HOW TO HIRE · BUSINESS & PROFESSIONAL

How to hire an insurance broker in the UK
The checks, the questions and the paperwork.

Insurance broking is FCA-regulated. Here is how to check the firm, how brokers are paid and what to tell them.

  • Search and compare — no account needed
  • Nearest to you first
  • One score from Google, Trustpilot and Locufy reviews

THE 60-SECOND VERSION

Hiring an insurance broker in five steps

  1. Check the firm on the FCA registerWith permission for insurance distribution.
  2. Use the register's contact detailsClone firms copy genuine names and numbers.
  3. Ask how the broker is paidCommission, a fee, or both, in writing.
  4. Give full, accurate informationGaps can affect a future claim.
  5. Read the key exclusionsThe broker should explain what is not covered.

BEFORE YOU BOOK

Check before you book

FCA Financial Services Register

Insurance broking requires FCA authorisation. The register shows the firm's status and permissions; using an unauthorised firm means you are unlikely to have the Financial Ombudsman Service or FSCS protection.

Search the insurance broker's firm on the FCA Firm Checker. register.fca.org.uk →

Clone-firm check

Fake firms copy the details of FCA-authorised ones with their own phone numbers and websites.

Compare the broker's contact details with the register; ring the FCA on 0800 111 6768 if they differ. fca.org.uk →

Appointed representatives

An appointed representative works under a principal firm's FCA authorisation, which takes responsibility for it, only within the activities allowed.

Read the principal firm on the register entry. fca.org.uk →

Employers' liability insurance

gov.uk says employers must get employers' liability insurance as soon as they become an employer, from an authorised insurer.

If you employ staff, make sure the insurance broker includes it and sends the certificate. gov.uk →

VAT

An insurance broker arranging cover for you as an intermediary, with the follow-up work on that cover, is exempt from VAT. Work not closely tied to insurance, such as general business advice, is standard-rated. Exempt fees do not count towards the £90,000 registration threshold, so an insurance broker may have no VAT number at all; one that is registered still shows VAT on any standard-rated fee as a separate line.

Ask the insurance broker to confirm in writing that its fee is exempt, and for its VAT number if any part of the work is standard-rated. gov.uk →

“Is your insurance broking firm on the FCA register, and with what permissions?”

A good answer: A number and permissions you can check.

“How is the insurance broker paid on this policy?”

A good answer: Commission and any fee disclosed in writing before you buy.

“How many insurers did the broker approach?”

A good answer: A list or a clear description of the market searched.

“What are the main exclusions and conditions?”

A good answer: The insurance broker explains them in plain words.

“What information must I give you?”

A good answer: A clear list, and a warning that missing facts can affect claims.

“Will the broker help if I need to claim?”

A good answer: Whether claims support is included.

“What happens to my insurance at renewal?”

A good answer: A review and fresh quotes, not automatic renewal.

Getting the quote right

  • The policies recommended and the insurers
  • Who actually attends to your cover and claims: the insurance broker named, an employed account handler, or an appointed representative
  • Premium and any broker fee shown separately
  • Commission disclosed
  • Key exclusions, excesses and conditions
  • Claims and renewal support
  • The VAT number, if the insurance broker has one; the broking fee exempt, and any other service charged with VAT on its own line

Walk away if

  • Not on the FCA register
  • Contact details that differ from the register
  • Will not disclose commission or fees
  • Asks you to leave out facts
  • Payment to a personal account
  • No written recommendation

KNOW WHAT TO LOOK FOR? NOW FIND ONE

Insurance brokers near you, with the badges that matter shown

ID checked, trader status and one score from every review — on the card, before you message anyone. Nearest first. No account needed to look.

Or post the job free and let them come to you, or book by the hour.

  1. Needs reviewYour risks and the cover you need.
  2. Market searchInsurers approached and quotes compared.
  3. RecommendationAdvice on the policy and its terms.
  4. PlacementCover arranged and documents issued.
  5. Renewal and claimsSupport at renewal and when you claim.

Premium
What you pay for the insurance.
Excess
The part of a claim you pay yourself.
Exclusion
Something the policy does not cover.
Disclosure
Telling the insurer the facts that matter.
Policy schedule
The summary of your cover, limits and premium.
Appointed representative
A firm working under another firm's FCA authorisation.

AFTER

When the job is done

Keep the policy documentsSchedule, wording and certificate, filed where you can find them.
Keep the employers' liability certificateIf you have staff, store it where you can show it on request.
Diary renewalSo the cover is reviewed, not rolled over.
Review the jobReviews on Locufy come only from booked jobs, so yours counts. If the insurance broker fell short, use the make-it-right step first and they get the chance to put it right.

STEP 1Set it out for the insurance brokerDescribe the fault and give a fair deadline to fix it. The Consumer Rights Act 2015 expects reasonable care and skill from the insurance broker as a trader, so you can insist on the work being put right or the bill cut.
STEP 2Locufy's make-it-right stepA rating under four stars asks whether the insurance broker should hear about it first. Agree, and the make-it-right step runs before your review appears.
STEP 3The Financial Ombudsman ServiceComplaints about an authorised insurance broker that the firm has not resolved can go to the Financial Ombudsman Service; the FSCS may help if an authorised firm fails. Report unauthorised firms to the FCA.
STEP 4A small claim for the moneySmall claims is the last step against the insurance broker: the limit is £10,000 in England and Wales, £5,000 in Scotland (simple procedure) and £5,000 in Northern Ireland.

Hiring an insurance broker: questions people ask

Yes, insurance broking is regulated; the firm must be authorised or an appointed representative of an authorised firm.

Search the FCA register and use the contact details there; call the FCA if they differ.

For most employers, yes, as soon as they take on staff.

We have not found a UK publisher whose insurance broker figures we can stand behind. Complex or specialist risks and broker fees on top of commission raise the cost. Get written quotes from two or three insurance brokers for the same brief, and read the insurance broker price guide for what drives them.

Usually commission from the insurer, sometimes with a fee; ask for both in writing.

A few days to a few weeks to compare quotes and place cover.

MORE GUIDES

More hiring guides in business & professional

How to hire: Mortgage BrokerHow to hire: Financial AdvisorHow to hire: AccountantHow to hire: SolicitorHow to hire: Health & Safety ConsultantHow to hire: HR ConsultantHow to hire: Business ConsultantHow to hire: Payroll ServiceAll 701 hiring guides →

Insurance brokers near you

Insurance brokers in LondonInsurance brokers in ManchesterInsurance brokers in BirminghamInsurance brokers in GlasgowInsurance brokers in BelfastAll insurance brokers on Locufy →

Sources — checked October 2026

  1. FCA — how to check a firm or individual is authorised
  2. FCA — using the Financial Services Register
  3. FCA — fake FCA communications and clone firms
  4. gov.uk — employers' liability insurance
  5. FCA — contact us
  6. gov.uk — VAT Notice 701/36: insurance
  7. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 49 — reasonable care and skill
  8. Citizens Advice — more help with a consumer issue
  9. gov.uk — make a court claim for money: court fees
  10. Insurance (VAT Notice 701/36) — 9.1 Insurance brokers and agents
  11. GOV.UK — VAT rates
  12. GOV.UK — Register for VAT: when to register