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Claims

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Our claims record in statistics

The most important thing we can do for you and your clients is to pay valid claims as quickly as possible. Take a look at our 2018 claims statistics below:

  • 96% of all protection claims, totaling £233.4 million
  • We paid 99% of death claims to 1,798 customers with the highest value claim £1.2 million
  • 91% of critical illness claims were paid to 912 customers, highest value claim is £2.1 million
  • We paid 95% of income protection claims, totaling £8.2 million

Zurich Life Protection Platform

  • Summary of our claims

    Our claims commitment

    At Zurich, we recognise that the claims experience is a moment of truth for our customers, giving us the opportunity to deliver on our promises.

    Each claim is dealt with individually by our dedicated specialists, ensuring that that we deliver an honest and fair outcome for every customer. We are proud of our excellent reputation and record in paying claims, while providing comprehensive support during difficult times for our customers.

    A word from Geoff Butcher, Zurich Chief Claims Officer:

    When a customer submits a claim, we understand that it’s a traumatic time for them, their family and friends. This is the point where our customers need us the most and we are committed to delivering our promise to them. By providing responsive, bespoke care and services, we can assist our customers get the outcome on their claim that they expect.

    What our customers think of us

    Once they've completed a claim, we ask our customers how likely they are to recommend Zurich to a family member or friend, among other questions about their claims experience. Companies are scored based on their responses, within a range between -100 and +100.

    In 2017, our overall claims Net Promoter Score was +75, a truly world class claims service*.

    *According to Fred Reichheld, creator of the Net Promoter System (NPS), companies who receive a NPS score above +50 are deemed world class.

  • Our 2018 claims statistics

    Below are the most common reasons customers made a claim with us in 2018:

    Main reasons for critical illness claims in 2018:

    • Cancer - 66%
    • Heart attack - 14%
    • Stroke - 8%
    • Multiple Sclerosis - 3%
    • Other - 9%

    For more detail, have a look at our 2018 claims infographic.

    Main reasons for income protection claims in 2018:

    • Mental illness - 28%
    • Cancer - 23%
    • Musculoskeletal - 10%
    • Neurological diseases - 8%
    • Other - 31%
  • Our customer experience

    See what our customers have to say

    When your client needs to make a claim, it's likely they're going through a difficult time. That's why we've made our claims process as easy and painless as possible. But don't just take our word for it, have a look at the testimonials below to see what our customers think:

    After plucking up the courage to contact you with reference to my cancer the staff could not have made this awful experience any easier. From my initial contact to the claim being fulfilled they have been nothing but professional and also checking that I was doing OK with my treatment too...a 5 star service from start to finish. 

    I am going through one of the most harrowing experiences of my life. The speed with which you dealt with my claim and the compassion your staff members offered me was life changing. You really have changed my life and made dealing with my diagnosis so much easier. Thank you Zurich.

    Very professional from start to finish. Zurich has been chasing all the information for me and made the whole process very easy and hassle free. The team was very friendly and understanding. I can't find any fault. Absolutely fantastic.

    The claims team was open, honest and understanding of the potential problems we were facing. They gave the impression Zurich wanted to help and pay out the policy rather than avoid payment.

  • Claims process

    If your client needs to make a claim, it’s likely they are going through a difficult time in their life. We are here to help make the claim process as stress free and straightforward as possible from the moment they first contact us.

    As always your client will have access to Zurich Support Services, a free and comprehensive service that offers counselling and full support whenever they need it.

    Find out more

    How to contact us

    The earlier we are notified of a claim, the sooner we can start assessing the details. Our aim is always to pay genuine claims as quickly as possible.

    You can contact us in a number of ways, over the phone, via email or through the post.

    When contacting us, it is important to provide the policy details (including the policy number if available), some basic details of the claim and the clients name and address. This enables our claims team to undertake the necessary policy checks and set up the claim for assessment.

    Keeping you informed

    Our dedicated claims specialists will contact your client at a time convenient for them to obtain the key details of the claim. This is normally over the telephone as it is a more personal and quicker approach, although in some circumstances sending out a claim form may be a more preferable option for your clients.  They will also explain how their personal data will be used and protected.

    Once we have all the information we require we will send your client a summary of the claim details to sign and return together with a consent that allows us to request any medical or other evidence required to validate the claim.

    We will always keep you and your client updated throughout the entire claims process, by text, email or phone depending on their preference. If any questions arise, the dedicated claims specialist will be on hand to answer them.

    For income protection claims, your client may be put in touch with our Rehabilitation team. This is a team of medical and vocational rehabilitation experts who can assist and support individuals as they recuperate from injury or illness.

    For more information, see our rehabilitation support page.

    When we have all the information we need, we’ll let your client know whether we can pay the claim. If it is successful we will communicate this decision to your client and make the relevant payment.

    What we need

    To assess the claim as quickly and accurately as possible, we’ll require certain information and documents. These are set out in the relevant sections split by type of claim.

    Bereavement claims

    • Policy number
    • Name of deceased
    • Cause date and place of death if known
    • Name, contact details and relationship to the deceased of the individual claiming
    • Name and contact details of the legal next of kin (if known)

    In most cases we will need to see an original death certificate. In some instances we may be able to verify the death online. If this is the case, we will inform the claimant. We may also need other information such as medical reports, a Grant of Representation or Coroners notes if they are relevant. Again we will inform if this is the case.

    Critical Illness and Terminal Illness claims

    • Policy number
    • Details of illness/diagnosis
    • GP and Medical Specialist contact details
    • Copies of any medical reports relevant to the claim that your client may have

    Income Protection claims

    • Policy number
    • Details of illness/diagnosis/when they stopped work
    • GP and Medical Specialist contact details
    • Copies of any medical reports relevant to the claim that your client may have
    • Details of occupation
    • Evidence of earnings

    Income protection policies have specific deferred period (4, 8, 13, 26, 52 or 104 weeks) after which benefit is payable. However we strongly recommend your client notifies us of their absence as soon as possible as it may be that we can support them by using the services of our Rehabilitation team before the end of the deferred period.

    Waiver of Premium claims 

    • Policy number
    • Details of illness/diagnosis
    • GP and Medical Specialist contact details
    • Copies of any medical reports relevant to the claim that your client may have
    • Details of occupation
  • Contact details
    To make the claim process as efficient and easy as possible, please make sure you've got all the correct information from your client stated in the 'What we need' section.

Documents

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Underwriting

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Our expert underwriting team deal with each case individually

Useful links

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Tools and calculators

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We've created a range of tools to support you