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Churchill home insurance | Policies reviewed and compared

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Churchill home insurance review — Buildings, contents and combined policies compared

Churchill Insurance is somewhat of a heritage company. Founded in 1989 by Martin Long, it was one of the UK’s first motor insurers and has been selling home insurance, alongside other products, since 1990. The company is underwritten by UK Insurance Ltd and was purchased by Royal Bank of Scotland Group in 2003, which is now called the Direct Line Group. 

It’s no secret that comparing home insurance isn’t the most straightforward thing in the world. However, with years in the game, you would expect Churchill to offer comprehensive policies, competitive rates and exemplary customer service. So, we took a deep dive to see whether Churchill home insurance lives up to expectation and whether it has more going for it than its unforgettable (and adorable) mascot ‘Churchie’.

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90-second read

Churchill offers two main types of home insurance: a standard Home Insurance package and a Home Plus policy that includes everything from the first policy as well as optional extras such as personal possessions cover, accidental damage, home emergency cover and family legal protection. Home Plus also offers good general coverage for homeowners and renters alike, giving flexibility to tailor policies to individual needs. 

Our researchers found the quality of Churchill’s customer service adequate, if not quite good. Once past the automated phone message, which is jarring and urges you to go online instead, it was fairly quick and easy to get through to a human. The representatives themselves were friendly, clear about their areas of knowledge and generally helpful.

Churchill gets a 4.1 star rating (out of five) on Trustpilot with the happiest of verified reviewers praising the company for ease of communication, customer service and fair prices. There are mixed opinions around renewal rates, as expected with any insurance provider, but it does seem loyalty gets rewarded.

Additionally, Churchill gets a five-star Defaqto rating across both buildings and contents insurance, putting the company in line with other major players – such as Axa, Hastings Direct, Aviva and Admiral – in the home insurance world; while trumping the likes of More Than Home and more basic Admiral and Axa policies.

Starting a new quote and retrieving an existing one is easy, while making a claim takes a matter of minutes (claims can be submitted either online or over the phone). Of course, whether Churchill is the right home insurance provider for you is completely subjective and will be dependent on your circumstances, so we still recommend you shop around and compare a few different options to get the full picture ahead of making any decisions.

Our product review and research process

2
Policies reviewed
6
Competitors compared
100+
Hours of research
500+
Customer reviews read
3
Experts consulted

Our researchers and writers are dedicated to bringing you accurate and up-to-date information so you can make an informed decision when it comes to comparing and buying home insurance.

We will only endorse home insurance products after hundreds of hours of research, policy comparisons and mystery shopping, and after taking into account verified customer feedback and reviews, and the opinions of industry experts.

To write our articles, we’ve compared (and continue to compare) hundreds of insurance policies from dozens of the UK’s insurers – big and small. We focus our research on:

  • Cost and value for money
  • The level of coverage offered (and what’s not covered as standard)
  • Customer service and ease of making a claim

All of our articles are verified by industry experts, including regulatory compliance specialists, and the policy data verified by the insurance providers themselves, so you can be assured our content is as accurate and up to date as possible.

Even after all that, we would still recommend you don’t just take our word for it – you should compare quotes to get the best deal for you and your home. Read more about our process in our article on how we cover home insurance companies.

Churchill’s home insurance policies compared

Policy level Policy type Buildings max sum insured Contents max sum insured
Home Insurance Buildings £1 million N/A
Home Plus Buildings Unlimited N/A
Home Insurance Contents N/A £50,000
Home Plus Contents N/A £100,000

What does Churchill home insurance cover as standard?

There are two main levels of Churchill home insurance cover, both of which have separate and joint contents and buildings policy options.

Home Insurance: Churchill’s standard home insurance cover, available with optional extras.

Home Plus: Includes everything in the basic policy, as well as all the additional extras, such as accidental damage, home emergency and personal possessions cover.

