NatWest Insurance Review 2026: Cover, Claims and Customer Service

About NatWest

NatWest traces its retail-banking heritage to 1968, when National Provincial Bank, Westminster Bank and District Bank merged to form National Westminster Bank. RBS acquired NatWest in 2000 in what was then the largest takeover in UK banking history, and the parent group rebranded as NatWest Group plc in July 2020 to put the most-recognised consumer brand on the front door.

Insurance is a relatively small part of the NatWest proposition. The bank does not underwrite policies itself; instead it distributes home insurance from Aviva, travel insurance via UK Insurance Ltd, pet insurance from RSA and life insurance from Aviva. Reward and Premier current accounts include a range of insurance benefits as a perk.

Why the name NatWest?The name is a shortening of National Westminster Bank, formed in 1968. Adopting it as the group name in 2020 helped distance the parent group from the 2008 RBS bailout and emphasised the UK-focused, customer-first strategy.

Ownership: fully private again in 2025

After the 2008 financial-crisis bailout, the UK Treasury initially held more than 84% of NatWest Group. After a steady programme of share sales the Government holding fell below 1% in early 2025 and was fully exited in May 2025, returning NatWest to 100% private ownership for the first time in 17 years. NatWest Group plc remains a FTSE 100 company under the ticker NWG.

Strategy: a UK-focused retail and SME bank

NatWest has steadily refocused on the UK after a decade of exits (Citizens in the US, Williams & Glyn, Coutts International, Ulster Bank in the Republic of Ireland). The current strategy under CEO Paul Thwaite centres on UK retail, SME and Coutts private banking, with insurance and pensions sold as adjacent products to the bank's 19 million customers.

In July 2025 Aviva completed its acquisition of Direct Line Group, which owned U K Insurance Ltd — the underwriter of NatWest home insurance. As a result, NatWest's home and life policies are now both underwritten by Aviva, simplifying the supply chain.

NatWest insurance: cover and prices in 2026

NatWest does not sell standalone car insurance. The headline products are home, travel (via Reward Black/Platinum), pet, life and a few specialist add-ons. All are distributed by NatWest but underwritten by third parties.

The NatWest product range

Most popular

Buildings & contents

NatWest Home Insurance

Buildings, contents or combined, underwritten by Aviva (via UK Insurance Ltd before July 2025). Two cover levels: Standard and Enhanced. Includes alternative accommodation if your home is uninhabitable.

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

Top tier

Reward Black / Platinum

NatWest Travel Insurance

Worldwide family travel insurance is included as a benefit on the Reward Black and Platinum current accounts. Underwritten by UK Insurance Ltd, with cover for the account holder, partner and dependent children.

• Up to £10m emergency medical cover.
• Trips up to 31 days (Reward Black).
• Winter sports included.

Cats & dogs

NatWest Pet Insurance

Lifetime and Time-Limited cover for cats and dogs, underwritten by RSA. Three tiers (Basic, Standard, Plus) with rising vet-fee limits up to £7,500 a year.

• Multi-pet discount up to 10%.
• Optional dental cover on Plus.
• Free online vet service included.

Protection

NatWest Life Insurance

Term life, decreasing (mortgage) cover and critical illness, underwritten by Aviva. Joint and single policies available, with terminal illness benefit included as standard.

• Cover up to £5m.
• Free Aviva DigiCare+ wellbeing app.
• No medical exam in most cases under age 50.

Reward Platinum

Mobile Phone Insurance

Worldwide mobile phone insurance is included as a benefit on Reward Platinum accounts. Cover for one phone per account holder, up to a value of £2,000.

• Cover for accidental damage, loss and theft.
• Worldwide cover up to 60 days.
• £100 excess per claim.

Reward Black / Platinum

UK Breakdown Cover

UK and European breakdown cover for the account holder, included with Reward Black. Provided by Green Flag (now part of Aviva after July 2025).

• Roadside assistance UK-wide.
• European cover up to 90 days a year.
• Home Start included as standard.

Reward Black is the bundle to watchNatWest's Reward Black current account (£31 a month) bundles worldwide family travel insurance, UK and European breakdown cover and mobile phone insurance. For travellers who use all three, the package is often cheaper than buying each separately.

