| Summary: If you’ve ever made a general or fire insurance claim in New Zealand, there’s a good chance it’s recorded on the Insurance Claims Register. The ICR is a shared database used by insurers across the country to detect fraud, track claims history, and flag dishonest behaviour. A flag on your record doesn’t just mean a declined claim, it can follow you for years, affecting your ability to get insurance, secure a mortgage, or protect your home. Here’s how it works, what it means for you, and why honesty is always the best approach. |
Most people know that making a dishonest insurance claim can lead to that claim being declined. What many don’t realise is that it can also leave a permanent mark on a national database, one that’s shared across almost every insurer in New Zealand.
That database is the Insurance Claims Register (ICR). It holds records of all general and fire insurance claims made to participating insurers, and it’s one of the most important tools used to detect and prevent insurance fraud in this country.
What Is the Insurance Claims Register?
The ICR is an independently run database, developed in 1998 by the Insurance Council of New Zealand (ICNZ). It records claims submitted to participating insurers and allows those insurers to share claims data for the purposes of detecting fraud, particularly duplicate claims, non-disclosure, and suspicious claiming patterns.
The database currently holds information on over eight million insurance claims. It is updated daily, with claims data fed directly from each participating insurer’s systems and linked to individual policyholders.
The insurers that participate in the ICR represent approximately 95% of the domestic general and fire insurance market in New Zealand. That includes major providers such as IAG (which operates AMI, State, NZI, and Lumley), Tower, Vero, AA Insurance, FMG, MAS, and Ando. In practical terms, if you hold a home, contents, or vehicle policy in New Zealand, your claims are almost certainly being recorded.
What Does the ICR Actually Track?
The ICR allows insurers to:
• Check whether disclosures made at the time of purchasing a policy are accurate
• Identify potentially fraudulent duplicate claims across different insurers
• Review a person’s past claims history when assessing new claims or applications
It’s important to understand that making a legitimate claim doesn’t cause problems. The ICR isn’t there to penalise honest policyholders. It exists so that when someone files the same loss with two different companies, inflates a claim, or misrepresents their claims history, that behaviour can be identified.
What Happens When a Claim Is Flagged?
This is where it gets serious. Most claims sit on the ICR for ten years and then drop off automatically. But a flagged claim, one where the insurer has identified the claim as a risk to their business, typically because of dishonesty, stays on the register indefinitely.
A claim is only flagged after the policyholder has been informed, usually through a formal claim declinature letter. Once it’s flagged, it serves as a warning to every other participating insurer.
The consequences of a flagged claim can include:
• Having your current policy cancelled by your insurer
• Extreme difficulty obtaining insurance cover from any provider in the future
• If you can find cover, significantly higher premiums
• Loss of your mortgage — banks in New Zealand require home insurance as a condition of lending, and if you can’t get insured, your bank may exercise its right to a mortgagee sale
• Potential prosecution, depending on the severity of the fraud
That last point about mortgages is one that catches many people off guard. In New Zealand, banks will not approve or maintain a home loan without insurance on the property. A fraud flag that prevents you from getting insurance doesn’t just affect your cover — it can put your home at risk.
You’ve Already Agreed to It
When you take out an insurance policy with a participating insurer, agreement to have your claims recorded on the ICR is a condition of cover. It’s disclosed in the privacy advice on your proposal, renewal, and claim forms.
You do have the right to object to your information being held on the ICR. However, insurers equally have the right not to insure you if you do. In practice, opting out of the ICR is likely to mean opting out of cover altogether.
Your Rights Under the Privacy Act
The ICR operates in accordance with the Privacy Act 2020. That means you have the right to request access to any information held about you on the register.
You also have the right to ask your insurer for corrections if information is inaccurate.
Only authorised staff at participating insurers can access ICR data. Your information isn’t publicly available, and it is only shared where necessary for the purpose of assessing claims or detecting fraud.
To request your information, you can download and complete a personal information request form from the ICNZ website. You’ll need to have your identity verified by a Justice of the Peace, Police officer or Lawyer, before you submit your request through to your insurer.
Why This Matters
The ICR exists because insurance fraud costs everyone. In New Zealand, it’s estimated that fraud adds hundreds of millions of dollars to the cost of insurance every year. That cost is passed on to honest policyholders through higher premiums.
The ICR is one of the key tools insurers use to keep the system fair. It’s why exaggerating a claim, making a duplicate claim with another insurer, or misrepresenting your history doesn’t go unnoticed, and why the consequences extend well beyond a single declined claim.
If you’re making a claim and you’re not sure how to approach it, talk to your insurer. They can walk you through the process and help you get it right. Honest claimants have nothing to fear from the ICR.
If you’re aware of someone making a dishonest claim, you can report it confidentially and anonymously through the Insurance Fraud Bureau. You don’t need proof to raise a concern, your information helps protect the integrity of the system and keeps costs fair for everyone.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is the Insurance Claims Register?
The ICR is a shared database used by insurers in New Zealand to record claims and detect fraud. It holds over eight million records and is used by insurers representing approximately 95% of the domestic general and fire insurance market.
2. How long do claims stay on the ICR?
Standard claims remain on the register for ten years and then drop off automatically. Flagged claims, where fraud or dishonesty has been identified, remain on the register indefinitely.
3. Can I find out what information is held about me?
Yes. Under the Privacy Act 2020, you have the right to request access to your ICR data. You can do this by completing a personal information request form through your insurer or via the ICNZ website.
4. Can a flagged claim affect my mortgage?
Yes. Banks in New Zealand require home insurance as a condition of mortgage lending. If a fraud flag makes it difficult or impossible to obtain insurance, your lender may exercise their right to a mortgagee sale.
5. How do I report insurance fraud in New Zealand?
You can report suspected fraud confidentially or anonymously through the Insurance Fraud Bureau at ifb.org.nz/report-fraud.