World Alzheimer’s Day: Insurance Sector Urged to Unite on Protocols for Supporting Vulnerable Customers

In the UK it is estimated that 850,00 people have dementiaⁱ⁾ and this is expected to rise to 1.4 million by 2040ⁱⁱ⁾.  This is placing unprecedented pressure on insurers and their claims partners to balance empathy, regulatory compliance, and fraud prevention.

“As a loss adjuster, we’re seeing the rise in fraud cases involving dementia firsthand,” says Sarah Durkin, Head of Counter Fraud at Woodgate & Clark. “Around 60% of claims referred to our counter fraud team now involve vulnerable customers— this is a big jump from just a few years ago.

“One of the most pressing challenges we face is identifying vulnerabilities such as dementia when they have not been disclosed by the customer or their family at first notification of loss or prior to a site visit.  While the Vulnerability Registration Service is valuable, it is not foolproof. We also support the amazing work of Insurance United Against Dementiaⁱⁱⁱ⁾ and GAIN (Group for Autism, Insurance, Investment & Neurodiversity).^iv)

“However there remains an urgent need for clearer guidance on our duty of care to vulnerable customers during the claims process.”

Woodgate & Clark is calling for consensus on two key issues:

1. Undisclosed vulnerabilities—such as dementia—that emerge during the claims process, and the duty of care owed to the policyholder.
2. Verification of neurodiverse conditions disclosed during fraud investigations, to ensure genuine cases are supported while maintaining fraud prevention standards.

Sarah Durkin continues: “Our society is getting older and many of us have been touched by dementia within our own families and friendships. We all want to do the right thing for our customers, particularly during the claims process which can obviously be stressful, but we need to look at the range of scenarios we’re encountering where a vulnerability such as dementia has not been disclosed and agree the best approach to ensure we’re not failing to support those in need or being misled by fraudulent claims.

“It is also vital that we find a way to improve how vulnerability is recorded and shared across the market, so that we know from the outset, how best to communicate with that customer and manage the claim.

“Vulnerability is systemic and the insurance market as a protector of people and their possessions needs to be alive to this fact. The insurance industry must come together to agree consistent, compassionate, and robust protocols that ensure vulnerable customers are treated with the care and dignity they deserve—without compromising on fraud prevention or operational clarity.

Please click this link to download the press release.