Data released this Thursday by the Insurance and Pension Funds Supervisory Authority (ASF) points to a 16% reduction in insurance complaints made to insurers in the first six months of the year, compared to the same period in 2024.
On the other hand, complaints submitted directly to the Insurance and Pension Funds Supervisory Authority (ASF) on the Consumer Portal rose 22% compared to the previous year.
“The reduction in complaints directed to the market (insurance companies) is a sign of greater efficiency and transparency on the part of operators, and of more consumer-centric policies and business models,” said Eduardo Farinha Pereira, director of ASF’s behavioral supervision department, in a statement.
With regard to complaints made to the market (insurance companies and funds), in the first half of the year “10,773 complaints were presented and 10,839 concluded, representing a decrease [homólogo] of 16% in both complaints presented and completed”.
It is in the Non-Life sectors that there are the most complaints, 91% of the total (9834), and in particular, and continuing to take the lead, in “motor insurance (32%), followed by fire and other damage insurance (17%) and sickness insurance (15%). Assistance represents 12% and Accidents 9%”.
The most frequent reasons for complaints occur when there are accidents and in this case, of the total number of complaints, “57% arise after accidents, and 23% relate to the content and validity of the contract”.
Complaints in the Life sector represent only 5% of the total, that is, 563, which compared to the same period last year corresponds to 35% less. Life insurance, excluding PPR, is the most complained about within this segment, with 80% of complaints.
Regarding pension funds, residuals remain (1.7%), mostly relating to open pension funds, emphasizes the ASF. In relation to Pension Funds, the most requested matters concern “Transfers” (44%) as well as the provision of information on participants and beneficiaries” (24%).
Complaints on the Consumer Portal increase
Complaints made on the Consumer Portal between January and June this year amounted to 1,232, “an increase of 22% compared to the same period last year”, adds the ASF, which also states that “these complaints must, as a rule, be presented in advance to the complained entity (market)”. It is in this context that “74% were presented through the Consumer Portal”, says the report.
Car insurance continues to be the most complained about with a weight of “42%, followed by fire and other damage insurance (22%) and health insurance (7%)”.
Only a third of complaints are favorable to policyholders
The insurance supervisor, led by Gabriel Bernardino, notes that in complaints submitted to the market “34% of complaints received a favorable response to the consumer, with an average response time of 11 working days, clearly below the regulatory limit”, which represents an improvement.
Of the complaints presented on the Consumer Portal, “29% received a favorable response to the complainant”.