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Car Insurance claims

Getting you back on the road matters to us. We’re here to help, from making a car insurance claim to getting it settled. 

Before you start

Not all accidents or incidents will result in a claim being made on your policy. It’s your decision whether you want to claim on your insurance or pay for any damage to your car yourself.

Depending on the excess on your policy, for some smaller repairs it may be cheaper to pay for them yourself rather than making a claim and paying the excess.

If you haven't protected your no claims bonus, you may decide to keep this rather than make the claim.

However, you do need to notify us in all cases to ensure that our records are correct and your policy has the correct level of cover.

Not sure whether to claim?

In an ideal world, we hope that you won’t need to make a claim, but we all know that accidents can, and do happen.

If you should need to make a claim please rest assured we have a dedicated team ready to help you.

 We will aim to make the whole process as clear and as quick as possible.

For car insurance claims and key care cover please get in touch.

If your windscreen, side or rear windows or sunroof is damaged or broken please call our claims team or book online.

Halifax Car Insurance is underwritten by a panel of insurers and is arranged and administered by BISL Limited. When getting a quote online you’ll be taken to BISL Limited’s online site with a new privacy and cookie policy.

How we'll handle your claim

Tell us about your claim

If your claim is due to a car accident you don't need to tell us straight away but we'd recommend you contact us within 24 hours if possible.

To help us process your claim you'll need to provide some details.

This could include:

  • your policy number
  • the date and time of your accident or incident
  • details of any third party involvement
  • details of any eye witnesses
  • if the police or emergency services were involved.

We’ll review your car claim

We’ll review your car insurance policy and check the details of your claim against the policy. We will advise on any excess amounts that may be applicable to you based on your policy.

We will review any No Claims Discounts you may have and whether this will be impacted.

If possible, we may ask for any additional evidence such as photographs or videos you may have taken on a dash cam to support your claim. Please be aware that not all of our insurers from our panel of insurers accept video footage. This will be discussed as part of your claim.

How we’ll settle your claim

We'll aim to settle your claim as quickly as possible. The time it takes to settle a claim will depend on the type of claim made.

For instance, accidental damage may take less time to resolve than claims where there may be a third party involvement.

Your insurer will keep you up to date on the progress of your claim from beginning to end.

Lets talk

Relax. If you need to make a claim, we'll aim to get you back on the road as soon as possible. From starting your claim to getting it settled, we’ll keep it simple.

Get in touch.

Need extra help?

We’ve put some frequently asked questions and answers together about making a car insurance claim.

This includes information about:

  • what you need to do if you have an accident
  • what to do if your car is stolen
  • what to do if your windscreen is damaged or broken 
  • different types of car insurance claims
  • how to make a claim
  • what happens to your No Claims Discount (NCD) is you make a claim
  • what happens if repairs need to be made to your car
  • am I eligible for Guaranteed Replacement Car Cover?

Read our making a claim FAQs

Frequently asked questions

  • Car insurance can vary between policies and providers, so the best way to check what’s covered is to review your policy documents.

    You can access and manage your Halifax car insurance policy online at any time using My Account. This includes the option to view, download or print your policy documents.

    If you have comprehensive car insurance, you can make a claim regardless of who was at fault. Just be aware, you might need to pay excess on your claim, and your no claims discount could be lost or reduced if your insurer can’t recover expenses from a third party’s insurer.

    If you have third party or third party, fire and theft car insurance, you can still make a claim through your own insurer. If you’re found to be at fault, once you’ve paid any excess, damage caused to other vehicles and property will be covered. However, you’ll have to pay for any damage to your own vehicle yourself.

    To speak to a representative about your car insurance policy or to make a claim, get in touch.

  • Car insurance excess is the amount you'll need to pay towards a claim against your policy.

    • If you were at fault, the cost of insured repairs will come from your insurer’s fund
    • If someone else was at fault, hopefully costs will be recovered from their insurer.

    There are two main types of excess:

    Standard or compulsory excess – as the name suggests, this is the standard amount you’ll need to pay towards any car insurance claim.

    Voluntary excess – many insurers will allow you to set a higher excess amount. Although this could reduce your annual car insurance premium, you’ll need to pay more if you need to make a claim.
    Make sure you’re realistic about what you could afford if you were involved in an accident.

    Check the terms of your car insurance policy carefully, so you understand any excess costs. Both compulsory and voluntary excess can apply in some circumstances.

    It’s your decision whether you want to claim on your insurance. Depending on the excess amount you’ve set on your policy, for small repairs it might be cheaper to pay out of your own pocket.

    If you’re in an accident though, you still need to inform your insurer, even if you don’t plan to claim.

