Warning as motor claims plummet in Q3 2023

Motor claims registered to the Department for Work and Pensions’ Compensation Recovery Unit (CRU) plummeted to its second-lowest level in five years during the third quarter of 2023, new data has revealed.

Figures published yesterday (24 October 2023) showed 85,830 claims were registered to the CRU between July and September this year, down from 89,361 in Q2 2023 and 93,989 in Q1 2023.

And since the start of 2018, the only period where the number of claims registered was lower than Q3 2023 came during Q4 2022, when 84,257 were recorded.

Matthew Maxwell Scott, executive director of the Association of Consumer Support Organisations (Acso), said the data showed that consumers were not claiming for injuries they may have suffered.

“While accident numbers on our roads remain broadly static, those claiming for injuries sustained as a result continues to fall, no doubt in large part due to the impact of the 2018 Civil Liability Act reforms,” he added.

Personal injury

Acso obtained the figures through a freedom of information request to the CRU.

It said the decline in motor claims was the main factor that contributed to a drop in the total number of personal injury claims that were registered.

Figures showed that some 117,732 claims were identified by the unit between July and September, down from 126,366 for the same period in 2022 and only just above the record low of 110,163 recorded in the final quarter of last year.

Maxwell Scott said the context for the drop that was ”impossible to ignore is that of rapidly rising motor insurance premiums”.

Data published by Confused.com and WTW on 13 October 2023 showed that UK motorists were paying £924 on average for premiums, some £338 more than 12 months ago – reflecting a yearly rise of 58%.

“Increases of around six times the current headline rate of inflation is something the FCA must look into as part of its investigation into the government’s whiplash reforms as consumers seem to be paying much more for far less,” Maxwell Scott said.

“The negative impact on consumers from these types of reforms should also be considered as part of the wider review of civil justice that we are calling for.”