Not upheld: claim handling - quality of repairs and cash settlement complaint against UK Insurance Limited

Decision detail

Summary

Ms N complained about UKI's handling of a home insurance claim for sink leak repairs, claiming the contractors' work was inadequate and unsafe, and that UKI's cash settlement offer was unsatisfactory. UKI issued a final response in April 2025 not upholding the complaint, but Ms N did not refer the complaint to FOS until November 2025, exceeding the six-month time limit. The ombudsman found no exceptional circumstances to waive the time limit despite Ms N's sight impairment, as UKI had communicated appropriately. On the only issue that could be considered (adhesive used on kitchen floor), the ombudsman found no persuasive evidence of error and did not uphold the complaint.

The Ombudsman's reasoning

The ombudsman applied the six-month time limit rule strictly, finding that the complaint was referred out of time. While considering Ms N's health issues and sight impairment, the ombudsman found that UKI had communicated appropriately by providing large font responses and explaining referral rights by phone, and therefore no exceptional circumstances existed to waive the time limit. On the adhesive issue that could be considered, the ombudsman placed significant weight on expert evidence from Ms N's own contractor confirming the adhesive was suitable, and found no persuasive evidence of error by UKI.

How this compares

Source

Read the original decision on the Financial Ombudsman Service website