Partially upheld: claims handling - delays and failure to provide report complaint against UK Insurance Limited

Decision detail

Summary

Mrs F and Mr F complained to the FOS in February 2025 about UKI's handling of their home insurance claim for suspected subsidence, which was first made in July 2023. The main issues were delays in claim progression and UKI's refusal to provide a technical report (M report) to the complainants. UKI had already paid £900 in compensation for delays and acknowledged service failures. The ombudsman found that while the compensation for delays was fair, UKI's failure to provide the M report when requested added to the complainants' distress and inconvenience. The ombudsman upheld the complaint in relation to the M report and ordered an additional £200 compensation, but could not consider the October 2023 final response as it was referred outside the six-month statutory time limit.

The Ombudsman's reasoning

The ombudsman found that while some delays were unavoidable and compensation of £900 total (£200 and £700) was fair for delays and inconvenience, UKI failed to provide the M report when requested. The ombudsman determined that withholding the report added to Mr and Mrs F's frustration and inconvenience, particularly as the complaint about the report was made in September 2025 and UKI's justification that the report was subject to change did not justify non-disclosure. The ombudsman could not consider the October 2023 response as it was referred outside the six-month statutory time limit and no exceptional circumstances were found to justify the delay.

How this compares

Source

Read the original decision on the Financial Ombudsman Service website