Insurance claims – the questions our clients really ask (and the answers)

March 26, 2026

The point of having insurance is so you can make a claim if you need to, right? So, what’s it really like behind the scenes of an in-house claims team? And what questions do we get asked the most?

In this blog, we share real questions from real clients to prepare you in case you ever need to make a claim and shed some light on the more confusing bits of the claims process.

Questions our clients ask about ‘insurance excess’

#1 Why do I have to pay the excess when I’m not at fault?

Insurance excess generally applies to all policies and claims, with the exception of Employer’s Liability Insurance. It’s typically deducted from the insurer’s first payment on a claim, and in many cases, you’ll be required to pay the excess even if you’re not at fault. If you do have to pay it, your insurer may be able to instruct an Uninsured Loss Recovery solicitor to recover the excess from the responsible party.

#2 “What’s my excess?”

One of the most common questions we get asked is “What’s my excess?”

Now obviously, we can’t answer that question in a blog, but we can give you a quick trick for finding it…

Quick search: Search for ‘insurer’s name’ + policy (or schedule) in your emails. The excess is normally on the first few pages of the schedule.

‘Appy’ days: If your insurer has an app, your excess is almost always listed under the ‘Policy Details’ or ‘Manage Policy’ section.

Questions our clients ask about ‘solicitors’

#3 Why do I have to pay VAT on solicitors’ costs?

Insurance is treated as a financial service, so insurance premiums are exempt from VAT and insurers aren’t VAT registered. However, solicitors (if they are VAT-registered, which most are) do charge VAT and that cost is passed onto you.

If the insurance is for your business and your business is also VAT-registered, you can reclaim the VAT from HMRC through your VAT return. But if the insurance is for your personal life, you won’t be able to reclaim the VAT.

#4 Why can’t I use my own solicitors for an insurance claim?

Insurance companies often have an approved panel of solicitors to handle legal claims on behalf of policy holders and make sure legal standards are met.

Insurers have established relationships with these ‘panel solicitors’, which can help when there’s a particularly challenging claim or when costs need to be closely monitored.

Questions our clients ask about the ‘timing of claims’

#5 What happens if I don’t report my claim for several weeks?

If you delay reporting a claim and your insurer believes the delay has prejudiced their ability to assess the damage or liability, they could reject your claim. It’s why we always recommend that you report a claim the day it happens. You can always withdraw a claim later on, or ask our claims team to just keep it on record for information purposes.

#6 Will it affect my premium if I withdraw a claim?

No, your premium won’t be affected if you withdraw a claim. The records will simply show that the claim has been withdrawn and no payments were made.

#7 What is a ‘claims made’ basis?

Insurance policies can be written on a ‘claims made’ basis or a ‘claims occurring’ basis (also called ‘claims arising’ and ‘losses occurring’). ‘Claims made’ is where a claim (or any circumstance that could reasonably lead to a claim) has to be made during the policy period and should be reported as soon as you become aware of it. This could include potential legal disputes, staff dismissals or situations where incorrect or misleading advice may have been given.

This is different to a ‘claims occurring’ basis where cover includes incidents within the policy period regardless of when the claim is made.

#8 How do I make a claim and what information do I need to provide?

All Macbeth clients have access to our free, in-house claims service (it’s included with every policy at no extra cost). All you have to do is fill out this simple form and give us:

The date and location of the incident

A brief description of the circumstances

Photos and quotes if applicable

We’ll also ask for your VAT status and bank details in preparation for settlement.

#9 How long do insurers take to respond, process a claim and decide on liability?

This is the million-dollar question and unfortunately there is no set answer; each insurer is different and their response depends on the type of claim. But the good news is, when you buy insurance through Macbeth, we do all the chasing and following up for you and we’ll even give you advice and guidance if your claim is turned down.