Claims complaints on the rise: what the 2024 Ombudsman report reveals to brokers

The 2024 annual report of the Belgian Insurance Ombudsman paints a clear picture: complaints are rising, and the primary cause of policyholder frustration is not the amount of reimbursements. It is silence.

In 2024, the Ombudsman received 8,331 requests in total. In motor insurance, complaints reached 1,470 cases, a 34% increase compared to 2023. In fire insurance, 1,382 complaints were recorded, with water damage as the main point of friction.

Silence costs more than a refusal

Complaints about processing delays and accessibility issues increased by 10% in 2024. Clients do not complain because they are denied compensation. They complain because they cannot reach anyone. Because they receive no updates on their file. Because nobody explains where their claim stands.

This is a fundamental lesson for brokers. The perceived value of your support is not measured solely by the quality of the contract you placed. It is also measured, and perhaps above all, by your responsiveness and your presence during the claim.

What the Ombudsman says directly to brokers

The 2024 report contains an explicit recommendation addressed to brokers: active management, not just forwarding correspondence. In other words, your role during a claim is not limited to relaying emails between the client and the insurance company. You are the pilot of the file. It is up to you to call the client. To explain the steps. To reassure them about timelines.

The report also highlights the entry into force of a new law in 2024 setting strict claim processing deadlines, as well as a code of conduct for experts, effective since 1 July 2025. Both developments raise policyholders' expectations of their broker.

The real risk: losing the client before you know it

When a client is frustrated and has no one to express their dissatisfaction to, they turn to two places: Google (a negative review) or the Ombudsman (a formal complaint). In both cases, the broker discovers the problem too late. The review is published, the complaint is filed, and the relationship is already broken.

Brokers who handle this situation effectively adopt a proactive approach. A message to the client as soon as the claim is opened to confirm it is being handled. An update at 48 hours to report on progress. Weekly follow-up as long as the file is open. And above all, a satisfaction survey once the claim is closed, to capture frustrations before they become public.

Automating information so nothing slips through

The challenge for a brokerage managing dozens of claims in parallel is maintaining this level of follow-up for every file. This is where automation becomes essential.

A tool like BrokerMail allows you to schedule automatic communications at key moments in the client journey: claim acknowledgement, seasonal reminders, prevention content. The broker who stays in touch between claims is the one the client calls first, and the one whose intermediary change form never gets filled in.