Making a claim with NatWest

Because NatWest does not underwrite its own policies, claims go directly to the relevant insurer. Aviva handles home and life claims; UK Insurance handles travel and breakdown claims; RSA handles pet claims. NatWest's own customer service team can route you to the correct claims line if you are unsure.

If your home insurance is up for renewal, run our short comparison against the best UK insurance providers before you accept NatWest's quote.

NatWest app and online banking

The NatWest mobile banking app (iOS and Android) is consistently top-rated in Which? and App Store ratings. From the app you can manage current accounts, savings, mortgages, credit cards and view insurance benefits attached to Reward Black and Platinum.

• Sign in: by Customer Number and PIN, or biometric login on the app.
• Forgotten PIN: reset by entering your debit card number and account details.
• Two-factor authentication: mandatory by app push notification or SMS one-time passcode.
• Insurance documents: travel insurance certificates for Reward Black and Platinum sit under "My benefits".

Banking app awardsThe NatWest app has been rated 4.8/5 on iOS for several consecutive years and won "Best mobile banking app" at the 2024 British Bank Awards.

NatWest customer service

Every important NatWest 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 NatWest by phone

Contact NatWest online

• Mobile app: log in for in-app live chat (Cora) and secure messaging.
• Online Banking: secure messaging via natwest.com after sign-in.
• X (Twitter): send a DM to @NatWest_Help for non-sensitive queries.
• Email: NatWest does not publish a general customer-services email. Sensitive issues should go through Online Banking messaging.

NatWest head office address

NatWest Group plc, 250 Bishopsgate, London EC2M 4AA. For policy correspondence and complaints, use the address on your policy schedule or insurance product literature rather than the head office.

How to complain about NatWest insurance

Raise the issue first with NatWest or the relevant underwriter (Aviva, UK Insurance, RSA) by phone, through Online Banking messaging or in writing. If NatWest 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 NatWest a good insurer? Reviews and ratings

NatWest's banking app and current accounts are top-rated in Which? and consumer surveys, but insurance scores are more middle-of-the-pack. The 2025 Fairer Finance ratings give NatWest home insurance a three-star rating and pet insurance a three-star rating. On Trustpilot, NatWest as a whole sits at around 3.6/5, with insurance feedback typically below the banking score.

The most common criticism in reviews is that NatWest home insurance is rarely the cheapest on aggregators, and that travel insurance benefits on Reward Black come with relatively strict pre-existing-condition exclusions. The 2025 transition of home insurance underwriting from UK Insurance to Aviva also caused some temporary documentation churn.

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

NatWest news 2024–2026

• 2024: UK Treasury accelerates its drip-feed sale of NatWest Group shares; stake falls below 10%.
• March 2025: NatWest reports record annual profit of £6.2bn for 2024.
• May 2025: UK Treasury sells its remaining NatWest shares; the bank is fully private again for the first time since 2008.
• July 2025: Aviva completes its acquisition of Direct Line Group, including UK Insurance Ltd — the historic underwriter of NatWest home insurance. Aviva now underwrites NatWest home and life cover.
• 2026: NatWest extends Cora, its AI-powered chat assistant, to handle in-app insurance queries for Reward Black and Platinum customers.

NatWest timeline

• 1658: Smith's of Nottingham, the oldest constituent of the group, is founded.
• 1968: National Provincial Bank, Westminster Bank and District Bank merge to form National Westminster Bank.
• 2000: Royal Bank of Scotland acquires NatWest in the UK's largest banking takeover at the time.
• 2008: UK Government bailout takes the Treasury stake in RBS to 84%.
• July 2020: RBS Group renamed NatWest Group plc.
• February 2024: Paul Thwaite confirmed as permanent group CEO.
• May 2025: UK Treasury fully exits NatWest Group ownership.
• July 2025: Aviva-UK Insurance deal moves NatWest home cover under Aviva.
• 2026: NatWest remains a FTSE 100 group focused on UK retail, SME and Coutts private banking.

NatWest insurance FAQ