Making an insurance claim against Carmarthenshire County Council

This webpage provides clear, transparent and comprehensive information on how to make an insurance claim with Carmarthenshire County Council. It is designed to help residents, businesses and other parties understand:

 

What is an insurance claim?

An insurance claim is when you ask the Council to pay for damage, loss or injury that you believe was caused by something the Council did or failed to do. To receive compensation, you must show that the Council was responsible and legally at fault – this means they didn’t take reasonable care or were negligent. 

Before you make a claim

Please read this carefully before you begin.

Compensation is not automatic

Submitting a claim does not guarantee compensation, and in many cases, compensation is not made. Each claim is reviewed individually to determine whether the Council is legally responsible for the incident. This means that we must have failed to take reasonable care, and that failure must have directly caused the issue. Sometimes, accidents happen that are unfortunate but not caused by anyone’s negligence. If the Council was not negligent or at fault, compensation will not be paid.

Our duties

Council has a duty to safeguard Public Funds, and information you provide may be shared with Loss Adjusters, Insurers, Solicitors, or relevant Authorities such as the Police to help detect and prevent fraud. Anyone found to be making or assisting in a fraudulent claim may face criminal prosecution.

Gather evidence and prepare your claim submission

Before submitting your claim, collect evidence to support your claim, this can include photos of the damage, witness statements & their contact details, receipts for expenses or repairs, medical records, etc. Include details of when and where the incident happened and clearly describe what occurred and why do you believe Council was at fault. Providing complete and accurate information will help us assess your claim more quickly.  

No fees or charges to make a claim

You don’t need a solicitor to make a claim. You can do it yourself, and we don’t charge anything.

Time limits for making a claim

You usually have:

  • 3 years to claim for personal injury
  • 6 years to claim for property damage

You can get legal advice at any stage of the claims process if you wish — but it’s not required.

How to make a claim

Follow these steps to submit your claim.

Important: If the council wasn’t at fault, your claim may be refused.  

Step 1: Report the incident

Let us know as soon as possible after the incident. This helps us investigate quickly, gather evidence, and prevent further harm or damage.

Step 2: Provide your details

We’ll need your full name, address of the incident and contact details. 

Step 3: Describe the incident 

Provide a clear description of what happened, including:

  • Time, date and location of the incident
  • Detailed description of the incident, and explain why you think Carmarthenshire County Council may be responsible. Remember to include all necessary and relevant details and state reasons you believe the Council’s actions (or lack of) may have caused the problem.

This helps us understand and assess your claim more quickly. 

Step 4: Submit supporting evidence 

Include any evidence that helps your claim, such as:

  • Photographic evidence of the damage or location 
  • Contact details for any witness
  • Evidence of financial loss (quotes, receipts, invoices, etc.). Please be aware that age of the damaged items (wear & tear) will be taken into account should the settlement offer be made.  

Evidence strengthens your claim and allows us to assess losses accurately.

Step 5: Await assessment 

Our Loss Adjusters will review your claim, investigate the facts with relevant departments, and decide whether the Council is liable.

Step 6: Decision and outcome 

Our Loss Adjusters will inform you of the decision in writing, explaining the outcome, settlement amount (if applicable), and next steps. 

Ways to submit:

Email: CRRiskManagement@carmarthenshire.gov.uk

Post: Carmarthenshire County Council, FAO Risk Management, County Hall, Carmarthen, SA31 1JP

Our claim process and timeframes

 

Steps Description Target timescale
Step 1: Acknowledgement and Referral  Carmarthenshire County Council will acknowledge your claim and issue a reference number. within 7 working days
Step 2: Initial review Carmarthenshire County Council Claims Handling Team checks the basic information and will refer it to the Loss Adjusters – Gallagher Bassett. within 15 working days
Step 3: Acknowledgement by Loss Adjusters Loss Adjusters will acknowledge receipt of your claim and issue a reference number to both Carmarthenshire County Council and you.

Important: From this point on, your correspondence should go directly to the Loss Adjusters and not Carmarthenshire County Council.

 within 15 working days
Step 4: Investigation by Loss Adjusters Loss Adjusters examine relevant documents and evaluate the facts. They may request further information from both Carmarthenshire County Council and you. typically, between 30-90 working days depending on the complexity of the claim*
Step 5: Liability Decision

You’ll receive a written decision:

  • If the claim is not accepted, no compensation is offered.
  • If the claim is accepted, you’ll receive a settlement offer. You can either accept it or dispute it (with justification and supporting evidence).
 typically, between 8–12 weeks depending on the complexity of the claim
Step 6: Settlement Payment (for successful claims only) Once you accept the offer, payment is made via BACS by our Loss Adjusters Within 10-20 working days
Step 7: If Your Claim Is Unsuccessful If your claim is not accepted, you have the right to challenge the decision. You can do this by providing additional information or evidence that supports your case.

You may also choose to appoint legal representation at any stage of the claims process — although this is not required.

 varies depending on the nature of the challenge and any new evidence provided.

*Please note: Complex claims or those involving injury may take longer.

 

Disclaimer
Submitting a claim does not guarantee compensation. Every claim is carefully investigated based on the facts and the law. It is the claimant’s responsibility to provide evidence that shows the Council was at fault — this means proving negligence or legal liability.

Contact Us

Claims & Risk Management Team
FAO: Risk Management
County Hall, Carmarthen
SA31 1JP

CRRiskManagement@carmarthenshire.gov.uk