Insurance Claims Handler
Also advertised as: Claims Adviser, Claims Handler, Claims Officer, Insurance Claims Handler, Motor Claims Handler, Property Claims Handler
Assesses and processes insurance claims, deciding what a policy covers and arranging payouts.
What the job involves
Claims handlers investigate reported losses, from car accidents to burst pipes, and decide how much a policy will pay. You gather evidence, liaise with loss adjusters or repairers, and communicate decisions to policyholders who are often stressed. It is a customer-facing role with real decision-making responsibility from an early stage.
Typical responsibilities
- Assess new claims against policy terms
- Gather evidence from customers and third parties
- Instruct loss adjusters, engineers or repairers
- Negotiate settlement amounts
- Identify potential fraud indicators
Common employers
- Insurance companies
- Loss adjusting firms
- Insurance brokers
Pay, hours and working environment
Typical pay
£21,000 – £26,000 a year
With experience
£29,000 – £40,000 a year
Typical hours
37.5 hours, some shift patterns for motor claims
Working environment
Office based or hybrid
Remote working
hybrid
Demand for this work
steady
Pay ranges are indicative guidance drawn from advertised UK vacancies and published careers information. They are not an offer, and actual pay varies by employer, location and experience.
Skills and qualifications
Core skills
- Decision making
- Customer communication
- Negotiation
- Attention to detail
- Resilience
Transferable skills you may already have
- Customer service
- Complaint handling
- Assessing evidence to reach a conclusion
Requirements employers ask for
- Decision making
- Customer communication
- Negotiation
- Attention to detail
- Resilience
- GCSEs including maths and English
Useful but not essential
- Customer service
- Complaint handling
- Assessing evidence to reach a conclusion
- Chartered Insurance Institute (CII) Certificate in Insurance
Helpful qualifications
- Chartered Insurance Institute (CII) Certificate in Insurance
Ways into this career
A degree is only one route. Where an apprenticeship, work-experience or qualification route exists, it is listed here alongside the academic option.
Apprenticeships and work-based routes
- Insurance Practitioner (Level 3)
Degree and college routes
- Related subject: Business studies
- Related subject: Maths
Where this career can lead
next
Senior Claims Handler
next
Claims Team Leader
next
Loss Adjuster
The good parts and the hard parts
What people enjoy
- Real decision-making authority early on
- CII qualifications open doors across insurance
- Helping people through a difficult moment can be rewarding
What people find hard
- Customers are often upset or frustrated
- Fraudulent claims add a difficult layer of suspicion
Common questions
- Do you need a degree to become a insurance claims handler?
- No. As well as degree routes, this career can be entered through an apprenticeship or by building experience and qualifications on the job. not_required
- How much does a insurance claims handler earn in the UK?
- Typical advertised pay runs from £21,000 to £26,000 a year, rising towards £40,000 with experience. Figures are indicative guidance rather than an offer.
- What skills transfer into this career?
- Skills that transfer well include Customer service, Complaint handling, Assessing evidence to reach a conclusion.
Related careers
Mortgage Adviser
Advises people on mortgages and protection, and takes their application through to completion.
Accounts Assistant
Processes invoices, payments and reconciliations and supports the monthly accounts.
Financial Adviser
Advises clients on pensions, investments and protection against their long-term goals.
Management Accountant
Turns financial data into budgets, forecasts and advice managers can act on.
Payroll Administrator
Makes sure everyone is paid correctly and on time, and that HMRC reporting is right.
Insurance Underwriter
Decides which risks an insurer will cover and on what terms and price.
Where this information comes from
- National Careers Service
- Institute for Apprenticeships
Last reviewed 14 September 2026.
Read how our career data is built and reviewed, or tell us if something here is wrong.