LV=

Mutual insurer. Products & services: Car, Home, Life, Pet.

Updated: 3 August 2026

Company Overview

Industry: Insurance (general insurance - car, home, pet, travel, breakdown)
Parent company: Allianz Holdings plc
Regulator: Financial Conduct Authority (and Prudential Regulation Authority)
Ombudsman: Financial Ombudsman Service
Customers: More than 4.5 million UK general-insurance customers
Founded: 1843 (Liverpool Victoria brand)
Legal entity: Liverpool Victoria Insurance Company Limited (no. 03232514, FRN 202965)

2.87per 1,000 policiesGeneral insurance complaints - 2.87 per 1,000 policies in force
84%(36% within 3 days plus 48% after 3 days but within 8 weeks)General insurance complaints closed within 8 weeks

What customers complain about

Most complaints about LV= concern its general-insurance business (car, home, pet, travel, breakdown), underwritten by Liverpool Victoria Insurance Company Limited and now owned by Allianz. LV='s own published data shows the single biggest cause of complaints is 'general administration and customer service' - delays, service quality and how claims and policies are handled - rather than the underlying insurance decision. In the second half of 2025 LVIC opened 12,025 general-insurance complaints (2.87 per 1,000 policies) and upheld 56% of those it closed. Customers should distinguish a service complaint (poor communication, delays, admin errors) from a claims dispute (a declined or under-paid claim), as these are handled by different teams and phone lines. If LV= cannot resolve a complaint within eight weeks, or issues a final response you disagree with, you can refer it to the Financial Ombudsman Service free of charge.

Complaint categories

1
General administration and customer service
LV='s own published complaints data names this as the single biggest cause of general-insurance complaints in every recent reporting period, covering service quality, delays and how policies and claims are administered rather than the underlying insurance decision.
LV= General Insurance complaints data, 'main cause of complaint' column, Jul-Dec 2025 and prior periods (lv.com).
2
Claims handling and delays
A recurring strand of service complaints concerns the time taken to progress or settle a claim; LV= runs separate claims phone lines per product (car, home, travel, pet) distinct from its sales-and-service lines.
LV= 'How to make a complaint' page lists separate claims numbers per product; historic periods list 'Delays/timescales' as the main cause (lv.com).
3
Claims disputes (declined or under-paid claims)
Distinct from service complaints, these concern the outcome of a claim - a rejection, a settlement figure or an application of policy terms. These are the disputes most often escalated to the Financial Ombudsman Service.
Distinction drawn from LV='s separate claims vs service routes and FCA/FOS complaint-handling framework (lv.com; financial-ombudsman.org.uk).

Latest statistics

12,025General insurance complaints openedJul-Dec 2025
84%(36% within 3 days plus 48% after 3 days but within 8 weeks)General insurance complaints closed within 8 weeksJul-Dec 2025

Figures are LV='s own published complaints data for its general-insurance underwriter, Liverpool Victoria Insurance Company Limited (LVIC), reported to the FCA under DISP rules. Most recent period: 1 July to 31 December 2025. LVIC's 12,025 opened figure and 2.87-per-1,000 rate match the FCA firm-level complaints data for the same period. The two resolution percentages ('within 3 days' and 'after 3 days but within 8 weeks') together give the share closed within eight weeks. Life/pensions figures below are for a separate company (LVFS).

Contact methods

Complaint journey

1
Contact LV= and set out your complaint
Tell the right LV= team - service or claims - what has gone wrong.
Typical responseSame day
What happens
Contact LV= about your specific product and issue. Use the sales-and-service line (e.g. 0330 678 5111 for car and home) for service problems, or the relevant claims line (e.g. car claims 0330 678 5578, home claims 0330 678 5000) for a claims dispute. You can also write to Customer Complaints, County Gates, Bournemouth BH1 2AT, or use LV='s online complaint form. Complaints cannot be made in person at an LV= office. State clearly what went wrong and the outcome you want.
2
Acknowledgement and case officer
LV= confirms it has your complaint and assigns someone to it.
Typical responseWithin 5 working days
What happens
LV= says it will contact you to acknowledge your complaint within five working days. A named case officer is assigned to investigate, keep you informed with regular updates, and let you know the outcome. You should receive a complaint reference number - keep it for any later escalation.
3
Investigation
The case officer reviews your policy, claim and the events complained about.
Typical responseUp to 8 weeks
What happens
The case officer investigates and aims to resolve the complaint as soon as possible. Under FCA rules a firm has up to eight weeks to resolve a complaint before you can take it to the Financial Ombudsman Service. If it is not resolved within eight weeks, LV= says it will remind you of your right to refer the matter to the Ombudsman.
4
Final response
LV= gives its decision and explains it.
Typical responseBy 8 weeks
What happens
LV= issues a final response setting out its decision and reasons. If you disagree, your case officer will discuss it and explain the decision. The final response (or an eight-week holding letter) will tell you how to contact the Financial Ombudsman Service. Referring to the Ombudsman does not affect your right to take legal action.
5
Escalate to the Financial Ombudsman Service
Ask the free, independent ombudsman to review the dispute.
Typical responseWithin 6 months of final response
What happens
If you remain unhappy after LV='s final response, or eight weeks have passed with no resolution, you can refer your complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service free of charge. You normally have six months from the date of LV='s final response letter to do so. The Ombudsman will only look at a complaint after LV= has had the chance to resolve it. Contact: 0800 023 4567 or 0300 123 9123, complaint.info@financial-ombudsman.org.uk, Exchange Tower, London E14 9SR.

