LV= in 60 seconds
LV= Insurance at a glance (2026)
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About LV= Insurance
LV= traces its origins to 1843, when the Liverpool Independent Legal Victoria Burial Society was founded to give working families an affordable way to pay for funerals. The society became the Liverpool Victoria Friendly Society, expanded across the UK and eventually grew into one of Britain's largest mutuals — owned by its members rather than shareholders.
The general insurance arm (motor, home, pet, travel, breakdown) passed to Allianz Holdings plc in stages. Allianz's own Part VII documentation records that in January 2020 Allianz Holdings "completed the acquisition of the remaining shares of LVGIG from Liverpool Victoria Friendly Society, giving it 100% ownership", alongside the purchase of Legal & General's general insurance division. An earlier partial stake existed before that; Allianz does not publish the date or size of that first step, and it publishes no price for either step, so we do not quote one. The separate LV= life and pensions business took a different path: a proposed sale was put to LV= members and rejected, and merger talks with Royal London were confirmed ended in February 2022. Liverpool Victoria Financial Services still exists and still owns the LV= brand, which it has licensed to Allianz beyond 2026.
Why the "=" in LV=?The equals sign was introduced as part of a 2007 rebrand to suggest "fairness", "equality" and "the same for everyone". It also distinguished the modern LV= brand from the historical Liverpool Victoria Friendly Society.
Ownership and group structure
LV= General Insurance has been wholly owned by Allianz Holdings plc, the UK arm of Allianz SE, since January 2020. Allianz UK describes its brands as "Allianz, Pet Plan, LV= and Britannia Rescue". Each keeps its own brand and product range, with LV= focused on personal lines sold direct. From 1 January 2027, subject to court approval, policies underwritten by Liverpool Victoria Insurance Company Limited (including LV= General Insurance and Britannia Rescue policies, and Highway, Fairmead and Trafalgar policies) will be underwritten by Allianz Insurance plc instead. The UK sanction hearing is listed for 2 October 2026.
Strategy: stay direct, keep the service edge
LV=’s strategy under Allianz is to preserve the LV= service brand while benefiting from Allianz Group's scale on reinsurance, capital and technology. LV= still sells primarily direct to consumers (rather than only via aggregators) and continues to win the highest Trustpilot scores among large UK personal-lines insurers.
The Bournemouth-based customer-service team is the centrepiece of the LV= proposition and has not been merged into Allianz UK's contact centres.
LV= insurance: cover and prices in 2026
LV= focuses on a tight range of personal-lines products designed to score highly on cover quality rather than the cheapest possible aggregator quote. The headline products are below.
The LV= product range
LV= Car Insurance
Comprehensive, third-party fire and theft or third-party only. Multi-car discount, courtesy car included on Comprehensive and lifetime guarantee on LV= approved repairs.
- Multi-car discount available.
- Lifetime guarantee on approved repairs.
- Up to 90 days European cover included.
LV= Home Insurance
Combined buildings and contents or standalone. Three tiers (Bronze, Silver, Premier) with accidental damage and home emergency on Premier.
- Up to £1m buildings cover.
- Up to £75,000 contents cover.
- Premier includes home emergency.
LV= Pet Insurance
Lifetime, Maximum and Accident-Only tiers. Lifetime policies refill the annual vet-fee limit each year provided the policy is renewed without a break.
- Vet-fee limits up to £10,000 a year.
- Lifetime cover that refills at renewal.
- Optional dental and behavioural cover.
LV= Travel Insurance
Single-trip or annual multi-trip cover, with optional winter sports and cruise add-ons. Cover available for travellers up to age 84 on the standard policy.
- Emergency medical cover up to £10m.
- Cancellation cover up to £5,000.
- Winter sports and cruise add-ons available.
LV= Breakdown Cover
Roadside, home start and onward travel breakdown cover, in partnership with the AA. Open to LV= car insurance customers and to non-customers.
- Roadside cover at the roadside or at home.
- Onward travel for replacement car and accommodation.
- European breakdown cover available.
LV= Caravan Insurance
Specialist cover for touring and static caravans, including new-for-old replacement and contents cover for awnings, furniture and gas bottles.
- New-for-old replacement on most policies.
- Cover for awnings and contents.
- European cover available on touring caravans.
LV= rates well, but not as far ahead as often claimedLV= sits at 4.5/5 on Trustpilot from 86,630 reviews (checked 15 September 2026), ahead of Aviva and Direct Line on 4.3 and level with Admiral on 4.5. That is a good score rather than a runaway lead, and it is built on service, claims handling and renewal communication rather than on aggregator pricing.
Making a claim with LV=
LV= claims are handled in-house from Bournemouth. Motor and home claims can be reported online, through the My LV= account or by phone 24 hours a day. LV= accepts around 98% of motor claims and 92% of home claims in its most recent published year.
For step-by-step instructions, visit the LV= help and support pages. Have your policy number and (for motor) the other driver's details ready when you call.
My LV=: app and online account
Every LV= customer can manage policies from the My LV= online account or the iOS/Android app. From the account you can view documents, change cover, renew or start a claim. Pet, travel and home policies all sit under the same login.
- Sign in: by registered email and password.
