What does good home insurance claims handling actually look like when a customer needs their insurer most?
For the 2026 Claims Hero Home Insurance Claim Awards, the Claims Hero team voted on the insurers that, in our collective experience, have stood out for the right reasons, as well as those where we believe there is significant room for improvement. These formed part of the discussion in the Podcast Episode “Claims Hero 2026 Home Insurance Claim Awards” in which winners for each award were agreed.
The Awards are based on the collective experience of Claims Hero staff, including the home insurance claims and complaints we have handled or reviewed, consumer enquiries, interactions with insurers and service providers, and other relevant information considered by the team. They are not based on a broader public survey.
This year, the Awards were divided into Hero Awards, recognising comparatively strong claims handling, and Villain Awards, recognising comparatively poor or inconsistent claims handling.
Importantly, “Villain” is the creative counterpart to “Hero”. It does not mean an insurer or its staff are criminals, dishonest or evil. In the podcast, the term was expressly used to describe the organisations that, in Claims Hero’s opinion, demonstrated the weakest or least consistently good performance in the relevant claims handling category.
It is important that you read the full Terms and Conditions available on our website, which explain how the Awards were determined, the information considered, and the key limitations that apply.
The 2026 Hero Winners
And the winners are…
Vulnerability Management Hero Award: Suncorp
Claims Management Hero Award: Suncorp and IAG, joint winners
Complaints Handling Hero Award: Youi
Most Improved Insurer: Allianz
Overall Hero Award for Home Insurance Claims Handling: Suncorp
The 2026 Villain Winner
And the winner is…
Overall Villain Award for Home Insurance Claims Handling: Auto & General (Budget Direct, Qantas Insurance, ING Home Insurance etc)
Complaints Handling Villain Award: Auto & General (Budget Direct, Qantas Insurance, ING Home Insurance etc)
Claims Management Villain Award: Auto & General (Budget Direct, Qantas Insurance, ING Home Insurance etc)
Vulnerability Management Villain Award: Auto & General (Budget Direct, Qantas Insurance, ING Home Insurance etc)
Vulnerability Management
Vulnerability management is about more than identifying that a customer may be vulnerable. It is about what the insurer does with that information, whether it adapts its communication and claims process, provides additional support and responds appropriately to the customer’s individual circumstances.
Suncorp Recognised
Suncorp was the clear standout for the Claims Hero team. The panel consistently referred to Suncorp’s ability to identify vulnerability early and move customers into a specialist vulnerability team. Team members also highlighted Suncorp’s willingness to adapt the way a claim is managed depending on the customer’s circumstances.
Examples discussed included arranging female trades for customers affected by domestic violence, adapting communication for elderly customers who may not use email, and connecting vulnerable customers with appropriate support services. Claims Hero’s experience was that Suncorp was generally flexible about making these adjustments rather than requiring customers or their representatives to fight for them.
The panel also recognised the investment Suncorp appears to have made in vulnerability support. In Claims Hero’s experience, that investment translates into practical assistance, rather than vulnerability simply being recorded as a flag on a claim.
The result was described as a resounding win, with almost the entire Claims Hero team voting for Suncorp. Importantly, that included support staff who see claims, speak with prospective clients and deal with enquiries across the business.
Auto and General Needed Improvement
Auto & General received the Villain Award following a unanimous team vote.
The central concern raised by the panel was not whether Auto & General has a vulnerability process, but whether the process meaningfully changes the way vulnerable customers are treated. The team discussed experiences where customers were transferred to a specialist or “high care” function, but Claims Hero considered that the underlying claims process remained largely unchanged.
Claims Hero staff also discussed claims and enquiries where they believed vulnerable customers were placed under additional pressure concerning temporary accommodation, settlement decisions or the progression of their claim. The team contrasted those experiences with insurers that were, in Claims Hero’s view, more willing to adapt their approach when delays or customer circumstances required it.
The consistency of those experiences was significant to the result. The podcast specifically noted that the voting reflected not only claims being actively managed by Claims Hero, but also enquiries and experiences seen by support staff across the business.
