Co-op Insurance Review 2026: Cover, Claims and Customer Service

About Co-op Insurance

The Co-operative Insurance Society was founded in 1867 as an offshoot of the Co-operative Wholesale Society, making it one of the oldest UK insurers still trading. After the 2013 financial difficulties at the Co-operative Bank, the Group divested the life and savings book to Royal London but kept its general-insurance arm under the Co-op Insurance Services Ltd banner.

The Co-op has differentiated itself with an ethical investing policy: it screens premiums against industries it will not finance (cluster munitions, tobacco, fossil-fuel extraction). Customers also earn member rewards on policies just as they do on Co-op groceries: 2p in every pound spent goes back to the member, and 2p more to local causes.

Why Co-op is structured as a co-operativeThe Co-op is owned by its members, not shareholders. That structure shapes its insurance pricing: it does not pursue dividends, so any surplus is reinvested in member benefits, ethical projects and lower pricing for repeat customers.

Ownership and the Markerstudy partnership

In 2020, the Co-op outsourced its car-insurance underwriting to Markerstudy Insurance Services, ending direct underwriting of motor risk. The Co-op brand and customer service remain in-house but the underlying risk now sits on Markerstudy's balance sheet. Home and life insurance continue to be underwritten by Co-op Insurance Services Ltd directly.

Strategy: an ethical, member-owned insurer

Under Co-op Group CEO Shirine Khoury-Haq, the Co-op is consolidating its general insurance and life-protection offers around the membership programme. The Co-op signed up to the UN-supported Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI) early and remains the only large UK insurer to publish a public list of excluded sectors from its investment portfolio.

Co-op Insurance: cover and prices in 2026

Co-op Insurance sells five main personal-insurance lines plus a regulated funeralcare plan range. Quotes are available online, by phone or via Co-op Members' Rewards. Co-op car insurance is now sold on price-comparison sites such as MoneySuperMarket and Compare the Market following the Markerstudy partnership.

The Co-op insurance range

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Most popular

Co-op Car Insurance

Comprehensive, third-party fire and theft, or third-party only, underwritten by Markerstudy. Optional Young Driver Box telematics scheme with up to £200 discount for safe driving.

• Up to £100,000 personal accident cover.
• Free courtesy car on most policies.
• Multi-car discount of up to 25%.

Buildings & contents

Co-op Home Insurance

Combined buildings and contents or standalone. Up to 50% home insurance discount for landlords with multiple properties. Optional home emergency, accidental damage and high-value items.

• Up to £500,000 buildings cover.
• Up to £75,000 contents cover.
• Optional accidental damage and home emergency.

Protection

Co-op Life Insurance

Term life, decreasing (mortgage) and over-50s cover. Underwritten by Royal London since 2014 and distributed by Co-op Insurance Services.

• Cover from £5,000 to £500,000.
• Over-50s plan with guaranteed acceptance.
• Optional critical-illness rider.

Cats & dogs

Co-op Pet Insurance

Lifetime and Maximum Benefit cover for cats and dogs. Underwritten by Allianz Insurance plc. Multi-pet discount available.

• Vet-fee limits up to £8,000 a year.
• 24/7 video vet helpline.
• Multi-pet discount of 10%.

Single or annual

Co-op Travel Insurance

Single trip and annual multi-trip cover underwritten by Mapfre Asistencia. Optional winter sports, cruise and gadget add-ons.

• £10m emergency medical cover.
• Pre-existing conditions screened online.
• Member discount of up to 10%.

Top tier

Pre-paid funerals

Co-op Funeralcare Plans

FCA-regulated pre-paid funeral plans, fixed in cost at today's prices. Three tiers (Bronze, Silver, Gold) plus an Independent direct-cremation option.

• Price guaranteed at today's level.
• Co-op Funeralcare network UK-wide.
• No medical questions or age limits.

