The challenge with trust is a well-known among insurers, brokers and clients. Consumers and businesses generally accept that insurance is essential, but many still doubt that policies will perform when it matters.
When do perceptions about insurance form?
Recent UK research by the Chartered Insurance Institute found that, among one thousand 12–16‑year‑olds, only 18% had learned about insurance in school. Alternatively, nearly three quarters turned first to family for information and 40% cited social media as a key source. Both channels can be helpful but are often partial or biased. Therefore, it seems logical than even rational consumers approach the product with mistrust. These perceptions start forming long before people ever buy a policy, underlining how education may benefit the sector.
Who trusts insurance providers?
Survey data paints a nuanced picture.
Overall trust scores in insurers have been drifting down since around 2023 after several years of improvement, but some groups are relatively more trusting. According to a survey taken in Spring of 2025, people who have made a claim in the last three years tend to trust their insurer more than those who have never claimed. This fits the idea that trust grows when customers have seen the promise fulfilled in practice. In home insurance, for example, around three quarters of recent claimants report being very or fairly satisfied with the value of their cover, compared with those who have not claimed. Customers who buy through advisers or brokers are also consistently more trusting than those who buy direct, and both are more trusting than customers who purchase purely through comparison sites. The latter may be true as when things go wrong people still have a preference to speak to a real human. Comparison sites, while arguably more accessible, often refer their clients to call centres or AI chat bots.
What do industry professionals think?
It can be easy to assume that just because insurers and brokers advocate for the purchase and access to insurance, they are unable to acknowledge its flaws. This is where most people are wrong.
From inside the market, it may be true that many professionals believe the core product works better than the public assumes. An assertion supported by claim statistics. However, it is also well-documented that the claims wait can be delayed, long and importantly costly for the consumer.
Industry surveys reveal deep concern about how these delays are perceived. A large majority of insurance professionals say that claims processes are not as transparent as they should be, and almost all, 91% of respondents, want more granular, accessible updates for brokers and policyholders. The sense within the market is that the technical engine is functioning, but communication and customer experience are lagging.
What are the key barriers that perpetuate mistrust?
Several structural barriers keep mistrust a challenge. Complexity is a major one: many customers confidently believe they understand their cover, but one study highlighted that these customers are often wrong on what their policy includes and excludes. This gap between perceived and actual understanding leads to disappointment at claim time. Limited, informal information sources in early life can entrench misconceptions. On the industry side, legacy systems and cautious communication make it hard to offer real‑time, plain‑English visibility into claims. Price pressures, rising excesses and products that feel opaque or inflexible further erode confidence. To shift trust, insurers and brokers will need to invest as much in clarity, education and transparency as they do in underwriting and claims operations.