Response times

LV= states it will acknowledge a general-insurance complaint within five working days and assign a case officer who investigates and provides regular updates. It aims to resolve complaints as soon as possible, and under FCA rules has up to eight weeks to issue a final response before you can go to the Financial Ombudsman Service; if it cannot resolve within eight weeks, it will write to explain why and remind you of your right to escalate. LV='s published data for July-December 2025 shows 36% of general-insurance complaints were closed within three days and a further 48% within eight weeks (84% within eight weeks in total).

If your complaint isn’t resolved

If LV= can’t put things right, you can escalate — free of charge — to an independent body:

Financial Ombudsman Service

Recent news

16 June 2026
LV= General Insurance policyholders (Liverpool Victoria Insurance Company Limited, plus Highway, Fairmead and Trafalgar) are being transferred to Allianz Insurance plc under a Part VII scheme, with an intended transfer date of 1 January 2027, a High Court hearing on 2 October 2026 and an objection deadline of 25 September 2026.
Read more
29 April 2026
Allianz UK and LV= extended their brand-licensing partnership in a new multi-year deal to keep selling home, motor and pet insurance under the LV= name, reversing an earlier plan to retire the LV= brand in 2026. LV= General Insurance was reported to serve more than 4.5 million UK customers.
Read more

Earlier cases

1 January 2022
Historic: Liverpool Victoria's life, pensions and investments business was sold to US private-equity firm Bain Capital for around £530m, after members and the courts approved the deal; it now trades as Liverpool Victoria Financial Services Limited (LVFS).
Read more
2 January 2020
Historic: Allianz completed its acquisition of LV='s general-insurance group (up to £1.078bn in total, in stages from 2017), taking full ownership of the business that underwrites LV= car, home, pet, travel and breakdown cover.
Read more

Know your rights

Consumer Insurance (Disclosure and Representations) Act 2012
Sets your duty as a consumer to take reasonable care not to misrepresent facts when taking out or renewing cover, and limits when an insurer like LV= can avoid a policy or reduce a claim. If LV= declines a claim citing non-disclosure, this Act governs whether that is fair. This is general information, not legal advice.
FCA rules - DISP (complaint handling) and the Consumer Duty
LV= must handle your complaint fairly and promptly, send a final response, and tell you about the Financial Ombudsman Service; the Consumer Duty requires firms to deliver good outcomes and support. These rules underpin the eight-week timeframe and your right to escalate.
Consumer Rights Act 2015
Insurance is a service, so the service element (how LV= administers and communicates about your policy) should be carried out with reasonable care and skill, and policy terms must be fair and transparent. This is general information, not legal advice.

Frequently asked questions

Is LV= the same company as Allianz?

For general insurance, effectively yes: LV= car, home, pet, travel and breakdown cover is underwritten by Liverpool Victoria Insurance Company Limited, which Allianz has owned since January 2020. LV= is used as a brand under licence. Life, pensions and investments are a different company (LVFS), owned by Bain Capital.

How do I complain to LV= about my car insurance?

For a service complaint call the sales-and-service line on 0330 678 5111; for a dispute about a car claim call the car claims line on 0330 678 5578. You can also write to Customer Complaints, County Gates, Bournemouth BH1 2AT, or use LV='s online form.

How quickly will LV= respond to my complaint?

LV= says it will acknowledge your complaint within five working days and assign a case officer. It aims to resolve complaints as soon as possible and has up to eight weeks under FCA rules before you can take the complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service.

What if LV= rejects my complaint?

Once LV= issues its final response, you can refer the complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service free of charge, normally within six months of that letter. The Ombudsman is independent and its decision is binding on LV= if you accept it.

Are my LV= policies affected by the move to Allianz Insurance plc?

LV= General Insurance policies are due to transfer to Allianz Insurance plc from 1 January 2027 under a court-approved Part VII scheme. LV= states cover, policy numbers, contact details and service teams remain unchanged; policyholders were notified in 2026 and could object to the court before 25 September 2026.

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