Pre-Market Sounding: Claims Handling

FSCS's claims handling process can be summarised as follows:

Customer Contact Services

Email and webchat: The primary channel for customer communication, providing answers to customer queries and handling customer escalations and complaints

Phone/helpline: The voice channel for customer service, providing answers to customer queries and handling customer escalations and complaints

Post: The channel for processing all incoming post. This includes processing post that is both assigned to a claim, or unassigned, and ensuring that it reaches the correct recipient.

Document Management Services

Processing, scanning, validation and distribution of inbound mail

Outbound mail production

Physical storage of documents

Claims Processing – which includes:

Identity Verification –verifying the identity of the customer

Claim creation and electronic file building – setting up claims records on the FSCS system

Triage and allocation – including prioritisation of urgent claims and vulnerable customers

Data Gathering and Validation – ensuring all material information is available to assess the claim

Customer touchpoint - ensuring the customer is kept up to date on their claim including setting out next steps by phone and in writing

Assessment – reviewing the material information to determine the eligibility of the customer and the outcome of the claim

Decision – reaching a decision and issuing the decision outcome letter

Quantification – determining the correct level of compensation

Appeals and post decision contact

Quality Review – independently verifying the assessment/quantification and the supporting evidence, and providing ongoing feedback, support and training where necessary