Home insurance should be simple. When something goes wrong, you report the damage, provide evidence, and the insurer arranges repairs or pays for the work to be carried out. But a recent FT investigation shows that this ideal isn’t always the reality. Many homeowners across the UK are facing long delays, confusing communication, and disputes over what should be covered.

These experiences don’t reflect every insurer or every claim. But the pattern described in the FT’s reporting does highlight something important: the claims process has become more complicated for households, even when the policy is valid and the damage is clear.

To understand why, it helps to look beyond the headlines and examine the wider pressures shaping the way claims are handled. You can read more about the factors that slow claims down in our article on the hidden reasons home insurance claims are delayed, which explains the technical steps that often hold up progress.

1. Modern reinstatement is far more complex than it used to be

A leak or fire rarely affects only one part of a home. Today’s homes include:

• engineered flooring
• built-in kitchens
• multiple layers of insulation
• plasterboard systems
• interconnected pipework
• underfloor heating in some properties

When a leak spreads through several rooms, the reinstatement process becomes a coordinated project involving different trades. Drying alone can take weeks. Until that step is complete, no one can provide a final scope of work. This slows everything down.

2. Rising building costs affect the entire chain

The FT highlights a key pressure: the cost of repairs has increased sharply in recent years. This influences:

• contractor availability
• lead times
• material choices
• the accuracy of early estimates
• the size of final settlement figures

Even when a claim is accepted, these pressures can make the reinstatement slower and more involved than homeowners expect.

3. Claims now involve more parties

Most homeowners assume they will deal only with their insurer. In practice, a single claim can involve:

• call handlers
• outsourced claims management teams
• loss adjusters
• surveyors
• drying contractors
• building contractors
• quality assurance teams

Each group plays a different role. When communication isn’t perfectly aligned, delays and misunderstandings can occur.

This is one of the issues highlighted in the FT article: people often feel they’re repeating information, being passed between departments, or waiting for answers that rely on several steps behind the scenes.

4. Decision-making has become more layered

The FT piece notes that customers often “speak to administrators who are not close to the decision maker”. This can happen because:

• adjusters assess damage but don’t authorise payment
• call handlers record information but don’t direct contractors
• building costs require internal approval
• cash settlements above certain amounts require review

This doesn’t indicate bad intent. It reflects the structural complexity of the system.

5. Homeowners often underestimate the documentation required

Many claims fail not because the homeowner is wrong, but because essential evidence is missing. Common gaps include:

• no photos from early in the incident
• unclear explanation of the cause of damage
• invoices without itemised breakdowns
• incomplete moisture readings
• conflicting contractor reports

The FT article shows how easily these gaps can grow when the process is already stressful.

A fuller explanation of the evidence gaps that lead to declined claims is available in our guide on why some home insurance claims are rejected, which outlines the most common documentary issues.

6. Policy wording is harder to interpret than most people realise

The FT quotes examples of customers surprised by what was — or wasn’t — included in their policy.

Many assumptions arise from:

• misunderstanding wear-and-tear clauses
• confusing accidental damage with escape of water
• unclear definitions of “gradual” vs “sudden”
• uncertainty about alternative accommodation entitlements

This is not about blame. Insurance policies cover specific events. The difficulty is that many people only read the fine print after they need to make a claim.

7. Emotional pressure makes everything feel worse

One of the strongest themes in the FT article is the human impact. Living with:

• damp rooms
• dehumidifiers
• temporary repairs
• delays
• uncertainty

can be overwhelming. It becomes harder to keep track of documents, ask the right questions, or chase updates.

This emotional strain is real, and it shapes the experience of the claim as much as the technical issues.

Where does this leave homeowners?

The FT article has one clear message: the system is difficult to navigate alone. Not because anyone intends to make it so, but because insurance, building reinstatement, and evidence-gathering have all become more complex.

Our own Northern Ireland claims data also shows clear local patterns in settlement values, common perils and the factors that shape reinstatement, which we outline in our overview of home insurance claims trends across NI.

However, this does not mean homeowners are powerless. With clear documentation, steady communication, and early understanding of what insurers need to see, the process can be far more manageable.

As this series continues, we will explore practical ways to reduce these pressures, understand the process, and avoid common pitfalls.

Next in the FT Response Series

Part 2: “The Hidden Reasons Claims Get Delayed: What the FT Story Didn’t Fully Explain”

You can follow the rest of this series through our main hub page, which links to all articles in the FT Response Series.