Revealed: How a FIFTH of home insurance claims are rejected - for reasons including wear and tear and poor maintenance
- Homeowners warned to make sure they buy the right type of cover
- Statistics show that 99 per cent of motor insurance claims were successful
- The average payout to motorists by companies was £2,160
- Nearly nine in 10 of travel insurance claims were paid out
Around one in every five home insurance claims made by consumers is turned down - while just one in every 100 motor insurance claims is unsuccessful, new industry figures reveal.
The Association of British Insurers (ABI) has published payout rates for the most common insurance claims made during 2013 and 2014, in a move to help improve transparency and build customer trust.
They show that 99 per cent of private motor insurance claims were successful, with the average payout being £2,160.
Cars are left stranded in flood water in Carlisle after severe storms over the weekend of 9-10 January - the Association of British Insurers (ABI) says one in every five home insurance claims were turned down in 2013-14
A resident walks in Carlisle with his belongings after severe flooding hit the north of England - the figures from the ABI covers 6.9 million claims handled by 19 insurers
Around four in five (79 per cent) of policyholders who made a claim under their home insurance were successful and received a payout, with the average figure being £2,520.
Meanwhile, nearly nine in 10 (87 per cent) of travel insurance claims were paid out, with the average payout put at £884.
The analysis covers 6.9 million claims handled by 19 insurers.
It marks the first time the ABI has released data in this way, showing the success rates when customers have made a claim under motor, home and travel insurance - the three most popular types of general insurance held by UK households.
The figures were compiled to help customers understand more about what they are covered for - and why a claim might be turned down.
Common reasons for home insurance claims failing include claims being made for normal wear and tear or for damage caused by a lack of maintenance which was not insurable; the value of the claim being less than the policy excess; or that the customer had not bought the right kind of cover, the ABI said.
The average payout for home insurance claims made during 2013 and 2014 was £2,520, the ABI said
An example of not having the right kind of cover would be someone not having accidental damage cover, which is often an added extra.
With travel insurance, claims were often turned down because the policyholder had a lack of evidence to back up claims for items which had been lost, or because they failed to tell their insurer about a pre-existing medical condition.
In other cases, the travel insurance claim came to less than the policy excess or a claim was made for a holiday cancellation which fell out of the scope of the cover.
Explaining the particularly high success rate for motor insurance claims, a spokesman for the ABI said that motor insurance products tend to be quite similar in what they cover, whereas with home insurance, for example, people could be covered for a wide variety of events.
There is also a diverse range of 'add ons' such as legal expenses cover or emergency assistance for a boiler breaking down which can be bought with home insurance.
Huw Evans, ABI's director general, said: 'As insurers, we want our customers to have greater trust in us to pay claims when life gets difficult.
'We cannot earn that trust without being more transparent about how many claims are paid and why a minority of claims are usually declined.'
He continued: 'Contrary to popular belief, insurers want to pay honest claims. It helps nobody when customers have bought the wrong product or have not disclosed important information.'
Mr Evans said the figures will be used to drive consumer awareness and further improve the acceptance rates for home and travel insurance claims.
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