → Aviva View → AXA View → Legal & General View → Direct Line View →

Generate a complaint letter

Our free tool creates a professional complaint letter for your insurer in seconds. Choose your insurance company, describe what happened, and get a letter ready to send.

Write a Complaint Letter