Not upheld: claim handling delays and poor communication complaint against Intact Insurance UK Limited (trading as RSA)
Financial Ombudsman decision DRN-6365903 of 2026-05-19T00:00:00+00:00. claim handling delays and poor communication complaint against Intact Insurance UK Limited (trading as RSA). Outcome: Not upheld.
Decision detail
| Reference | DRN-6365903 |
|---|---|
| Decision date | 2026-05-19T00:00:00+00:00 |
| Firm | Intact Insurance UK Limited (trading as RSA) |
| Product | home insurance |
| Claim type | claim handling delays and poor communication |
| Outcome | Not upheld |
| Remedy | No additional remedy ordered. The ombudsman upheld Intact's compensation offer of £550 (comprising £300 from the February 2024 response and £250 from subsequent responses) as fair and reasonable for the distress and inconvenience caused during the period 5 February 2024 to 12 March 2025. No compensation awarded for increased renewal premiums. |
Summary
Mr and Mrs L complained about Intact Insurance's handling of a subsidence claim that began in October 2021. After multiple complaint responses and compensation offers totaling £550, they sought additional compensation for delays between February 2024 and March 2025, and for increased insurance premiums at renewals in October 2023 and 2024 due to the open claim. The ombudsman found that while Intact caused unnecessary delays in arranging site visits and approving repair schedules during the review period, these delays did not prevent overall claim progression as the property was being monitored for stability. The ombudsman upheld Intact's compensation offer of £550 as fair recognition of the distress caused and rejected the claim for increased premiums due to insufficient evidence of financial loss. The complaint was not upheld.
The Ombudsman's reasoning
The ombudsman found that while Intact caused unnecessary delays from February 2024 to March 2025, particularly in arranging site visits and approving schedules of works, these delays did not prevent the overall claim progression as the property was still being monitored for stability. The ombudsman acknowledged that given the claim had already run over two years and a previous critical decision had been issued, Intact should have prioritized urgency. However, the ombudsman concluded that Intact's total compensation offer of £550 fairly recognized Mr and Mrs L's considerable distress and inconvenience over the 13-month period under review. Regarding the renewal premium claim, the ombudsman found insufficient evidence that premiums would have been lower had the claim closed before October 2024, noting that insurers are risk-averse regarding recent subsidence damage and the quotes provided were not strictly comparable.
How this compares
| Group | Decisions | Uphold rate |
|---|---|---|
| Intact Insurance UK Limited (trading as RSA), all decisions | 4 | 0% |
Source
Read the original decision on the Financial Ombudsman Service website