Insurance claims handler
Claims administrator, claims settler, claims technician, claims assessor
Insurance claims handlers help people who are making claims on their insurance policies.
Salary Range: £15,000 to £50,000
How to become an insurance claims handler
You can get into this job through:
- a college course
- an apprenticeship
- working towards this role
- applying directly
- a company’s trainee scheme
College
You could take the Chartered Insurance Institute’s Foundation Insurance Test award to get a basic understanding of insurance.
You can also do a Level 2 and 3 Certificate in Providing Financial Services.
Entry requirements
You’ll usually need:
- GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths
More information
Apprenticeship
You could get into this job through an advanced apprenticeship as an insurance practitioner.
Entry requirements
You’ll usually need:
- 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths, for an advanced apprenticeship
More information
Work
You may be able to start as an admin assistant or technician and work your way up to be a claims handler. You’ll usually need GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), including English and maths.
Direct application
If you want to apply directly you’ll find it useful to have:
- GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) including English and maths
- IT skills
- experience in office work or customer service
Some companies will test your skills in communication and numbers at the interview stage
Other routes
You could join a large insurance firm’s training scheme if you’ve got A levels and relevant work experience, or a degree in a relevant subject, like business studies or maths.
More information
Further information
You can find out more about working in insurance from the Chartered Insurance Institute and Discover Risk.
What it takes
Skills and knowledge
You’ll need:
- to be thorough and pay attention to detail
- customer service skills
- administration skills
- the ability to work well with others
- patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
- sensitivity and understanding
- the ability to accept criticism and work well under pressure
- excellent verbal communication skills
- to be able to carry out basic tasks on a computer or hand-held device
What you’ll do
Day-to-day tasks
Your day-to-day duties could include:
- taking details when a customer reports a claim
- issuing claim forms
- giving advice on the claim process
- checking insurance claims
- making sure premiums have been paid and that policies cover the claim
- gathering information like receipts, photographs or valuations
- telling customers how their claim might affect their policy premiums
- arranging payments on straightforward claims
- referring doubtful, complex or high-value claims to a claims manager
Working environment
You could work in an office or in a contact centre.
Career path and progression
With experience, you could work as a claims negotiator, or be promoted to claims manager.
You could move into other areas of insurance like loss adjusting, broking, account management, or compliance. With experience, you could work as a claims negotiator, or be promoted to claims manager.
You could move into other areas of insurance like loss adjusting, broking, account management, or compliance.