Customer Service Pet and Equine Claims Handler

Overview

Claims Handler Pet & Equine

• Exciting new opportunity to take the first step toward developing a career within a leading insurance brand
• Full training and ongoing support provided including opportunities to progress and develop your career with a company who will invest in you.
• After successful probation, this will be a hybrid role with 80% homeworking and 20% in York office.

Salary: Up to £26,000 + 10% annual bonus

Hours: You’ll work 35 hours per week, Monday to Friday, with shifts scheduled between 8am and 6pm – and no weekend work! Consideration will also be given to part-time hours.

About the role

As a Customer Service Claims Handler in our York office, you’ll be part of a team that manages our customers’ pet and equine insurance enquiries from initial claim through to settlement, while also gaining exposure to some property claims.

At NFU Mutual, we put our customers at the heart of everything we do. We\’re proud to have built an enviable reputation for exceptional member loyalty, which is why 9 out of 10 customers renew with us each year. You’ll engage with our customers, NFU Mutual Agents and a variety of third parties, including vets, to gather the necessary information that’ll help you make fair decisions on our customers’ claims. We always look for ways to settle our customers’ claims.

To help you become the best you can be, we provide structured training that will give you an introduction to the business and build your knowledge about our insurance products and processes. When the training is complete, we’ll continue to provide a supportive learning environment so you can confidently grow your Claims Handler career. Your line manager will also support you to build a personal development plan, with regular conversations throughout the year.

You’ll be joining a thriving and vibrant team in a lively office with everything you need, including plenty of break-out spaces, free tea and coffee, and a weekly delivery of fresh fruit. Easy to get to by bus, bike or car, we have free on-site parking and bike storage facilities. We’re a team that enjoys group social activities as much as we enjoy helping our local communities and charity organisations.

While the role offers up to 80% homeworking once you’re fully up to speed, it’s important to know that you’ll need to be based in the office full-time for the initial training period. This typically lasts the length of your probation around six months. Our priority during this time is to give you the best possible start helping you build confidence in the role, get hands-on experience, and feel fully supported as you settle in.

Responsibilities

• Handle new claim calls and manage ongoing claims across pet and equine claims with the opportunity to e upskilled to handle property claims.
• Respond to queries from policyholders and vets, ensuring clear and empathetic communication.
• Assess claims in line with policy terms, confirming cover with vets and scrutinising invoices (up to £5,000 / one year’s cover).
• Process invoices and clinical histories efficiently and accurately.
• Work within the team’s phone group system, balancing call handling with other claim activities.
• Collaborate with colleagues across different claim types to provide a flexible and responsive service

Recruitment process

Our recruitment process consists of a few simple steps: an online application, a friendly introduction call with a member of our Talent Acquisition team, and a skills-focused interview at our York office. Interviews will be held on the 24th September.

About you

You take pride in putting customers first and delivering a service that feels fair, supportive and personal. With strong communication skills, empathy and a willingness to learn, you can quickly build trust and adapt to a fast paced, changing environment. While insurance experience is desirable, it is not essential, as we will provide full training on our products and processes

We’re looking for:

• Customer focus: you put the policyholder at the heart of every decision, ensuring they feel supported and valued throughout their claim.
• Problem solving and judgement/initiative: you use sound judgement and initiative to resolve issues and make fair decisions, even when situations are complex.
• Effective communication: you listen carefully, show understanding and explain information clearly to customers, vets and colleagues, both in writing and in person.
• Time management: you manage calls, claims and administration efficiently, making sure tasks are completed on time and to a high standard.
• Prioritisation: you can assess your workload and focus on the most important tasks, ensuring customers receive a timely service.
• Adaptability/Learning mindset: dealing with ambiguity you remain calm and effective when things change, handling new challenges with confidence. While being open to feedback and eager to grow your skills.

Benefits

When you join our team, you can expect a supportive culture and an attractive range of rewards and benefits including:

• Salary Up to £26,000
• Annual bonus (up to 10% of salary)
• Contributory pension scheme, up to 20%, including your 8% contribution
• 25 days annual leave + bank holidays + buy/sell/save holiday trading scheme
• A Family Friendly policy that helps you balance your work and family responsibilities
• Access to savings at High Street brands, travel and supermarkets
• £20 contribution to a monthly gym membership, subject to T&Cs
• Health and wellbeing plan, cashback for dentist, opticians, physio and more
• Access to voluntary benefits, including health assessments, private medical insurance and dental insurance
• Employee Volunteering, volunteer in the community for one day each year
• Unlimited access to Refer a Friend £500 bonus scheme
• Life Assurance cover of 4 x salary
• Employee discounts of 15% on a range of NFU Mutual insurance policies.

We’re one of the UK’s leading general insurance and financial services companies. For over 110 years we’ve put our customers at the heart of everything we do. Our people are just as important to us.

We pride ourselves on being “a great place to work” and our Gallup Exceptional Workplace 2025 award was not only awarded with Distinction but also named us as the first UK-based company to receive a Gallup Exceptional Workplace for ten years in a row. We are also the only Insurer to feature in the LinkedIn Top 15 Companies 2025 list of ‘Best midsize employers to grow your career in the UK’, the Glassdoor Best Places to Work UK List 2023 and 2024, and were recognised as a certified UK Top Employer by the Top Employers Institute in 2023, 2024 and 2025.

We offer a supportive culture where we empower and inspire our people to perform, offer them opportunities to grow, and recognise and reward their contribution. Our people are proud to work for a company that respects them and their communities, and they trust us to be financially sustainable, so we are successful now and in the future.