Claims Management Award
Claims management is about more than the initial decision to accept or decline a claim. It includes how an insurer investigates the claim, engages experts and suppliers, manages repairs, considers evidence, communicates with the customer and responds when new information or disagreements arise. The Claims Hero team considered the broader claims journey when assessing this category.
Suncorp and IAG Recognised
Suncorp and IAG were joint winners of the Claims Management Hero Award after the Claims Hero team vote resulted in a complete tie.
For IAG and its NRMA brands, the panel highlighted a willingness to listen to customers and reconsider matters where a customer disagreed with an assessment, report or proposed outcome. Claims Hero staff discussed examples where IAG had arranged an alternative supplier or expert to provide another view rather than simply maintaining the original position. The team also recognised what it considered a comparatively transparent approach to reports, scopes and settlement decisions.
The team also noted that, despite IAG being one of the larger insurers, Claims Hero receives proportionately fewer enquiries involving NRMA and IAG than it does for some other insurers. While this is not a statistical measure of overall performance, the team considered it relevant to its collective experience and potentially indicative of more claims being resolved without consumers needing external assistance.
Suncorp was recognised for similar reasons. Claims Hero’s experience has been that Suncorp is generally prepared to consider evidence provided by the insured rather than relying only on evidence obtained by the insurer. Where new information reasonably challenges an earlier position, the panel discussed examples where Suncorp had reconsidered and changed its decision.
Across both insurers, the recurring themes were transparency, a willingness to reconsider decisions, engagement with customers and their representatives, and a greater focus on finding a practical resolution to the claim.
Auto and General Needed Improvement
Auto & General received the Claims Management Villain Award following a unanimous team vote.
The panel’s concerns extended across a number of parts of the claims process, including the provision of information, cash settlements, maintenance issues, vulnerability support, supplier management and the way repair outcomes are determined.
A recurring concern raised by Claims Hero staff was what they considered to be a strong focus on reducing claims costs. The podcast discussed the team’s experiences with good condition requirements, cash settlement calculations and supplier arrangements, and the potential effect those practices can have on customers trying to have their homes repaired.
The team also discussed concerns about the willingness to consider alternative evidence or providers once a position had been reached. In Claims Hero’s experience, this contrasted with insurers that appeared more willing to obtain another opinion, reconsider an expert report or change their approach where new information justified doing so.
Importantly, the panel distinguished its concerns about organisational processes from the individual frontline employees responsible for dealing with customers. The discussion acknowledged that frontline staff are generally working within systems, procedures and instructions determined by the organisation.
The consistency of Claims Hero’s experience across managed claims, consumer enquiries and interactions with the insurer ultimately resulted in Auto & General receiving the Villain Award unanimously.
Complaint Handling Award
Complaint handling is an important opportunity for an insurer to independently reconsider what has happened during a claim. A strong complaints process should be capable of identifying mistakes, considering new evidence, challenging earlier conclusions and changing a decision where appropriate.
The Claims Hero team considered whether complaints functions appeared genuinely willing and empowered to review earlier decisions rather than simply maintaining the original claims position.
Youi Recognised
Youi received the Hero Award for Complaint Handling.
One of the key reasons discussed by the panel was Youi’s apparent willingness to reconsider and overturn decisions when presented with new information.
The podcast referred to a recent matter where Claims Hero presented additional evidence to Youi. According to the panel, the insurer reviewed the information, acknowledged that the original decision was incorrect, apologised and changed the decision promptly. The team considered the ability to acknowledge an error particularly important in an effective complaints process.
Claims Hero also noted that it receives comparatively few enquiries involving Youi after customers have already been through the insurer’s complaints process. This does not establish how every Youi complaint is handled, but the team considered it relevant to its collective experience because many consumers who approach Claims Hero have already attempted to resolve their concerns directly with their insurer.
The overall impression from the team was that Youi’s complaints function appeared comparatively more willing to undertake a fresh review and change an outcome where the available information supported doing so.
