CMA highlights NPCC clarification amid confusion over data sharing

Delayed insurance pay-outs causing further misery for vehicle theft victims

CMA highlights NPCC clarification amid confusion over data sharing

Following recent media coverage of delays to insurance pay-outs due to the new National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) and Association of British Insurers (ABI) data sharing agreement, Claims Management & Adjusting (CMA) is highlighting a vital clarification for constabularies and insurers.

The NPCC has confirmed in writing to CMA: “To clarify non-ABI members do not have to operate under the ABI scheme. However, this does not prevent non-ABI members from data sharing. When requesting information from police forces, the company simply needs to describe the reasons and purposes for the request.”

Philip Swift, a former detective and now managing director of CMA, commented: “As widely reported in the vehicle fleet and insurance press, we have seen a sharp rise in theft case resolution times since August. This coincides directly with the new NPCC/ABI National Guidance on Data Sharing coming into force.

“The new Guidance is poorly presented, complicating access to crime reports for loss adjusters and non-ABI members. It creates a two-tier system, arbitrarily putting some motor policyholders at a disadvantage.

”Worse still, it is being misinterpreted by some constabularies, who are using it as grounds to refuse perfectly reasonable requests for information. This results in unnecessary delays, heaping further misery on the innocent victims of vehicle crime.

“To be clear, we represent both ABI members and non-members, so our interest in this is for the greater good. We need to quickly correct these unintended consequences. While we welcome the NPCC clarification, we also repeat our plea to urgently revise the Guidance, possibly by temporarily reverting to the previous 2014 text.

“Given the rise in car thefts, and plummeting recovery rates, we suggest an industry-wide Memorandum of Understanding specific to vehicles would be a superior solution for all involved – the police, insurers, adjusters such as ourselves and, most importantly, consumers.”

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