Upheld: claim handling, coverage dispute, delays, poor communication complaint against Ageas Insurance Limited
Financial Ombudsman decision DRN-6316475 of 2026-05-22T00:00:00+00:00. claim handling, coverage dispute, delays, poor communication complaint against Ageas Insurance Limited. Outcome: Upheld.
Decision detail
| Reference | DRN-6316475 |
|---|---|
| Decision date | 2026-05-22T00:00:00+00:00 |
| Firm | Ageas Insurance Limited |
| Product | home insurance |
| Claim type | claim handling, coverage dispute, delays, poor communication |
| Outcome | Upheld |
| Remedy | Ageas to pay full rubble removal costs (not 50%). £600 compensation already paid is deemed fair and appropriate. No further direction required as Ageas has already made the necessary payments. |
Summary
Mr and Mrs H complained about Ageas Insurance's handling of a subsidence claim following a leak under their property. Ageas accepted the subsidence claim but offered only 50% coverage of mains and drain repair costs, and later only 50% of rubble removal costs. The ombudsman upheld the complaint, requiring Ageas to pay full rubble removal costs and confirming the £600 compensation was fair. However, the complaint about the 50% cost coverage was found to be out of time, as it was referred to FOS more than six months after Ageas's August 2024 final response which clearly stated its position on two occasions.
The Ombudsman's reasoning
The ombudsman upheld the complaint on the basis that Ageas should pay full rubble removal costs rather than 50%, and that the £600 compensation was fair. However, regarding the 50% cost coverage dispute, the ombudsman found that Ageas's August 2024 final response clearly stated its position on two occasions and triggered the six-month referral deadline. Although Ageas issued another final response in April 2025, the ombudsman found no evidence that Ageas intended to withdraw the earlier response or reinvestigate the complaint, as Ageas maintained the same position. Therefore, Mr H's October 2025 referral to FOS was out of time, and the ombudsman lacked jurisdiction to consider the 50% cost coverage complaint.
How this compares
| Group | Decisions | Uphold rate |
|---|---|---|
| Ageas Insurance Limited, all decisions | 3,005 | 40% |
Source
Read the original decision on the Financial Ombudsman Service website