Partially upheld: claim handling, maladministration, delays in processing claim complaint against Intact Insurance UK Limited
Financial Ombudsman decision DRN-6291119 of 2026-04-14T00:00:00+00:00. claim handling, maladministration, delays in processing claim complaint against Intact Insurance UK Limited. Outcome: Partially upheld.
Decision detail
| Reference | DRN-6291119 |
|---|---|
| Decision date | 2026-04-14T00:00:00+00:00 |
| Firm | Intact Insurance UK Limited |
| Product | buildings insurance |
| Claim type | claim handling, maladministration, delays in processing claim |
| Outcome | Partially upheld |
| Remedy | Pay Mr B total compensation of £650 (£450 originally offered plus £200 additional for failure to review roof repairs promptly). Conduct a review of the work completed to Mr B's garage/utility roof to determine the cause of water ingress. |
Summary
Mr B claimed on his buildings insurance policy following subsidence damage to his property. Intact accepted the subsidence claim but declined coverage for front wall damage and water ingress from the garage/utility roof. Mr B employed a representative to help with the claim and sought reimbursement of professional advice fees. The ombudsman found that Intact reasonably declined the front wall damage but failed to properly review the roof repair work and caused unjustified delays from April to November 2024. The complaint was partially upheld with an award of £650 compensation and an instruction for Intact to conduct a proper review of the roof repairs.
The Ombudsman's reasoning
The ombudsman found that while Intact reasonably declined the front wall damage claim as it could be attributed to root damage rather than subsidence, they failed to properly review the roof repair work to determine the cause of water ingress. The ombudsman upheld the complaint regarding maladministration and delays, finding that Mr B suffered considerable distress and worry. However, the ombudsman declined to order reimbursement of professional advice fees as this is not an insured cost and free services like the FOS are available. The ombudsman directed Intact to conduct a proper inspection and review of the roof work.
How this compares
| Group | Decisions | Uphold rate |
|---|---|---|
| Intact Insurance UK Limited, all decisions | 201 | 38% |
Source
Read the original decision on the Financial Ombudsman Service website