UK’s biggest insurer hit by rise in subsidence claims after record hot summer
Increase reported by Aviva after Hastings Direct said claims were up 140% in August and Axa said it had been a ‘surge year’ The UK’s largest insurer has been hit by a rise in subsidence claims after an extremely hot summer left households across the country grappling with the fallout from the growing climate crisis. Aviva said on Friday it had experienced the jump amid an industry-wide surge in…
The United Kingdom's largest insurer, Aviva, is grappling with a significant increase in subsidence claims following an exceptionally hot summer. This surge comes as part of an industry-wide trend of homeowners filing claims for repairs, such as fixing cracks, sloping floors, and misaligned doors and windows.
The extreme heat has led to drier summers, causing the ground beneath houses to shrink, which in turn undermines properties' foundations. When the weather turns wetter in colder months, the ground expands, further damaging homes. Aviva experienced a peak in subsidence claims between July and September, with claims continuing into October.
Aviva's CEO, Amanda Blanc, has advised homeowners to monitor their drains, pipes, and gutters, and to address any leaks promptly, as these can affect the stability of a property's ground. A number of other insurers have also reported a rise in subsidence claims in recent months. Hastings Direct reported record subsidence claims in August, up 140% from the previous year, while Axa described 2026 as a "surge year" for subsidence, with claim values hitting a record high.
The Association of British Insurers reported that the average subsidence claim in the UK reached £20,000 between April and June, up over £2,000 from the same period in the previous year. Insurers paid out £72 million for domestic subsidence claims in this period, compared to £60 million in the same period last year.
The British Geological Survey estimates that up to 11% of UK homes, more than 4.2 million properties, could be at risk of subsidence by 2070 due to worsening climate conditions. Older properties with shallow foundations and those built on clay-rich soil are particularly vulnerable, including areas in London, Essex, Kent, and around Oxford.
Despite the rise in subsidence claims, Blanc stated that Aviva is in good health, having reported a 19% increase in general insurance premiums to £11.8 billion in the third quarter. The company's performance in the first nine months of 2026 has demonstrated the benefits of their diversified business, with strong, profitable growth, especially in capital-light areas of general insurance and wealth.
Written by urgent.news from Guardian Business's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