Auto and General Needed Improvement
Auto & General received the Complaint Handling Villain Award.
The principal concern raised by the Claims Hero team was whether the complaints process provided a sufficiently independent and fresh review of earlier decisions.
The panel discussed experiences where it believed complaints responses focused on defending or maintaining an existing position rather than identifying whether something had gone wrong during the original claims process. Claims Hero staff also raised concerns about questions not being fully addressed, new information not changing the position and errors not being acknowledged.
This contrasted with the positive examples discussed in relation to Youi and other insurers, where the team had seen insurers acknowledge mistakes, apologise and change decisions after reviewing additional information.
Unlike the Vulnerability Management and Claims Management Villain Awards, the Complaint Handling result was not unanimous. However, Auto & General received the majority of the Claims Hero team vote and was ultimately awarded the Villain Award for the category.
Most Improved Insurer
The Most Improved Insurer Award recognises an insurer where the Claims Hero team believes there has been a meaningful positive change in claims handling.
It does not mean the insurer now gets every claim right. Rather, it recognises improvement in areas such as engagement, decision making, consideration of evidence, willingness to reconsider earlier positions and the overall approach taken when a claim becomes difficult.
Allianz Recognised
Allianz was named the 2026 Most Improved Insurer, with Hollard finishing second.
Several members of the Claims Hero team independently identified Allianz as an insurer where they had observed a noticeable improvement.
The panel discussed recent claims where Allianz appeared more willing to step back and review all of the available information rather than simply relying on the original reports or decisions. Claims Hero staff described seeing Allianz take a broader view of a claim, seek further information where required and change decisions when the evidence supported a different outcome.
The team also highlighted what it considered a greater willingness to acknowledge mistakes. In the complaints discussion, Allianz was specifically mentioned as an insurer that had recently looked objectively at new evidence, recognised where an earlier decision had been wrong and taken steps to correct it.
Claims Hero staff also discussed improved engagement when Claims Hero becomes involved in a claim, with the team observing better communication and a greater willingness to work through disputed issues to reach an appropriate outcome.
The award was therefore not about suggesting Allianz’s claims handling is perfect. It recognised the direction of change observed by the Claims Hero team and what it considered meaningful improvement in the insurer’s approach to claims and complaints.
Overall Hero Award Winner – Suncorp!
The Overall Hero Award considered performance across the broader home insurance claims experience, rather than any single aspect of claims handling. The Claims Hero team considered how insurers respond to customers throughout the claim, including vulnerability support, communication, decision making, consideration of evidence, repairs, complaints and their willingness to correct issues when a claim goes off track.
Suncorp was named the 2026 Overall Hero for Home Insurance Claims Handling. The result reflected the consistency of the team’s experience across the different Award categories. Suncorp was the clear winner for Vulnerability Management and was also a joint winner with IAG for Claims Management. Throughout the discussions, Claims Hero staff repeatedly identified Suncorp as one of the stronger performers across the broader claims journey.
A key reason was Suncorp’s approach to customers when claims become difficult. The team discussed its willingness to consider evidence provided by the insured, reconsider earlier decisions where new information supports doing so, adapt processes for vulnerable customers and engage constructively with Claims Hero when issues are raised.
The panel also recognised what it considered a comparatively strong culture within Suncorp’s claims operations. Claims Hero’s experience has been that, as matters are escalated through the organisation, there are people willing to engage with concerns and work towards a resolution. The podcast also noted that senior representatives have been prepared to acknowledge that the insurer does not always get everything right and that there remain areas where improvement is required.
Claims Hero also observed a comparatively stronger focus on actually repairing homes and finding practical claim outcomes, rather than treating cash settlement or maintaining an existing decision as the default response when difficulties arise.
The Overall Hero Award does not mean that Suncorp gets every claim right or that every customer will have the same experience. Rather, based on the collective experience of Claims Hero staff, Suncorp was considered the strongest overall performer among the home insurers considered for the 2026 Awards.