Policy → Churchill Standard Home Insurance (cover and limits if available) Churchill Home Plus (cover and limits if available)
Cover type → Contents (if selected) Buildings (if selected) Combined Buildings and Contents Contents (if selected) Buildings (if selected) Combined Buildings and Contents
Cover ↓
Alternative accommodation, rent and kennel fees N/A £25,000 £40,000 N/A £50,000 £80,000
Trace and access N/A £5,000 £5,000 N/A £10,000 £10,000
Property owner’s liability N/A £2 million £2 million N/A £5 million £5 million
Storm or flood Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Water or oil escaping from fixed water or heating systems Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Theft or attempted theft Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Fire, explosion, lightning, earthquake and smoke Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Being hit by vehicles, aircraft, flying objects and animals Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Subsidence or heave of the site on which your home stands, or landslip Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Vandalism or malicious acts Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Falling trees or branches Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Falling TV aerials, radio aerials, satellite dishes and their fittings Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Frost damage to water pipes and tanks N/A Yes Yes N/A Yes Yes
Riot, civil unrest, labour disputes or political disturbance Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Weight of snow N/A Yes Yes N/A Yes Yes
Frozen and chilled foods Yes N/A Yes Yes N/A Yes
Moving home Yes N/A Yes Yes N/A Yes
Service pipes and cables N/A Yes Yes N/A Yes Yes
Loss of keys Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Oil and metered water Yes N/A Yes Yes N/A Yes
Emergency entry to buildings and gardens N/A Yes Yes N/A Yes Yes
Clearance costs N/A Yes Yes N/A Yes Yes
Professional fees N/A Yes Yes N/A Yes Yes
Government or local authority regulations and requirements N/A Yes Yes N/A Yes Yes
The time between exchange and completion when selling your home N/A Yes Yes N/A Yes Yes
Contents outside £1,000 N/A £1,000 £2,500 N/A £2,500
Contents temporarily away from your home £5,000 N/A £5,000 £10,000 N/A £10,000
Contents at university, college or boarding school £5,000 N/A £5,000 £10,000 N/A £10,000
Downloaded content £1,000 N/A £1,000 £3,000 N/A £3,000
Garden plants £1,000 per claim, up to £250 per plant N/A £1,000 per claim, up to £250 per plant £2,500 per claim, up to £500 per plant N/A £2,500 per claim, up to £500 per plant
Birth of a child, religious festivals and weddings or civil partnerships 10% of contents sum insured N/A 10% of contents sum insured N/A
Title deeds Y N/A Y N/A
Personal liability £2 million N/A £2 million £5 million N/A £5 million
Employer’s liability £5 million N/A £5 million £10 million N/A £10 million
Tenant’s liability £5,000 N/A £5,000 £10,000 N/A £10,000
Valuables inner limit Up to 30% of contents sum insured N/A Up to 30% of contents sum insured Up to 30% of contents sum insured N/A Up to 30% of contents sum insured
Valuables single item limit £2,000 N/A £2,000 £4,000 N/A £4,000
Alternative accommodation and storage £15,000 N/A £40,000 £30,000 N/A £80,000
Theft from outbuildings/ garages £2,500 N/A £2,500 £5,000 N/A £5,000
Money in the home £500 N/A £500 £1,000 N/A £1,000
Business Equipment £5,000 N/A £5,000 £10,000 N/A £10,000
Guests’ belongings £500 N/A £500 £1,000 N/A £1,000

Optional extras

The additional extras are all included as part of Churchill Home Plus insurance but come as optional add-ons with the standard home insurance policy. 

If you are customising the standard policy, accidental damage cover is worth considering if you’re prone to red wine or coffee spills on your sofa. As Churchill puts it, this helps with life’s mishaps. Personal possessions cover is ideal if you need to cover items – such as a bike, smartwatch, phone or expensive jewellery – outside the home, and home emergency cover will give you access to a 24-hour emergency helpline, should your heating pack in, your key snap in the lock or you have some sort of pest infestation. 

