Your insurer Refuses your Claim Relevant Information
Relevant Information Insurance can protect you when things go wrong. When you decide to take out insurance there are things that your insurer needs to know so that they can work out what the risk is of insuring you and how much that will cost.
From 6 April 2013 your insurer must ask all relevant questions they need to know before you take out, renew or change a policy under the Consumer Insurance (Disclosure and Representations) Act 2012.
Before this date, you had to give any general information to the insurer that may have affected their decision to insure you, whether or not the insurer asked all the relevant questions.
This page explains what your responsibilities were to disclose information to your insurer before 6 April 2013, to help with any disputes with insurance taken out, renewed or changed before 6 April 2013.
Applying for insurance Relevant Information
When you buy insurance you will usually have to complete an application. This is known as a proposal form if you complete it face-to-face. It’s called a statement of facts if you complete it over the phone or online.
A proposal form may include a clause allowing the insurer to check databases such as the Claims and Underwriting Exchange database. This is a record of insurance claims. You are unlikely to get cover if you refuse to accept this clause.
You must answer the insurer’s questions, or those of the person selling you insurance, truthfully. For example, if you are asked if you have ever been refused insurance you must give a truthful answer.
Check all the important information in your proposal form, or statement of facts, very carefully before you sign it, to make sure that it is correct. This is especially important if a broker or agent has filled it in on your behalf, or you bought the insurance over the phone or online. You have a right to have a copy of your application.
Disclosing Material Facts
Before 6 April 2013, you had to Relevant Information disclose any insurance information which may have affected the insurer’s decision to insure you, and how much to charge for the insurance. This information was known as a material fact.
It was very important to tell the insurer about material facts as your insurer may have refused to pay out on a future claim if you withheld this information. For example, if you took out home contents insurance you needed to tell the insurer if anyone in the household had convictions for theft or arson.
Insurance gives you extra protection if things go wrong. However if you need to make a claim, you may have a problem with making the insurance company pay you. For example, your insurer may refuse to pay you anything or may pay you less than you have claimed for. This page tells you what you can do if you have a problem with your claim.
Contact your insurer
There may be a good reason why your insurer has made their decision about your claim. Before you do anything, check your Relevant Information 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 making information 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.
