Subsidence Claims Specialist — End-to-End, Customer-Focused

Policy Expert Claims; Tonbridge; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 35,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

On-site gym

Free on-site parking

Free on-site breakfast bar

Snacks and soft drinks on site

Discretionary performance relatedbonus

Birthday extra day off

Job summary

Policy Expert Claims is seeking a Subsidence Claims Handler to manage a portfolio of household subsidence and ground movement claims from notification to settlement. You will be the single owner for customers, balancing technical accuracy, indemnity spend and regulatory compliance with empathy and professionalism.

You will work closely with customers, loss adjusters, consulting engineers, surveyors, contractors and suppliers to investigate movement causes, interpret technical reports and ensure

Qualifications

• 3 years experience handling household insurance claims, specifically in subsidence/ground movement.
• Excellent customer service and communication skills.
• Strong understanding of policy interpretation and household insurance principles.
• Ability to review and interpret technical reports and supporting evidence.
• Experience managing an end-to-end claim portfolio.
• Ability to make balanced commercial decisions using sound judgement.
• Strong organisational skills with the ability to manage long lifecycle claims.

Responsibilities

• Manage an end-to-end portfolio of Ground Movement claims, prioritising workload to meet customer needs, service standards and business objectives.
• Assess policy coverage, validate evidence and apply policy terms to determine liability and claim entitlement.
• Review geological investigations, engineer reports, drainage investigations, arboricultural reports and monitoring data to determine the cause of damage and the appropriate claim outcome.
• Understand the lifecycle of a subsidence claim, from initial validation through investigation, monitoring, repairs and final settlement.
• Instruct and manage suppliers including consulting engineers, surveyors, drainage specialists, arboricultural consultants and repair contractors.
• Review technical reports and repair recommendations to ensure they are appropriate, proportionate and represent value for money.
• Maintain accurate claim reserves and authorise payments within delegated authority.
• Negotiate fair settlements verbally and in writing while balancing customer outcomes with effective cost control.
• Identify potentially fraudulent or exaggerated claims and refer concerns to the Counter Fraud Team where appropriate.
• Ensure claims progress efficiently despite often lengthy investigation periods through proactive diary management and regular review.
• Deliver professional, empathetic and proactive service throughout the customer journey, recognising the impact of property damage on customers.
• Respond to policyholder portal messages, telephone enquiries and correspondence within agreed service levels.
• Build customer confidence through clear communication, effective expectation setting and regular updates.
• Select the most appropriate communication method for each interaction, proactively contacting customers by telephone where discussions are complex, sensitive, likely to require detailed explanation or involve delivering difficult news, ensuring customers receive a clear and personalised service.
• Take ownership of complaints relating to your claim portfolio, seeking to resolve concerns promptly, fairly and at the earliest opportunity.
• Aim to resolve a minimum of 40% of complaints informally within 3 working days, using effective communication and sound judgement to restore customer confidence and avoid unnecessary escalation.
• Where informal resolution is not possible, ensure complaints are fully investigated, accurately documented and progressed promptly to support the issue of a Final Response Letter within the regulatory 8-week timeframe.
• Identify recurring complaint themes and contribute to improvements in customer experience and operational processes.
• Build strong working relationships with engineers, surveyors, contractors and specialist suppliers.
• Review monitoring data and technical evidence to make informed claim decisions.
• Challenge technical recommendations where appropriate, ensuring repairs remain proportionate and policy compliant.
• Monitor supplier performance and ensure agreed service levels are achieved.
• Work collaboratively with internal technical experts to resolve complex claims.
• Promote repair solutions that are safe, sustainable and represent good customer and business outcomes.
• Maintain accurate and comprehensive claim records to support audit, regulatory compliance and sound decision making.
• Deliver fair customer outcomes in accordance with Consumer Duty principles and company values.
• Consistently achieve agreed standards across productivity, quality, customer service, complaint handling and service levels.
• Manage diary activities effectively to ensure claims continue progressing throughout often extended investigation periods.
• Support colleagues and wider operational priorities when required.
• Contribute ideas that improve customer experience, operational efficiency and technical excellence.
• Undertake any other reasonable duties required by the business.

Skills

Customer service

Communication

Policy interpretation

Technical reports

Job description

Policy Expert Claims is seeking a Subsidence Claims Handler to manage a portfolio of household subsidence and ground movement claims from notification to settlement. You will be the single owner for customers, balancing technical accuracy, indemnity spend and regulatory compliance with empathy and professionalism.

You will work closely with customers, loss adjusters, consulting engineers, surveyors, contractors and suppliers to investigate movement causes, interpret technical reports and ensure