What should you not say when making an insurance claim?
Never lie, exaggerate or hide anything, as that is fraud and voids your cover; the point is to stick to facts you know. Avoid guessing at the cause, admitting to neglect or maintenance failings you are not sure of, or downplaying the damage on the spot. Report what you saw and when, and let professional evidence such as a plumber's report speak to what caused the leak.
Honesty is the non-negotiable. Lying, inflating a claim or concealing relevant facts is insurance fraud, and it can void your policy and become a criminal matter. Nothing in this answer is about hiding the truth. It is about not volunteering guesses and opinions you cannot back up and that the insurer may record as fact.
The most common mistake is speculating about the cause. If you say off the cuff that the pipe had probably been dripping for months, or that you had been meaning to fix it, you may hand the insurer a reason to argue gradual damage or lack of maintenance, both of which are often excluded. Stick to what you observed: when you found it, what you saw, and what you did. If you do not know the cause, say so and let a plumber establish it.
Do not downplay the damage to seem easygoing either. You might say it is 'not too bad' while still in shock, then find far more damage once someone lifts the floors. Describe what you can see and say the full extent is still being assessed, rather than putting a reassuring but wrong figure on record early.
Be careful with admissions of neglect you are not sure about. Do not accept blame for missed maintenance you cannot confirm, and do not agree with a leading question to move the call along. If an adjuster suggests the damage looks long-standing and you do not know that to be true, it is fair to say you are not certain and that you would like the cause professionally assessed.
Report facts, keep evidence, and get professional documentation of the cause and extent. If you are worried about being caught out or talked down on a call, appoint your own loss assessor to handle communications, or confirm the key points in writing so there is a clear, accurate record.
Phrasings that cause problems
None of this is about concealment. Each pairing below says the same true thing in a way that does not record a guess as a fact.
- Instead of "it's probably been leaking a while", say "I discovered it on this date and I do not know how long it had been going. The plumber is assessing the cause."
- Instead of "I'd been meaning to get that fixed", say what you did know about and when you reported or acted on it.
- Instead of "the pipes are ancient", describe the property's age and leave the condition of the component to the plumber's report.
- Instead of "it's not too bad", say the damage is still being assessed and you will confirm the extent once the floors are lifted.
- Instead of "yes, I suppose it could have been", say you are not certain and would like the cause professionally assessed.
- Instead of estimating a value on the spot, say you are compiling an itemised list with evidence of value.
Calls are recorded and used
Insurers record claim calls and the notes go on the file. An offhand remark in the first call can resurface months later in a refusal letter as your own account of the cause, quoted back at you.
If you gave an early answer you now know was wrong, correct it in writing rather than hoping it goes unnoticed. Explain what you have since learned and from whom. A documented correction supported by a professional report is treated very differently from an inconsistency the insurer finds on its own.
You can also ask for a copy of the call recordings and the claim file. A subject access request obliges the insurer to provide the personal data it holds about you, usually within a month and at no cost.
The loss adjuster's visit
The adjuster is polite, professional and paid by the insurer to form a view on cause and value. Being cooperative is right; treating the visit as a casual chat is not.
Walk them through the damage room by room, show them the failed component if you kept it, and hand over the plumber's report and your photographs rather than describing them. If you are asked something you do not know, say you do not know. Afterwards, email the insurer a short note of what was discussed and anything you agreed to send, so there is a record that does not depend on the adjuster's own write-up.
What you post publicly
Insurers do look at open social media on contested claims, and posts made in the middle of a claim have a way of being read uncharitably later.
The problems are usually innocent. A post from a fortnight before saying the bathroom had been leaking for ages, photographs that show a room in a different condition from the one described, or a holiday album covering the period a property was supposed to be occupied. None of these proves anything on its own, and all of them invite questions you then have to answer.
The sensible approach is not secrecy but consistency: what you tell the insurer, what your evidence shows, and what is visible publicly should all say the same thing. If something public looks contradictory but has an explanation, raise it yourself rather than letting it be discovered.
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Related questions
This is general information about UK home insurance claims, not financial or policy-specific advice. Always check your own policy wording.