  • The Motor Insurance Database (MID) makes it easy to check if a vehicle is insured. It’s a central record of all insured vehicles in the UK, which all insurance companies contribute to as members of the Motor Insurers’ Bureau (MIB).

    If you’re there when an accident or incident takes place, collect as much information as possible.

    Make a note of any other driver names, addresses, contact details and vehicle registration numbers. If there are other witnesses at the scene, ask for their details too.

    As long as it’s safe to do so, take pictures and videos of the scene and any damage.

    If you find out that the driver was uninsured, either before or after you’ve made a claim, it’s important that you contact the Police within:

    • five days if there’s damage to your car or property
    • 14 days if you you’ve been injured in an accident

    You should also contact your insurer.

    If you have comprehensive car insurance, although the process will be more complicated, you should still be able to make a claim.

    It’s just useful to know that, depending on the terms of your individual policy, you might lose some or all of your no claims discount, and your insurance premiums could increase.

    If you only have third party or third-party fire and theft cover, you might be able to make a claim through the Motor Insurers’ Bureau (MIB). An excess charge might apply.

    If you’re not around when an accident or incident takes place, and the person at fault leaves no information for you to follow up on, they’d be classed as an untraceable driver.

    In this situation, although it’s still important to contact your insurer, your first phone call should be to the Police. To stand any chance of making a successful claim, you’ll need help to gather evidence, which could include:

    • CCTV footage
    • Dash-cam footage
    • Witness statements
    • Photographs of damage, and even related marks on road surfaces

    The Motor Insurers’ Bureau (MIB) handle untraceable driver claims made within nine months of the event. Again, an excess charge might apply.

    MIB will also work with the Police to establish who was at fault.

    If you were wholly or partially responsible, the amount you receive could be reduced, or your claim will be rejected entirely.

  • Regardless of who was at fault, making a car insurance claim can lead to an increase in your premium costs. This usually accounts for a perceived increase in risk.

    Claims can also have an impact on your no claims discount (NCD), depending on:

    • the type of claim you’re making
    • whether you’ve chosen to protect your NCD

    Non-fault claims

    This is where the fault lies completely with someone else. For example, if your car is securely parked and another driver reverses into it, any damage caused would be their fault.

    As long as your insurer can recover the repair costs from another driver’s insurance company, or from the individual themselves, the claim will be recorded as a non-fault claim on your insurance history.

    In this situation, it’s unlikely to affect your NCD.

    Fault claims

    If you’ve caused an accident, that will be recorded on your insurance claims history.

    This could also be the case in situations where the blame sits elsewhere, but your insurer can’t recover funds from elsewhere. For example, if your car is vandalised and the offender can’t be found.

    In this situation, you could lose some or all of your NCD.

    If you’re hit by an uninsured driver

    If you have comprehensive car insurance, although the process will be more complicated, you should still be able to make a claim. However, you could lose some or all of your NCD.

    If you only have third party or third-party fire and theft cover, you might be able to make a claim through the Motor Insurers’ Bureau (MIB). An excess charge might apply.

    If you’re not around when an accident or incident takes place, and the person at fault leaves no information for you to follow up on, they’d be classed as an untraceable driver.

    In this situation, although it’s still important to contact your insurer, your first phone call should be to the Police. They might be able to gather evidence in support of a future claim.

    The Motor Insurers’ Bureau (MIB) handle untraceable driver claims made within nine months of the event. Again, an excess charge might apply.

    In claims where funds can’t be recovered, your NCD will be reduced, regardless of who was at fault:

    • Five or more years of NCD will be reduced to three years
    • Less than five years of NCD will be reduced by two years

    If you’ve chosen to protect your NCD with Halifax, you can make two claims in any three-year period without any impact or reduction. However, any further claims will affect your NCD.

  • Yes. You must tell your insurer about any accidents or incidents you’ve been involved in within the last five years, even if you don’t plan to make a claim on your car insurance.

    It could invalidate your policy if you don’t give full and accurate information.

    Insurers share and check information using various databases, including the Claims and Underwriting Exchange (CUE), so it’s likely that anything you don’t disclose will be picked up.

    In addition, if a third party is involved, even if you don’t make a claim, they might.

    Although it could result in an increase in your car insurance premium, honesty is the best policy.

    It’s your decision whether you want to claim on your insurance to repair any damage.

    Depending on the excess amount you’ve set on your policy, for small repairs it might be cheaper to pay out of your own pocket.

    Either way, you need to inform your insurer if you’re ever involved in an accident or incident.

Read more FAQs

Halifax is a division of Bank of Scotland plc. Registered in Scotland No. SC327000. Registered Office: The Mound, Edinburgh EH1 1YZ. Bank of Scotland plc is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority under registration number 169628.