Challenge the insurer directly
Address the disputed reasoning and put the relevant policy terms, evidence and unanswered points back to the insurer in a focused way.
Before You Submit to the Financial Ombudsman
How do I resolve a dispute with an insurance company?
If your insurer has rejected your claim, offered too little or will not change its position, do not assume your only option is to take the dispute straight to the Financial Ombudsman. First establish what is actually wrong with the insurer's decision and which route gives you the best realistic chance of resolving it.
Start My Free Claim Review
Understand the decision
What is the insurer actually relying on?
Test the evidence
Does the material support or undermine that position?
Choose the strongest route
Do not escalate automatically without considering the alternatives.
Start With the Insurer
Find out exactly why the claim is being disputed
If an insurance company has refused your claim or offered less than you believe should be paid, get its position clearly set out in writing.
A useful challenge deals with the reason the insurer has actually given. The dispute might concern a policy exclusion, the cause of the damage, wear and tear, underinsurance, non-disclosure, valuation or conclusions reached by a loss adjuster or expert.
A strong insurance dispute is not simply an argument that the insurer has been unfair. It identifies what may be wrong with the decision, the evidence that challenges it and what should happen instead.
Before Automatically Going to FOS
The Financial Ombudsman is one route. It is not the only route.
The Financial Ombudsman Service is free for eligible complainants and can be appropriate in some cases. But referring a complaint does not mean it will be upheld. Its own published figures show that most resolved complaints in several major insurance categories were not upheld in favour of the customer.
67%
Buildings insurance
Complaints not upheld in Q1 2026/27, based on the published 33% uphold rate.
63%
Commercial property
Complaints not upheld in the same quarter, based on the published 37% uphold rate.
76%
Contents insurance
Complaints not upheld in the same quarter, based on the published 24% uphold rate.
The question should not simply be “Can I send this to the Ombudsman?” It should be “Is FOS actually the strongest way of resolving my particular insurance dispute?”
Source: Financial Ombudsman Service Q1 2026/27 published complaint data.
See the
IDS FOS Insurance Outcomes Monitor
.
Choose the Route
There may be a more effective step before referring the dispute to FOS
The right route depends on the policy, evidence, value of the claim and what the insurer has actually said.
Strengthen the evidence
An independent report, valuation or expert opinion may answer the issue that is preventing the claim from being resolved.
Negotiate a resolution
Some disputes can be moved forward by isolating the genuine areas of disagreement and challenging those points before escalating further.
Consider FOS or a legal route
FOS may still be appropriate. In higher-value or legally complex disputes, specialist legal advice, barrister input or litigation may also need to be considered.
Before You Submit
Consider the wider dispute before committing to the Ombudsman route
There is an important distinction between asking whether FOS can consider a complaint and deciding whether FOS is the best route for that particular dispute.
FOS explains that if a complainant accepts an Ombudsman's final decision, that decision becomes binding on the business and the complainant is unlikely then to be able to pursue the business through the courts for further compensation relating to the same complaint.
Separate court limitation periods can also continue running while an Ombudsman complaint is being dealt with.
Important: where a claim is substantial, technically complex or could ultimately involve litigation, it is sensible to understand the available routes before important procedural decisions are made.
Insurance Dispute Service
Have the insurer's decision reviewed before deciding what to do next
Insurance Dispute Service reviews rejected, underpaid, delayed and disputed insurance claims for individuals and businesses.
We can examine the insurer's decision, policy wording, correspondence, reports, valuations and supporting evidence and identify the central points that need to be addressed.
We can then consider the realistic routes available. That might mean challenging the insurer directly, obtaining further evidence, negotiating a different outcome or considering FOS, specialist legal advice or litigation.
Choose the route after understanding the dispute — not simply because the
Financial Ombudsman appears to be the obvious next step.
Independent service: the Financial Ombudsman Service is free for eligible complainants and you do not need to use a representative. Insurance Dispute Service is independent of FOS and insurance companies. No particular outcome can be guaranteed.
Before you submit to FOS, let us look at your case.
If your insurance claim has been rejected, underpaid, delayed or disputed, send us the basic details and the insurer's latest decision. Our initial review is free.