The British Insurance Brokers’ Association (BIBA) has published new guidance aimed at reducing disputes over disclosure requirements in the insurance market.
The guidance seeks to minimise the risk of claims being rejected or reduced due to misunderstandings around what information policyholders are expected to provide when arranging cover.
The document, titled A clearer approach to disclosure, outlines steps for standardising the way insurers and brokers gather information from clients. It focuses on improving the clarity and structure of underwriting questions, with the aim of reducing ambiguity for both customers and insurers.
BIBA said the guidance is intended to address common issues where unclear or open-ended questions have resulted in customers unintentionally omitting relevant information. According to the association, this has been a contributing factor in cases where claims have been disputed, particularly involving historic criminal offences, insolvency events, or previous policy cancellations and voidances.
Alastair Blundel, BIBA’s head of General Insurance, said the organisation has been made aware of instances where uncertainty around what needed to be disclosed led to negative outcomes for customers. He noted that a key recommendation in the guidance is to avoid indefinite questions such as “have you ever had a County Court Judgment” or “have you ever had a policy cancelled” and instead specify a clear time period for disclosure, such as within the past five or ten years.
The guidance was developed by BIBA’s Insurance Brokers’ Standards Committee and its Industry Claims Working Group, in collaboration with insurance consultancy Flaxmans. It is divided into sections for consumer and business insurance and includes a glossary to ensure consistent use of terminology.
The initiative aligns with BIBA’s 2025 Manifesto, which includes a commitment to improving the customer experience. As part of the next steps, BIBA plans to discuss the guidance with insurers and encourage its use in Statements of Fact, customer declarations, and underwriting question sets. The association said it hopes the guidance will support more transparent interactions between insurers, brokers, and policyholders, helping to reduce the number of claims affected by disclosure-related disputes.