Finally, family legal protection can help with a number of eventualities, including tradesperson disputes, faulty goods you’ve bought and even holiday packages, motoring prosecution and problems you’ve had selling items privately. Under this add-on, Churchill will also cover your salary while you’re on jury service.

Policy type Churchill Standard Home Insurance (cover and limits, if available) Churchill Home Plus (cover and limits, if available)
Accidental damage cover Optional Included
Personal possessions Optional Included
Accidental loss and damage Optional Included
Items in a bank Yes Yes
Money £500 £1,000
Overseas travel Will cover items up to 60 days Will cover items up to 60 days
Single item limit £2,000 £4,000
Bicycles £500 (per cycle) £1,000 (per pedal cycle)
Theft from unattended motor vehicles £1,000 £2,000
Family legal protection Optional Included
Legal costs and expenses £100,000 £100,000
Personal injury Yes Yes
Clinical negligence Yes Yes
Employment Yes Yes
Contract disputes Yes Yes
Protecting your property Yes, for trespassing, legal nuisance and physical damage to your home Yes, for trespassing, legal nuisance and physical damage to your home
Motoring offences Yes Yes
Inheritance disputes Yes Yes
Legal defence Yes Yes
Salary while you attend jury service Yes, up to £100,000 (costs for all claims inc VAT from same incident, plus salary while you attend) Yes, up to £100,000 (costs for all claims inc VAT from same incident, plus salary while you attend)
Home emergency Optional Included
Plumbing and drainage Yes Yes
Heating (replacement boiler) Yes, up to £250 towards the cost of a new boiler if beyond economic repair Yes, up to £250 towards the cost of a new boiler if beyond economic repair
Emergency call out £250 including any labour and parts needed £500 including any labour and parts needed
Electrical supply Yes Yes
Security Yes Yes
Pests Yes Yes
One night emergency accommodation £250 £250
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What’s in the small print?

Storm, flood or water escaping: Subsidence, heave or landslip damage caused by escaping water or oil isn’t covered under core contents/buildings policies but may be covered under “Subsidence or heave of the site on which your home stands, or landslip”, or in accidental damage if caused by water overflowing from a sink as a result of leaving the tap on.

Accidental damage cover: This doesn’t insure items for wear and tear, or cover electrical equipment that stops working without obvious cause. You won’t be covered for damage caused by pets either, or if the accidental damage happened when items were taken outside your home.

Home emergency cover: Churchill won’t pay for replacement locks if the keys are lost or stolen. It also won’t repair or replace any intruder or fire alarm systems.

Nor will it pay for any temporary electrical wiring or wiring that is outside the home, to an unattached outbuilding or garage.

Personal possessions: If you take out personal possessions as a standard Churchill home insurance policy add-on, there are a couple of exclusions to consider – mostly on high-ticket items. Bicycles worth more than £500 and other items worth more than £2,000 in value won’t be covered and will need to be listed separately. 

Here are some other items that are not covered: 

  • Camping equipment while in use and in the open
  • Credit cards
  • Theft from a vehicle (unless the item was hidden)
  • Damage to sports equipment when in use
  • Business equipment such as tools or mobile phones

Sets and suite replacements: Similarly, if personal possessions cover is taken out on a standard policy, Churchill will not pay the cost to replace or alter undamaged items in a set of furniture, etc, on the grounds that they are part of the same collection.

However, personal possessions cover within the Home Plus policy means Churchill will replace the full set, suite or group of items as new if the item/part cannot be replaced or repaired, up to the amount it would have cost its suppliers. Where this isn’t available, Churchill covers the full cost of the item.

Family legal protection: For family legal protection, note that the full £100,000 of legal fee cover is only valid for cases with a 50 per cent chance of success.

Pets: Any behavioural damage caused by pets, such as fouling, urinating, scratching and so on, will not be covered. Injury or death is also not covered, as this would usually come under your pet insurance policy.

