Insurers paid out £1.4 billion in claims during the second quarter of the year to help homeowners and businesses cope with unexpected and unwanted events like fire and flooding, according to the latest data from the Association of British Insurers (ABI).1
This is a quarterly high since the ABI started collecting the data in 2017 - and a 5% increase on Q1 2024 when payouts reached £1.3 billion. The average payout per home insurance claim was also up, rising 16% on the previous quarter to £5,284.
The quarterly rise in claims comes as adverse weather continues to play a significant role in the amount insurers pay out in home insurance claims.
The latest claims data from the ABI reveals:
- Claims for damage to homes from storms, heavy rain and frozen pipes reached £144 million in Q2 of this year. This is the fifth consecutive quarter that weather-related claims have been above £100 million.
- Weather wasn’t just a problem for homeowners. Claims for weather damage to businesses remained high at £81 million.
- Subsidence payouts for home insurance claims were also up in the second quarter of the year, hitting £60 million – the highest quarterly figure on record and up 12% on the £53 million paid in Q1 2024.
Claims and costs continue to impact premiums
In the same period, the average price of home insurance rose to £396, up £21 (6%) on the previous quarter. 2 The average buildings only policy was £321, an increase of £23 (7%) from the previous quarter. For contents-only cover, the average price paid was £137 – £5 (4%) higher than Q1 2024.
Looking at the longer-term picture, the average premium for a combined policy increased 19% compared to the same period in 2023.
However, when adjusted for inflation, the average premium for a combined policy remains below levels observed in 2017.3 In real terms, the average premium for a combined policy in the second quarter of this year is 2.5% cheaper compared to Q2 2017 (£406). Meanwhile, the comparable average claim paid is 45% more expensive than Q2 2017.
EY figures show that, in 2022, for every £1 property insurers received in home insurance premiums, they paid out £1.22 in claims and expenses. EY expects further losses in 2023 – making it the fourth year in a row that property insurers will pay out more in claims than they receive in premiums.4
Louise Clark, Policy Adviser at the ABI said: “Home insurance continues to play a vital role in supporting customers when the worst happens. Despite rising cost pressures, insurers remain committed to doing everything they can to offer competitively priced cover and help their customers during a claim.
“Our latest figures demonstrate the devastating impact that adverse weather can have on people and their homes. That’s why it's important that the government takes the opportunity to reform the planning system, to focus on prevention and resilience measures to help reduce our nation’s vulnerability to the effects of climate change. Urgent government action to tackle surface water flooding and maintain flood investments and maintenance will also help reduce the future impact of flooding.”
Notes for Editors:
Footnotes
- The ABI’s Property Insurance Premium Tracker is the most comprehensive in the UK, analysing nearly 28 million policies sold a year. It’s also the only collection that is based on the price customers pay for their cover rather than what they are quoted (which typically delivers higher averages). More on this in our blog.
- The average price of a household combined buildings and contents policy.
- The earliest available comparison for inflation adjusted ABI data is Q2 2017.
- https://www.ey.com/en_uk/news/2023/10/uk-home-insurers-experienced-the-worst-performing-year-on-record
For more information, please contact ABI Press Office.