Co-op Membership rewards on insuranceCo-op Members earn 2p back per pound on insurance premium — the equivalent of around 2% cash back. Add another 2p per pound on Co-op food shops and it can add up: roughly £25–50 a year for a typical household, redeemed against future Co-op shopping.

Making a claim with Co-op Insurance

Co-op handles claims through its three underwriting partners: motor claims go to Markerstudy, home claims are handled by Co-op Insurance Services in-house, and life claims through Royal London. Most lines are open 24/7 and claims can be opened by phone or in the customer area on coop.co.uk.

For step-by-step instructions, premium ranges and customer reviews, see our full guide to the best UK insurance providers.

Co-op Insurance online account

Co-op Insurance does not have a dedicated insurance app but offers a full online account at coop.co.uk/insurance. The Co-op Membership app shows insurance reward points but does not currently allow policy changes — for that, customers need to log in on the web.

• Register: sign up with your policy reference and email at coop.co.uk/insurance.
• Sign in: by email and password; password recovery via email link.
• Membership rewards: viewable in the Co-op Membership app and linked to the same account.
• Documents: policy schedules, statements and renewal notices stored in the secure area.

Membership and insurance: connected, not bundledYou do not need a Co-op Membership to buy Co-op Insurance, but joining unlocks the 2p-per-pound member reward on premium spend — effectively a small annual discount when you spend at Co-op food stores.

Co-op Insurance customer service

Every important Co-op Insurance contact line is collected below. Numbers in Selectra blue are the ones most customers need on day one. All numbers are tapped to dial straight from a mobile.

Contact Co-op Insurance by phone

Contact Co-op Insurance online

• Online account: log in at coop.co.uk/insurance for documents and secure messaging.
• Live chat: available from the Co-op Insurance help pages during UK business hours.
• X (Twitter): send a DM to @coopuk for general queries (never share policy or payment details).
• Email: customer service queries go through the contact form on the Co-op Insurance help page.

Co-op Insurance head office address

Co-op Insurance Services Ltd, 1 Angel Square, Manchester M60 0AG. For policy correspondence and complaints, use the address on your policy schedule rather than the head office.

How to complain about Co-op Insurance

Raise the issue first with Co-op Insurance by phone, in the online account or in writing. If Co-op 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 Co-op a good insurer? Reviews and ratings

Co-op Insurance scores in the upper-mid pack on most UK insurance benchmarks. Defaqto awards the Co-op Comprehensive car policy 4 stars and the Co-op Home Plus policy 5 stars. Trustpilot scores hover around 4.2/5 from approximately 25,000 reviews — comparable to Direct Line and ahead of Markerstudy's own brand.

The most common criticism in reviews is that the Co-op Membership reward only partially offsets renewal-price increases; running a fresh aggregator quote at renewal is the surest way to test whether the Co-op is still the best fit.

If price is your priority, run a Co-op quote alongside our list of the best UK insurance providers before you renew.

Co-op Insurance news 2024–2026

• January 2024: Co-op refreshes its ethical investing policy, adding fossil-fuel transition criteria for insurance reserves.
• November 2024: Co-op Insurance reports gross written premium up 8% year on year, driven by funeralcare and home insurance growth.
• 2025: Co-op extends its Markerstudy motor-underwriting partnership for a further five years.
• 2026: Co-op launches an in-app accident-reporting flow and instant member rewards on insurance premium top-ups.

Co-op Insurance timeline

• 1867: Co-operative Insurance Society founded as an offshoot of the Co-operative Wholesale Society.
• 1899: First Co-op life-insurance policies issued.
• 2002: Co-operative Insurance Society rebrands as Co-operative Insurance.
• 2014: Royal London acquires the Co-op life business; Co-op continues to distribute under its brand.
• 2020: Markerstudy takes over Co-op car-insurance underwriting.
• 2022: Shirine Khoury-Haq becomes Co-op Group CEO.
• 2024: Co-op refreshes its ethical investing policy and Markerstudy partnership.
• 2025: Five-year extension of the Markerstudy motor underwriting deal.

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