Churchill in 60 seconds
Churchill Insurance at a glance (2026)
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About Churchill Insurance
Churchill Insurance was founded in 1989 by Martin Long and Peter Wood in Bromley, Kent, as a direct-to-consumer motor insurer that competed with the price-comparison-led market by selling exclusively over the phone. The famous Churchill bulldog first appeared in television advertising in 1996, followed by the "Oh yes!" catchphrase that became one of the most recognised slogans in UK financial-services history.
In 2003, the Royal Bank of Scotland Group acquired Churchill from Credit Suisse for £1.1 billion and folded it into its insurance division. When RBS demerged that division in 2012 it became Direct Line Group plc, with Churchill as a stablemate of Direct Line, Privilege and Green Flag.
Why Churchill avoids price-comparison sitesChurchill has always been a direct-only brand. By skipping aggregators, the insurer cuts commission costs but limits price discovery for customers — meaning a Churchill quote should always be checked against a multi-insurer comparison before you renew.
Ownership and the Aviva deal
Direct Line Group plc — Churchill's parent — agreed in December 2024 to a recommended £3.7 billion cash-and-shares offer from Aviva plc. The deal completed in July 2025, making Aviva the UK's largest personal-lines insurer with around 20 million UK customers. Churchill continues to trade under its own brand and underwriter.
Strategy: a household brand with a direct-only model
Under group CEO Adam Winslow, the Direct Line Group is investing in technology and a "Direct Plus" strategy that retains Churchill as a premium direct brand alongside the cheaper Privilege. The brand's marketing budget is sizeable: more than £40 million a year on TV and digital ads featuring the nodding bulldog.
Churchill Insurance: cover and prices in 2026
Churchill sells six personal-insurance lines, all underwritten by U K Insurance Limited (the captive underwriter of Direct Line Group). Quotes are available online or by phone — never via Compare the Market, MoneySuperMarket or other aggregator sites.
The Churchill product range
Churchill Car Insurance
Three tiers (Essentials, Comprehensive, Comprehensive Plus). Multi-car discount up to 20%, courtesy car as standard and uninsured-driver promise on Comprehensive cover.
- DriveSure black-box optional for young drivers.
- Lifetime guarantee on Churchill-approved repairs.
- New car replacement in the first 12 months.
Churchill Home Insurance
Three tiers (Essentials, Plus, DLG Select). Optional home emergency, accidental damage and personal possessions add-ons.
- Up to £1m buildings cover.
- Up to £75,000 contents cover.
- 24/7 home emergency add-on.
Churchill Motorcycle
Comprehensive, third-party fire and theft, or third-party only. Covers the rider plus optional pillion and named riders.
- Up to 90 days European cover.
- Helmet and leathers cover included.
- Optional breakdown add-on.
Churchill Motor Breakdown
UK and European breakdown cover supplied through Green Flag. Personal-based or vehicle-based, with optional Home Start and Onward Travel.
- Roadside assistance UK-wide.
- Home Start option from your driveway.
- European cover up to 90 days.
Churchill Pet Insurance
Three tiers (Essentials, Plus, Premier). Lifetime cover available on Plus and Premier, with vet-fee limits refilled each policy year.
- Vet-fee limits up to £15,000 a year.
- Multi-pet discount of 10%.
- No upper joining age once cover starts.
Churchill Travel Insurance
Three tiers (Essentials, Plus, Premier). Worldwide cover including the USA, plus optional cruise and winter sports add-ons.
- £10m emergency medical on Premier.
- Pre-existing conditions screened online.
- Single trip up to 94 days on Premier.
Churchill vs Direct Line: same underwriter, different brandChurchill and Direct Line share the same underwriter (U K Insurance Limited) but quote independently. It is worth comparing both quotes side by side — the pricing engines often differ by 5–15% on the same risk.
Making a claim with Churchill
Churchill handles claims in-house through U K Insurance Limited. Motor and home claims lines run 24/7 and a claim can be opened on the phone or through the secure customer area on churchill.com. Most simple windscreen, theft and minor accidental-damage claims are settled within a few working days.
For step-by-step instructions, premium ranges and customer reviews, see our full guide to the best UK insurance providers.
Churchill online account and app
Churchill does not currently offer a standalone insurance app, but customers can manage every Churchill policy from a single online account at churchill.com. The account holds policy documents, allows you to amend cover, update personal details, file claims and access roadside-assistance contact details.
- Register: sign up at churchill.com using your policy reference and email address.
- Sign in: by email and password; two-factor authentication via email or SMS.
- Forgotten password: reset by entering your email; Churchill sends a one-time link.