Authorised repairers and emergency assistance: It’s worth noting that where Churchill mentions a call out, repairer, or preferred law firm, this is specifying personnel or a service that is authorised or endorsed and sent out by Churchill. Double check this ahead of calling out or enlisting a professional, as their time and work may not be covered by your policy if not chosen by Churchill. So if you have home emergency cover, call Churchill first for the best next steps. Use the services recommended and only call out your local tradesperson if Churchill tells you to. 

Home wording: The private home is the address shown in your schedule with any attached garages, used for domestic purposes only but this does not include any outbuildings or detached garages.

Main source of heating wording: This refers to the main hot water or central heating system in your property. Churchill defines this as:

  • One domestic boiler
  • Any controls forming part of the boiler
  • The programmer, central heating pump, hot water cylinder, room thermostat and radiators

However, the following are not included: underfloor heating, solar heating system or warm-air heating system, any non-domestic boiler or associated system, any boiler with an output over 70kW, secondary or other boiler, oil-fired and solid fuel systems, open fires or air-conditioning units.

Core buildings cover 

Exterior damage: Storms, floods, weight of snow, falling trees or branches are covered, however, Churchill will not compensate for damage to fences, gates or hedges. 

Property damage: Subsidence or heave comes under all policies, with the exception of issues from the settling of newly made up ground, making structural repairs, alterations or demolishing your buildings.

Frost damage: This will be covered with the exception of external water pipes or tanks that are in outbuildings.

Theft and vandalism or malicious acts: Note that Churchill won’t cover damage caused by paying guests or tenants, or for any damage if you haven’t slept in the property for more than 60 days.

TV aerials, radio aerials, satellite dishes and their fittings: The falling of these items is covered, however, if you have buildings cover, damage to the items themselves is not included. If you have contents insurance cover as part of your policy package, they are covered.

Service pipes and cables: Churchill will pay unless you have not occupied your property for more than 60 days (brief visits do not count). 

Government or local authority regulations and requirements: This will be covered if necessary to comply with regulations, but Churchill won’t pay if you were warned of a requirement prior to any damage.

Core contents cover

Frozen and chilled foods: Churchill will cover the cost to replace perished food due to an appliance temperature fluctuation or fumes escaping your fridge freezer, but this won’t apply if the appliance is more than 10 years old (without correct and regular servicing), if it is due to neglect by you, or if you have not been in the property for 60 days. 

Moving home: Loss or damage to money, china or other fragile items is not covered, nor is loss or damage to bikes.

In alternative accommodation: Churchill will not cover any subscription based services to your alternative accommodation or costs to keep livestock or horses.

Contents outside: Loss of money will not be covered.

Bikes: Bikes are only covered in the home itself or in an attached garage, so if you need to protect your bike away from home, make sure you opt for the away from home cover, which you can do under the ‘your needs’ section of your account.

Contents temporarily away from your home: Bicycles, camping equipment, loss of money, loss by deception, or loss of or damage to guests’ belongings will not be covered. Nor will theft or vandalism unless when in your (occupied) residence or place of work.

Separate items: If you claim for a separately listed high-value item in your schedule, you will need to have proof of the value to claim, so keep receipts and any copies of valuations.

Note that personal possessions cover will cover damage or loss of your listed items. 

What are the excesses and no claims discounts for Churchill home insurance?

The minimum excess is £100 (excluding escape of water and subsidence) but you can opt to increase this up to £500.

Or you can choose a £450 escape of water excess, which is what you’d pay if you claim for a burst pipe or water leak.

A £1,000 subsidence excess is also applicable if you make a claim due to subsidence damage.

Churchill requires one excess per new claim unless outlined otherwise in your insurance schedule. 

As with most insurance policies, the longer you’ve held a policy without making a claim, the cheaper your premium is likely to be. Speaking with someone from the new policy team, they noted how you might benefit from a no claims discount on signing up with Churchill or with a renewal quote, and that it builds up every year but you’ll see the biggest discount from five years upwards of no claims. Because of inflation and risk assessment, a no claims discount won’t always see you enjoying a lower premium.

