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Is it worth claiming on insurance, or better to pay yourself?
For small losses, often it’s not worth claiming. Do this quick sum before you decide: take the likely payout, subtract your total excess (compulsory + voluntary), then subtract the likely premium increase and the value of your lost no-claims discount. If what’s left is small or negative, you’re better off paying for the repair yourself and keeping your record clean. For larger losses — a write-off, a serious home claim, anything you couldn’t comfortably cover yourself — claiming is clearly worth it; that’s what insurance is for. The test isn’t "can I claim?" but "after excess and the knock-on costs, does claiming actually leave me better off?"
Paid for a £350 bumper myself rather than claim — excess was £250 and I’d have lost two years of no-claims. Claiming would have cost me more over time.
ClaimPilot checks your UK insurance claim the way an assessor would — flagging the gaps and wording that could get it delayed or refused — so you can fix them before you submit.
Check your claim free →General information, not financial or legal advice. For free, impartial help see Citizens Advice or the Financial Ombudsman Service.