- Forgotten password: reset via the email on file with a secure link.
- Biometric login: Face ID, Touch ID and Android fingerprint supported.
- Two-factor authentication: SMS verification on sensitive changes such as adding a driver or updating bank details.
Single login across productsIf you hold an LV= motor policy, a Pet policy and Breakdown cover, all three appear in the same My LV= dashboard with one renewal calendar.
LV= customer service
LV= runs different lines depending on the policy and the type of enquiry (general service, motor and home claims, pet, travel, breakdown and complaints), and these numbers change from time to time. To avoid being given an out-of-date number, always take the line that matches your enquiry from an official LV= source rather than a third-party listing.
How to contact LV=
- The number on your policy documents: your certificate and policy schedule list the correct lines for quotes, mid-term changes, cancellations and the relevant 24/7 claims service; this is the most reliable source.
- Official contact page: every current LV= phone line and its opening hours, by product, are published at lv.com/insurance/contact-us.
- My LV=: log in to the app or web account to manage any policy, renew, cancel or report a claim without calling.
- On this site: see our LV= contact page for an overview of how to reach each department.
Contact LV= online
- My LV=: log in to the app or website for secure messaging and most policy changes.
- Live chat: available from the LV= help pages during UK business hours.
- X (Twitter): send a DM to @LV for general queries (never share policy or payment details).
- Email: sensitive issues should be raised through My LV= secure messaging rather than personal email.
LV= head office address
LV= General Insurance, County Gates, Bournemouth BH1 2NF. For policy correspondence and complaints, use the address on your policy schedule rather than the head office.
How to complain about LV=
Raise the issue first with LV= by phone, in My LV= or in writing. If LV= 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 LV= a good insurer? Reviews and ratings
LV= scores 4.5 out of 5 on Trustpilot from 86,630 reviews (uk.trustpilot.com/review/www.lv.com, checked 15 September 2026). That puts it ahead of Aviva and Direct Line, both on 4.3, level with Admiral on 4.5 and slightly ahead of Churchill on 4.4. Reviews highlight the speed of motor claims, the Bournemouth contact-centre team and clear renewal letters.
Defaqto rates LV= Comprehensive Car at 5 Stars, with LV= Premier Home holding a 5 Star rating across most variants. Fairer Finance ranks LV= consistently in the upper quartile for transparency and complaints handling.
If price is your priority, run an LV= quote alongside our list of the best UK insurance providers before you renew.
LV= news 2024–2026
- January 2020: Allianz Holdings plc completes its acquisition of the remaining shares in LV= General Insurance Group, taking 100% ownership.
- 2024: LV= retains its Bournemouth head office and customer-service team within the Allianz UK group.
- July 2025: Following the Aviva-Direct Line merger, Allianz UK (including LV=) becomes one of the three largest UK personal-lines insurers.
- 2026: LV= rolls out a refreshed My LV= app with biometric login and in-app claim notifications across motor, home and pet.
LV= timeline
- 1843: Liverpool Independent Legal Victoria Burial Society founded.
- 1907: Renamed Liverpool Victoria Friendly Society.
- 2007: Rebranded as LV= with the equals-sign motif.
- 2017: LV= sells half of its general insurance business to Allianz, retaining the LV= brand.
- 2019: Allianz completes the acquisition of the remaining half of LV= General Insurance.
- December 2021 to February 2022: LV= members reject the proposed sale of the life business; merger talks with Royal London follow and are confirmed ended in February 2022. Liverpool Victoria Financial Services remains, and still owns the LV= brand.
- 1 January 2027: subject to court approval, LV= General Insurance and Britannia Rescue policies transfer from Liverpool Victoria Insurance Company Limited to Allianz Insurance plc.
- 2025: Aviva-Direct Line merger reshapes the UK market; LV= remains an Allianz UK brand.
- 2026: Refreshed My LV= app launched.
LV= FAQ
No. LV= General Insurance was bought by Allianz Holdings plc in stages, with Allianz taking 100% ownership in January 2020, and it is now part of the Allianz SE group's UK arm. The separate LV= life and pensions business is a different company: its proposed sale was rejected by LV= members, subsequent merger talks with Royal London ended in February 2022, and Liverpool Victoria Financial Services still owns the LV= brand, which it licenses to Allianz.
LV= is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the FCA and PRA, with the additional financial strength of being part of Allianz Group. Policyholders are protected by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS), which covers 90% of an insurance claim with no upper limit on most general insurance products.
LV= is rarely the cheapest aggregator quote, but it is rarely the most expensive either. The brand competes on cover quality, claims handling and customer service rather than the lowest possible introductory price. Many customers find LV= competitive at renewal because LV= is one of the few large insurers that does not push aggressive new-customer-only pricing.
You have a 14-day cooling-off period in which you can cancel any new LV= policy and receive a full refund minus a small admin fee. After the cooling-off period you can still cancel but LV= will keep the portion of premium covering the time on risk plus an admin fee.
Yes. Allianz has committed to retain the LV= brand for personal-lines (motor, home, pet, travel, breakdown) customers. The Bournemouth head office, customer-service team and product range continue under the LV= name within the Allianz UK group.