Co-op Insurance in 60 seconds
Co-op Insurance at a glance (2026)
Not sure Co-op is the cheapest for you?Compare Co-op against every other major UK insurer in our up-to-date guide to insurance providers.
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
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%.
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.
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.
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%.
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%.
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. To open a claim, use the claims number printed on your policy documents or log in to your online account at coop.co.uk/insurance — the correct line for your product is shown there.
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
Co-op runs a different contact line for each product (car, home, life, pet, travel, funeralcare and membership rewards) and these can change. To make sure you reach the right team — and avoid out-of-date numbers — always take the number from an official source rather than a third-party listing.
How to contact Co-op Insurance
- ✓By phone: call the number printed on your policy documents or renewal letter — this routes you to the correct team for your product (car, home, life, pet, travel or funeralcare).
- ✓Online: sign in to your account at coop.co.uk/insurance to manage your policy, view documents and find the right contact details.
- ✓Membership rewards: manage your member points in the Co-op Membership app, which links to the same account.
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 by post
For policy correspondence and complaints, write to the address printed on your policy schedule, quoting your policy number. The correct postal address for your product is confirmed on the Co-op Insurance website.
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.
Co-op Insurance FAQ
No. The Co-operative Bank is a separate business that left the Co-op Group's ownership in 2013. Co-op Insurance remains a wholly owned subsidiary of The Co-operative Group Ltd, with no banking activity.
Since 2020, Co-op car insurance has been underwritten by Markerstudy Insurance Services. Co-op handles sales, branding and customer service; Markerstudy holds the underwriting risk and pays the motor claims.
Make sure your Co-op Membership number is linked to your insurance policy. Each £1 of premium paid earns 2p for you and 2p for local causes, credited to your Co-op Membership balance and redeemable against future Co-op food shopping.
The Co-op publishes an annual ethical statement listing sectors it will not invest its insurance reserves in (cluster munitions, tobacco, certain fossil-fuel projects). It is the only large UK insurer to make this list public, and the policy is reviewed annually by an independent ethics committee.
Yes. All Co-op Insurance products are sold under FCA-regulated firms covered by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme: 90% of an insurance claim is covered with no upper limit on most general and long-term insurance products.