• By Daniel Smith
• Published 07/4/2012

Claims handlers have the responsibility to process and investigate insurance claims that are concerning customers’ policies. The claims handlers will have to work with the policy holders, other colleagues, and other professionals for making sure that the insurance claim is indeed valid. The primary responsibility of a claim handler is processing a client’s or customers’ insurance claims. When it comes to insurances, there is a huge variety out there. Some of the common types of insurances are home and content insurance, travel insurance, private indemnity insurance, and so on. The role of the claims handler will most likely change depending on which area they are specialising in.

Claim handlers, in general, will be responsible for handling the claim from the time when it was first reported to the rejection or payment. Therefore, the claims handlers will be required to work with a whole range of different individuals for making sure that the claims are handled in a proper manner. The responsibilities of a claims handler will also include, arbitrating with the customers in order to find out all the details of the claim as well as making sure that all the necessary documentations have been filled out correctly. After making sure of that, the claims handler will pass the claim on to the specific departments that handle the rest of the procedure. Even informing the customers about the status of their claim and whether or not it has been accepted.

You may have to handle different tasks depending on the size of the insurer. Claims handlers who work for the large global institutions, may simply act as the policyholder’s primary point of contact. Also, claims handlers who have a lot more experience, may also fulfil the responsibility of a loss adjuster or an assessor. Those who handle the loss adjusting side of the job have a much greater responsibility of investigating whether or not a claim is valid. A claim handler with this responsibility may have to visit the policy holder or the property and arbitrate with the police, solicitors or/and the other professional investigators.

How much salary can a claims handler expect?

If you are looking for claims handler jobs, you must know that being a claims handler, you will get a starting salary of £16,000 to £20,000. Although, the salary will significantly depend on the employer as well as the particular area of the insurance field that you work in. this way the salary may vary from one claims handler to the other. The specialist areas of the insurance field will most likely offer higher starting salary but the competition in such areas are extremely cut-throat.

As your experience in this field increases, your salary will most likely increase too. Also, before you go looking for claim jobs, you may consider taking training in your specialised field. This added training will most likely help you get better salary when you start your career as a claims handler. After working as a claims handler, you may be promoted to the position of a manager or a supervisor. Being a manager or supervisor, your salaries may increase up to £25,000 to £50,000.

Author Bio: Steven Hayes is an experienced writer based on the south coast. He loves learning and writing about new subjects. With previous experience in the recruitment industry, the majority of his work is based in this area. He provides tips and suggestions for those looking for claims handler jobs.