Claims experience letters for fleets

A claims experience letter is a written record, issued by an insurer or a broker, of the claims made on a motor policy over a set period. For a fleet it lists each claim with its date, type, amount paid, amount still reserved and whether it is open or settled.

Insurers use it to price a fleet in place of individual no-claims discounts, so it is one of the most important documents you will hand a broker.

This guide looks at the letter itself: what is in it, how to read it, how to get it and how to deal with the awkward cases. For where it fits in the wider renewal timetable, see our fleet insurance renewal checklist.

Why Do Fleet Insurers Rely On Claims Experience?

Because a fleet is rated as a business rather than as a set of separate vehicles, and the claims record is the clearest evidence of how that business manages them. The letter lets an underwriter see patterns rather than a single discount figure.

Rating a business, not a driver

On a private car policy, a driver’s no-claims discount does most of the talking. A fleet is priced differently.

The insurer is rating the business as a whole, and the best evidence of how that business manages its vehicles is what has actually been claimed.

Patterns an underwriter looks for

Three rear-end shunts in a year suggests a driver behaviour problem. One large theft claim suggests a security question.

A clean record with steady vehicle numbers suggests a stable risk. That detail is why fleet pricing can reward a well-run business, and why a gap in the paperwork is treated with caution.

Our guide on what fleet insurance is explains how this fleet-wide rating differs from insuring vehicles one at a time.

What Does A Claims Experience Letter Show?

It gives the policy details, then every claim with its date, type, fault status, amount paid, amount reserved and whether it is open or settled. Most letters finish with summary totals for each policy year.

Formats vary between insurers, but most letters or reports contain the same core information.

The core contents

Item	What it tells the underwriter
Policy details	Policyholder, policy number, period covered and often average vehicle numbers
Claim date and type	When incidents happened and whether they were own damage, third party, theft, windscreen or injury
Fault status	Whether the claim was treated as fault, non-fault or split liability
Amount paid	What the insurer has already spent on each claim
Amount reserved	What the insurer expects still to pay on claims that remain open
Status	Open or settled
Summary totals	Number of claims and total incurred cost per policy year

What “incurred” means

“Incurred” usually means paid plus reserved. It is often the headline figure an underwriter looks at.

How Many Years Of Claims Experience Will An Insurer Ask For?

There is no fixed industry rule on how far back the record has to go. Many fleet insurers ask for several years, so check with the broker before you send any requests.

Asking the broker first

The period can depend on the size of the fleet and the type of vehicles.

Ask the broker how many years the insurers they approach will want before you send anything out. It is far quicker to ask each previous insurer once for the right period than to go back a second time.

When your fleet policy is newer than the period requested

If your fleet policy is newer than the period requested, gather what exists from earlier arrangements. That might be claims records from individual van policies, or proof of no-claims discount for each vehicle.

Presented together with a short explanation, it still tells a useful story.

How Do You Request Your Claims Experience Letter?

Send a written request to each insurer that covered your vehicles, quoting the policyholder name, the policy numbers and the period you need. Ask for paid and reserved amounts and the open or settled status of every claim.

The request itself is simple. The delays come from sending it late or to the wrong place.

Request checklist

• Find out from the broker how many years are needed
• List every insurer that covered your vehicles in that period, including any individual policies
• Send a written request to each insurer, or to the broker that placed the policy
• Quote the policyholder name, policy numbers and the period you need
• Ask for paid and reserved amounts and the open or settled status of every claim
• Ask for it to be sent to you, so you hold a copy whoever you insure with next
• Diary a chase date two weeks after the request
• Store every letter in one place with your fleet schedule

Timing your requests

Send requests at least eight weeks before renewal. Letters can take time to arrive, especially from an insurer you left some years ago.

Name changes, mergers and former brokers

If your business has changed name, merged with another company or moved vehicles between group companies, say so in the request. Claims may sit under a previous policyholder name, and an insurer searching only the current name can miss them.

The same applies if a policy was arranged by a broker you no longer use: the insurer holds the record, but the old broker may be quicker at getting it out.

What Should You Check Before Sharing The Letter?

Read it through for claims you do not recognise, incidents recorded against the wrong policy year, and non-fault claims marked as fault. Mistakes are far easier to fix before an underwriter has formed a view.

Comparing it with your own records

Compare the list with your own incident log. If something looks wrong, ask the insurer to review it and confirm the correction in writing.

Keeping your own claims log

Tip: Keep your own claims log, even if the insurer does the handling. A simple spreadsheet with the date, vehicle, driver, what happened and the insurer’s claim reference makes checking any claims experience letter quick.

How Do Open Claims And Large Reserves Affect Your Record?

Open claims are the most common reason a claims record looks worse than the reality. An underwriter normally treats a reserve as a cost, so find out what is happening on each open claim before you go to market.

How a reserve is set

When a claim is reported, the insurer sets a reserve based on what it expects to pay. On a disputed liability or an injury claim, that reserve can be set cautiously high and left there until the claim is resolved.

What to do before going to market

• Ask the insurer for an update on each open claim, including whether liability is agreed
• Ask whether any reserve can be reduced if the claim is likely to settle for less
• Chase third-party insurers or your own insurer for recovery on non-fault claims
• Write a short note for the broker explaining each open claim in plain terms

A clear explanation of a large open claim, and what the business has changed since, is often more useful to an underwriter than the number alone.

What If A Previous Insurer Is Slow To Respond?

Chase in writing with a deadline, then ask the broker who placed the policy to request it, then use the insurer’s complaints process. In the meantime give your new broker your own claims log and a note explaining the delay.

Slow replies are common, particularly when you have already left the insurer.

Four steps in order

1. Chase in writing, restating what you asked for and when, and giving a reasonable deadline.
2. Ask the broker who placed the policy to request it on your behalf. They often have a direct contact.
3. Use the insurer’s complaints process if there is still no response. Insurers and brokers are regulated by the FCA, which sets out how complaints should be raised with a firm first.
4. Give your new broker what you have in the meantime: your own claims log, any earlier letters and a note explaining the delay.

Why you cannot leave the section blank

Don’t leave the section blank or guess.

Your duty to make a fair presentation of the risk under the Insurance Act 2015 applies to business insurance, and claims history is exactly the kind of information an insurer will consider material.

Our guide on what to tell your insurer covers that duty in more detail.

Which Habits Make The Letter Easier To Produce?

Ask for a letter every year even when you are not switching, manage open claims actively, and send a short covering note on anything large or unusual. The letter is the evidence behind your price, so treat it as a business record rather than a renewal chore.

Three habits worth keeping

• Hold your own copies. Ask for a letter every year, even if you are not switching, so you are never waiting on a former insurer.
• Manage open claims actively. A claim that sits unresolved with a high reserve can affect how your fleet looks at renewal.
• Explain, don’t hide. A short covering note about any large or unusual claim, and what you changed afterwards, gives the underwriter context.

Moving from individual policies

If you are moving from individual policies to a single fleet policy, collect proof of claims history and any no-claims discount from each insurer before cancelling anything. When the paperwork is ready, the broker can discuss options for your fleet insurance with a full picture of your record.

Sources

• Insurance Act 2015, section 3 (duty of fair presentation)
• Financial Conduct Authority

Updates

• 17 September 2026 : last reviewed

General information about UK fleet insurance, not advice. How we write and check our content