Overall Villain Award Winner – Auto & General (Budget Direct, Qantas Insurance, ING Home Insurance etc)
The Overall Villain Award considered the Claims Hero team’s experience across the broader home insurance claims journey, including vulnerability management, claims management, complaints handling, communication, consideration of evidence, repairs, settlements and the way issues are addressed when a claim becomes disputed or difficult.
Auto & General was named the 2026 Overall Villain for Home Insurance Claims Handling, following a unanimous vote from the Claims Hero team.
The result reflected the consistency of concerns raised across each of the individual Award categories. Auto & General also received the Villain Awards for Vulnerability Management, Claims Management and Complaint Handling, resulting in what was described during the podcast as a clean sweep of the Villain Awards.
The team did not identify one isolated issue as the reason for the overall result. Rather, the Award reflected what Claims Hero considers to be recurring themes across the home insurance claims, complaints and consumer enquiries encountered by its staff.
In vulnerability management, Claims Hero staff questioned whether identifying a vulnerable customer consistently resulted in meaningful changes to the way the claim was managed. The team discussed experiences where customers were transferred to a specialist function but, in Claims Hero’s view, resulted in worse outcomes for consumers.
Across claims management, the team raised concerns about matters including the consideration of customer evidence, repair and cash settlement processes, maintenance issues, supplier arrangements, access to information and the willingness to reconsider an existing position when concerns were raised.
Complaint handling was another significant factor. Claims Hero staff discussed experiences where they considered that complaints could become focused on defending an earlier decision rather than independently considering whether an error had occurred. The team contrasted this with insurers that they had seen acknowledge mistakes, consider new evidence and change decisions where appropriate.
The strength of the overall result was also influenced by the breadth of Claims Hero staff reporting similar experiences. The Awards take into account not only claims actively managed by Claims Hero, but also complaints, prospective client enquiries and interactions observed by staff working across different parts of the business.
Importantly, the Award reflects Claims Hero’s collective opinion about home insurance claims handling based on the information and experiences considered for the Awards. It does not mean that every Auto & General claim is handled poorly, that every customer will have a negative experience, or that every employee or business unit performs in the same way.
Rather, the unanimous vote reflected the Claims Hero team’s view that, among the insurers considered for the 2026 Awards, Auto & General demonstrated the greatest overall opportunity for improvement in home insurance claims handling.
Useful Resources
You may also find some of our available resources useful:
- Claims Hero Blogs – https://claimshero.au/blog/
- Claims Hero The Podcast – https://claimshero.au/podcast/
- Insurance Claims & Complaints Australia – Q&A Facebook Group – https://www.facebook.com/share/g/18rxSHx6J3/
- Australian Financial Complaints Authority – https://www.afca.org.au/
Disclaimer
The Claims Hero 2026 Home Insurance Claim Awards reflect the opinions and collective experience of Claims Hero staff and relate to home insurance claims handling only.
The Awards are based on Claims Hero’s experience with claims and complaints handled or reviewed, consumer enquiries, interactions with insurers and service providers, team observations and other information considered relevant. They are not based on a representative public survey, statistical research or a comprehensive assessment of every insurer, policy, claim or customer experience. Individual experiences may differ.
The terms Hero, Villain, Best, Worst and Most Improved are editorial descriptions used for the purposes of the Awards and reflect Claims Hero’s comparative opinions about claims handling performance. A Villain Award is not, by itself, a finding of illegality, dishonesty, misconduct or wrongdoing.
The information in this article is general information only and does not take into account your personal objectives, financial situation, insurance policy or individual circumstances. The Awards are not a recommendation to purchase, retain, change, cancel or avoid any particular insurance product or insurer.
You should always consider your own circumstances and seek appropriate independent professional advice before making any insurance, financial or legal decision.
Please read the full Claims Hero Awards Terms and Conditions for further information about the basis of the Awards, methodology and applicable limitations.
Terms and conditions: https://claimshero.au/claims-hero-2026-insurance-awards-terms-conditions-and-disclaimers/