How to make a claim on your Churchill home insurance policy

Our researchers contacted Churchill via phone and live chat to understand a little more about the claims process and, as expected, timeframes are claim dependent. Damaging a laptop beyond repair may be quicker to process and resolve than claiming for water damage, but you can start a claim seven days a week, via phone or an online form. 

Phone claims process

When calling Churchill, you’ll first be greeted by an automated message urging you to go online. However, it only took two minutes for our researchers to reach the queue to speak with someone from the claims department. Our researchers were given the option of a call back, rather than having to wait on the line, however, the wait time was only three to five minutes.

Online claims process

The online form takes a few minutes to fill in, provided you have the following information available: 

  • Your policy number
  • The full address on your policy
  • Details of what happened and when
  • Details of what you’re claiming for
  • Photos or videos of any damage
  • Receipts for any damaged items
  • A police report number or reference if you have one

If you log claims online, you will be notified whenever there are any updates, so it’s easier to track progress, according to a customer service advisor.

Churchill phone numbers

Quotes: 0800 032 7199

Renewals: 0345 603 3560 / 0345 603 3550

Customer service: 0345 603 3551/ 08000 327 199

Claims: 0345 603 3590

Phone line opening hours: 

  • Monday to Friday: 8am – 8pm
  • Saturday and bank holidays: 9am – 5pm
  • Sundays: 9am – 4pm

If your property is secure and you have access to kitchen, toilet/bathroom facilities, hot water/heating and somewhere to sleep, call: 0345 603 3590 Monday to Friday 8am – 6pm and Saturday 9am – 2pm. Sundays are closed. 

If this isn’t the case, in an emergency, contact: 0345 301 6238/ 0345 603 3599, including outside Churchill’s usual hours. 

Churchill’s customer service

You can either call Churchill using the number that best suits your reason for calling, use the online chat, or go via the Virtual Assistant for basic information and to eventually get put through to a real person.  

Speaking with someone on the phone doesn’t take long – our researchers didn’t experience wait times longer than 10 minutes, but this will be subject to time of day and type of query.

For instance, when calling the quotes department at 6.30pm on a Tuesday, someone responded within three minutes. The person on the line was very friendly and willing to help and offer up information. 

Churchill highlights how it’s not able to offer advice, but everyone we spoke to was helpful, transparent and polite in discussing new policies, existing quotes, claims processing and general cover information.

The Virtual Assistant starts as a chatbot and will point you in the right direction to useful information sources. For instance, on asking what the main differences are between buildings and contents cover, it says: “One way to think about Buildings is to imagine what would happen if you turned your house upside down. Anything that won’t fall and is permanently fixed into place is usually part of your Buildings cover.” It gives you multiple options to follow up from your last question.

You can eventually get through to a human. Our researchers found advisors to be helpful and honest about their knowledge. Note that you can’t email Churchill directly; when asked why, a customer service advisor was unable to provide a concrete reason.

How do customers rate Churchill home insurance?

Churchill gets a 4.1-star rating (out of five) on Trustpilot, with 9,915 reviews in total (note this figure includes car insurance reviews). Out of these, five-star reviews make up 68 per cent of this figure, with 13 per cent giving the company four stars, 3 per cent giving it a three-star rating, 2 per cent a two-star rating and 14 per cent giving it a one-star rating. 

Looking at Churchill’s engagement with these reviews, it has responded to 93 per cent of negative comments, typically in less than a week. 

Within Trustpilot’s best home insurance agency category, Churchill currently sits at 48 out of 59. For comparison, More Than has a 3.8-star rating but is 56 out of 59 in this same category.

As Churchill is one of the UK’s first motor insurers, there were naturally lots of car insurance reviews to sift through on Trustpilot. Complaints generally leaned towards poor customer service, difficulty in contacting someone from the team and elevated renewal premiums. 

