The Deacon Claims Handling Charter
We understand that when damage occurs to properties, it can be a worrying and stressful time and here at Deacon, we take the claims service that we provide very seriously. We always strive to treat all of our customers fairly at all times and aim to provide a quick resolution to claims.
In most cases, we have delegated authority from insurers which means that we can handle claims ourselves and offer an efficient end-to-end service to our customers. If we are unable to handle a claim, we will always be up-front and honest with our customers and facilitate a speedy resolution by liaising with the insurer on behalf of our customers.
Below, we have detailed our claims handling charter. These are essentially our commitments to our customers and the principles that we ask all of our staff to work towards, at all times.
General Claims Handling Guidelines
- We adhere to FSA principles at all times with all claims
- We always treat our customers fairly
- We adhere to FSA Insurance Conduct of Business principles (ICOB) for claims handling
- We consider all complaints to be important and handle these in accordance with FSA guidelines on Complaint Handling
Our Claims Handling Principles
- New claims are registered and acknowledged within 48 hours of receipt
- New claims are initially assessed/reviewed within 48 hours of receipt
- We always inform customers immediately if we are unable to handle their claim due to a conflict of interest
- All existing claim correspondences and communications are reviewed within 5 working days
- We regularly keep our customers informed of how their claim is progressing
- We do not unnecessarily delay responding to our customers
- We always aim to settle claims as quickly as possible
- Once an invoice is received in relation to a claim, we issue payments within 5 working days
- We undertake regular internal reviews and audits of claims to assess how we are handling them
- We constantly review our processes and procedures and carry out regular staff training
- We monitor our claims handling competency on a monthly basis
If you feel that an insurance claim has been unreasonably rejected or has been handled poorly, you should always contact us immediately by emailing, writing to us or calling us. This gives us the opportunity to review the handling of the claim, undertake a detailed review and then issue you with a formal response. If you’re still unhappy with the outcome, you have the option of contacting the Financial Ombudsman Service for independent arbitration.
We are always keen to receive feedback from our customers (good and bad) as this helps us improve our service.
What happens when we decline a claim?
There will always be some claims which will be declined in full or in part, often because of policy terms and condition. The process of declining a claim is sometimes referred to as ‘repudiation’. Whilst we would never wish to decline any claim, below is a list of our commitments to our customers in such an event
- We will let you know as soon as reasonably practicable and once we have all of the necessary information on which to base our decision
- We will explain why we feel we cannot accept your claim in clear and concise terms, using plain English
- We will always make reference to the relevant policy terms, conditions and exceptions
- We will always offer you the choice of receiving the decision in writing
- We will always provide you with the dispute resolution procedure to follow should you feel that our decision is incorrect or unfair
If you feel that an insurance claim has been unreasonably rejected or has been handled poorly, you should always contact us immediately by emailing, writing to us or calling us. This gives us the opportunity to review the handling of the claim, undertake a detailed review of the claim and then issue you with a formal response. If you’re still unhappy with the outcome, you have the option of contacting the
Financial Ombudsman Service for independent arbitration.
We are always keen to receive feedback from our customers (good and bad) as this helps us improve our service further. Email us at
info@deacon.co.uk.