Job description

Insurance companies employ Claims staff to manage claims made by their policy holders.

The role of the Claims department is diverse and involves:

• Establishing whether claims are valid.
• Assessing liability for each claim.
• Settlement of payments to policy holders.
• Advising policy holders on suitable repair companies.

There are a variety of job titles within Claims, including Claims Inspector, Claims Handler and Claims Assessor. Whatever the job title, daily duties might include:

• Speaking to policy holders to advise whether a claim can be made and what processes are involved.
• Establishing the circumstances of accidents and investigating liability.
• Visiting insured premises to assess extent of damage.
• Speaking to tradesmen to organise repair of property.
• Recording details of claims on internal systems.
• Arranging payment of any claim to policy holder or contractor.
• Regular contact with Loss Adjusters.
• Liaison with police and fire departments.

Qualifications

Quite often companies prefer candidates to be degree educated. Once in the role, some companies encourage their staff to study for exams offered by the Chartered Insurance Institute (CII).

Salary Snapshot

Recent salaries for roles advertised at time of writing (Dec 2009) include:

• £35-40,000 plus benefits for a Senior Claims Assessor in Birmingham.
• £32-38,000 plus benefits for a Marine Claims Team Manager in London.
• £18-25,000 plus benefits for a Personal Injury Claims Assessor in Leeds.
• £35-38,000 plus benefits for a Claims Manager in Brighton.

Do you work in Claims? Would you like to contribute to our "Day in the Life of..." series? Email us at info@topfinancialjobs.co.uk for more details.