Still, we came across lots of five-star verified reviews from satisfied customers who claim cheaper renewal rates, easy contact and high reward for loyal customers. Here’s a taste of the conversation:

Renewals 

“Renewal was straight forward. I had already had another quote which was cheaper. I explained and they came up with an even cheaper one. I have been a loyal customer and was treated that way too. Same cover but it was discounted. Very pleased and have just renewed.”

“I was concerned that I got a renewal quote which was so much higher than what I’ve paid in the years before. I have never made a claim so was disappointed to receive this quote … I was ill and was unable to contact you by phone as I wished to talk about this and consider going to another company.”

Claims

“Great experience. Straightforward claims process and quick resolution. [They] do what they say and you can’t ask for much more really.”

“Absolutely rubbish, waiting on the phone for 38 minutes listening to an automated robot about how valuable my call is and then got cut off. Wasted nearly an hour of my life chasing information regarding a settlement figure so that I could pursue my gap insurance claim. This claim is a no fault on my behalf claim that happened five weeks ago. Absolutely shocking so-called customer service. Would recommend to absolutely no one and will never use again.”

Customer service

“I’ve been with Churchill for a few years and had to renew my home insurance by phone because of a change to my payment card. Only took a few minutes to speak to an operative, who was very helpful and explained everything in detail.”

“Nothing wrong with the experience of renewing my policy. However I think three emails a day asking me to review Churchill is excessive and intrusive.”

It’s worth noting that Churchill responded to all of the negative reviews listed, apologetically, including links to contact the company on Facebook Messenger or another social media platform as well as a URL for logging a complaint.

How does Churchill home insurance compare?

Insurer Buildings Contents Buildings and contents combined Defacto score Trustpilot score
Churchill ★★★★★ (Home Insurance and Home Plus policies) 4.1
Hastings Direct ★★★★★ (Home Insurance and Premier policies) 4.1
More Than ★★★ (Primary and Upgraded policies) 3.8
Aviva ★★★★★ (Online and Premium policies) 4.5
Admiral ★★★ (Admiral Cover policies) ★★★★★ (Gold and Platinum policies) 3.3
Axa ★★★★ (Home policies) ★★★★★ (Home Plus and Premier policies) 4.3

How do others rate Churchill home insurance?

Churchill’s Standard Home Insurance and Home Plus insurance policies get a five-star Defaqto rating, for both buildings and contents. Defaqto home building insurance ratings work by selecting 31 of the most notable home insurance features from a total of 79 highlighted in its database. Experts then score each policy against these to assign each with a rating of one to five so you can quickly see where it stands among the most competitive home insurance suppliers in the market. For contents insurance, its experts analyse between 30 and 100 features or benefits to come up with the rating.

A five-star rating is positive and puts both of Churchill’s home insurance policies up there with the likes of Axa Direct Plus and Premier Home Insurance policies, as well as Aviva’s Home Insurance options.

Independent Advisor’s verdict

Churchill’s home insurance policies are fairly comprehensive in terms of market standards, offering cover for alternative accommodation, escape of water, loss or damage to valuables in the home, theft and so on. Garden contents, including plants and landscaping, are included across both policies also, as is loss or theft of house keys, and business equipment — with good policy limits to cover items such as computers, photocopiers and printers when inside your home. 

Both policies are very customisable, whether you want contents, buildings-only cover, or combined. Personal possessions will let you add cover for bikes and other valuables, and the home emergency add-on will give you peace of mind should you need pest control or a heating/boiler repair). Some insurers include emergency cover as standard, such as More Than, but it’s not that common and the only notable difference here is that Churchill will pay up to £250 per callout on standard home insurance and up to £500 on the Home Plus policy, whereas More Than pays up to £200 for its standard insurance policy and £1,000 on the upgraded policy. When our researchers inquired about adding personal possessions, it only increased the premium by around £29 (per year) which seems worthwhile. Note this will of course fluctuate depending on your home and circumstances.