- Documents: stored as PDFs and downloadable from the policy area.
DriveSure: optional black box for young driversChurchill's DriveSure programme uses a mobile-app telematics record over 200 miles to potentially discount renewal premiums. It is optional and aimed mainly at drivers aged 17–25.
Churchill customer service
Churchill handles its lines in-house through U K Insurance Limited, with separate routes for sales, motor, home, pet, travel and breakdown. Because phone numbers change, the only reliable contact details are the ones printed on your policy documents and shown in your online account. We do not publish Churchill phone numbers here, so you always reach the correct, current line.
How to contact Churchill
- By phone: use the number printed on your policy schedule or renewal letter; Churchill runs a different line for each product (car, home, pet, travel, motorcycle and breakdown).
- Emergency and claims: the 24/7 motor and home claims lines, and the travel emergency assistance number for calls from abroad, are on your certificate — quote your policy number first.
- Online: manage cover, view documents, message securely and start a claim from your account at churchill.com.
Contact Churchill online
- Online account: log in at churchill.com for documents and secure messaging.
- Live chat: available from the Churchill help pages during UK business hours.
- X (Twitter): send a DM to @ChurchillUK for general queries (never share policy or payment details).
- Email: customer-services queries go through the contact form on the Churchill help page.
Churchill head office address
Churchill Insurance, Churchill Court, Westmoreland Road, Bromley BR1 1DP. For policy correspondence and complaints, use the address on your policy schedule rather than the head office.
How to complain about Churchill
Raise the issue first with Churchill by phone, in the online account or in writing. If Churchill does not resolve the complaint within eight weeks, or you receive a final response you disagree with, you can escalate the complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service free of charge.
Is Churchill a good insurer? Reviews and ratings
Churchill sits in the mid-pack on most UK insurance benchmarks. The 2025 Defaqto ratings give Churchill Comprehensive Plus car insurance a 5-star award and the standard Comprehensive policy 4 stars. Trustpilot scores hover around 4.2/5 from more than 30,000 reviews — broadly in line with Direct Line and a touch ahead of Privilege.
The most common criticism in reviews is renewal pricing. Because Churchill does not appear on comparison sites, customers cannot easily benchmark renewal quotes — the safest move is to run a fresh quote on a comparator before accepting the renewal price.
If price is your priority, run a Churchill quote alongside our list of the best UK insurance providers before you renew.
Churchill news 2024–2026
- December 2024: Aviva agrees a recommended £3.7bn cash-and-shares takeover of Direct Line Group, including Churchill.
- March 2025: Direct Line Group reports gross written premiums up 11% year on year, with Churchill motor outperforming the market.
- July 2025: Aviva completes the Direct Line acquisition; Churchill continues to trade as a separate direct brand.
- 2026: Churchill rolls out AI-led claims triage on motor and home cover, cutting first-call resolution times by around 30%.
Churchill timeline
- 1989: Churchill Insurance founded in Bromley by Martin Long and Peter Wood.
- 1996: Churchill the nodding bulldog mascot debuts in TV advertising.
- 1999: Churchill bought by Winterthur Insurance for £510 million.
- 2003: Royal Bank of Scotland acquires Churchill for £1.1 billion.
- 2012: RBS demerges its insurance division as Direct Line Group plc.
- 2018: Churchill launches DriveSure telematics for young drivers.
- 2021: Pricing-practices rules from the FCA end "loyalty premium" pricing.
- 2024: Aviva agrees a £3.7bn takeover of Direct Line Group.
- 2025: Aviva completes the acquisition of Direct Line Group; Churchill brand retained.
Churchill Insurance FAQ
Yes. Churchill policies are underwritten by U K Insurance Limited, authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the FCA and PRA. Policyholders are protected by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS): 90% of an insurance claim is covered with no upper limit on most general insurance products.
Churchill is a direct-only brand: it has sold its policies exclusively over the phone and online since 1989. By avoiding aggregators, Churchill bypasses the commission costs, but customers need to obtain a Churchill quote separately to compare it with the open market.
They share the same parent (Direct Line Group, now owned by Aviva) and the same underwriter (U K Insurance Limited), but they price and market independently. Customers should obtain quotes from both brands and compare the price for the same level of cover.
You have a 14-day cooling-off period on any new policy and can cancel for a full refund minus a small admin fee. After the cooling-off period, Churchill will keep the portion of premium covering the time on risk plus an admin fee.
DriveSure is an optional telematics scheme aimed at young drivers (mainly 17–25). The Churchill DriveSure app records your driving over the first 200 miles and uses braking, cornering and acceleration data to potentially lower your renewal premium.