Getting a new quote is simple, as is speaking to someone about your quote and your options. Contrary to what some reviewers may say on Trustpilot and Facebook, we had a fairly pleasant experience in conversation with members of the Churchill home insurance team – bots included.

Though Churchill specifies its staff won’t give advice, everyone we spoke with offered impartial and clear information. When on a call with customer service, they noted that by the time you add most of the optional extras onto Churchill’s standard cover, it would be more worthwhile to choose the Home Plus policy package, and that it might even work out cheaper than simply adding all the optional extras to the standard package.

Whether Churchill home insurance is right for you will depend completely on your circumstances and budget, but you’re likely to benefit more financially by levelling up your cover to the Home Plus option. Generally speaking, Churchill pays out the same if not more across some core areas of cover. In the fine print, you’ll see it also drives a better deal on some factors such as maximum periods of unoccupancy (60 days) versus the 30 days you’ll see on Hastings’ essential home insurance package, for example. 

In all, Churchill’s home insurance policies are reliable if you have a leak, fire, or theft, but might not be that hard to beat if you’re looking for a less expensive package that still includes some welcome frills such as accidental damage, for anyone who has been known to leave the tap on by mistake or knock over the telly. 

Home insurance Q&A

According to a Churchill customer advisor, you can expect a call back quickly and you will be given your own personal claims handler, and won’t have to deal with third parties. However, in both the standard and Home Plus insurance policies there is some wording to say that if Churchill asks a supplier to deal with all or part of your claim, they might be asked to collect your excess fee. 

On speaking with another advisor via the virtual assistant function regarding how long claims take to process, they said: “I think it really does depend on the scenario, how quickly any evidence (eg, receipts of purchase, photos of damage) are received and other factors can vary.” They also highlighted that you can call the claims team directly on 0345 603 3550 to ask more about their processes. The advisor also said they aim to contact you as soon as possible but if there are lots of claims to process, it may delay the response. 

Renewal rates depend on changes in your circumstances and any risk the insurer (Churchill in this case) may forecast. For example, if storms are anticipated, it will take the cost of rebuilding materials and so on into account. 

An online customer advisor told us: Our renewal prices can be affected by inflation and the market conditions at the time. The prices can go up but also sometimes the premiums can go down, depending on all the data and rating factors that are relevant at the time.

“We always send a renewal invite at least 21 days prior to renewal, so that if you wanted to discuss the renewal you would have time to get in touch and consider the quote.”

There are mixed reviews on Trustpilot surrounding renewal rates, with lots of happy loyal customers alongside some who are less impressed.

You can refuse your renewal and there is a 14-day cooling-off period too, post-renewing or receiving your confirmation documents, where you will be entitled to a full refund. After this point, you would need to pay off the number of days for which you were covered, plus an admin fee of £24.64 if you wanted to cancel the renewal. 

Otherwise, throughout your policy period, it currently costs £16.80 to make changes, if you wanted your policy to cover planned renovations or extensions to your property, for example. Your home insurance supplier needs to know this kind of information, as well as changes in address, whether your property is used for business purposes and so on, as withholding this detail will invalidate your cover. 

Cam is an experienced writer and editor who has been creating content for more than 10 years. She studied English Language and Italian at The University of Manchester, where she started out blogging and copywriting on fashion and travel.

She’s worked for Groupon and its partnerships – including <em>The Guardian</em> UK and US, the <em>HuffPost</em>, and Today.com</i> – and has covered a plethora of topics, from kitchen design trends to the best ways to score a good deal on home insurance. S

Swifty tapping into her love for everything home decor-related, she moved into the interior design space and edited realhomes.com, part of Future plc, for three years, where she worked with a tonne of DIY and renovation experts.

She currently lives in North London and is passionate about helping others perfect their surroundings with stunning interiors and functional home additions, whether they own or rent.