The General Insurance Code of Practice (the Code) requires insurers, and other industry participants, who have adopted the Code to provide services to their customers in an open, fair and honest way.

The Code’s standards apply to many features of a customer’s relationship with their insurer including when buying insurance, what to expect when making a claim, including timeframes for making a claim decision, and processes for making complaints.

The Code also requires insurers to provide assistance to individuals who are in financial hardship and having difficulty meeting their financial obligations to an insurer. This includes:

• a customer who has made a claim but is experiencing difficulty paying an excess to their insurer, or
• a person who owes an insurer money because they caused damage while uninsured.

In such cases, the Code sets out hardship and debt collection standards for general insurers and their agents to follow.

The Code is owned and published by the Insurance Council of Australia and forms an important part of the broader financial services consumer protection framework.

The latest version of the Code is effective from 1 July 2021.

General Insurance Code of Practice

What does the Code cover?

The General Insurance Code of Practice covers many aspects of a customer's relationship with their insurer, from buying insurance to making a claim, to providing assistance to those experiencing financial difficulty including uninsured third parties.

General insurance products covered by the Code include:

Personal Classes	Commercial Classes
Accident & Sickness	Business
Consumer Credit	Contractors All Risks
Home	Primary Industries
Motor	Industrial Special Risks
Personal & Domestic Property	Liability
Residential Strata	Motor
Travel	Other commercial products

 

The Code does not apply to:

• workers compensation
• marine insurance
• medical indemnity insurance
• compulsory third-party insurance
• reinsurance
• life and health insurance products issued by life insurers or registered health insurers

Who subscribes to the Code?

Code subscribers are listed on the Insurance Council of Australia’s register of general insurers and Lloyd’s Australia Limited coverholders and claims administrators.

Who monitors the Code?

The General Insurance Code Governance Committee (CGC) independently monitors the Code to ensure companies are meeting their obligations, and achieving service standards consumers can trust.

The Code Compliance and Monitoring team (Code Team) at the Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA) provides code monitoring, secretariat and administrative services to the Committee. The Code Team is a separately operated and funded business unit of AFCA. Find out more about the Codes of Practice. 

Report a concern

The role of the General Insurance Code Governance Committee is to ensure companies that have adopted the General Insurance Code of Practice comply with it. It does not provide compensation. If you are seeking compensation, talk to your financial firm or make a complaint with AFCA.

If you believe a company may have breached the General Insurance Code of Practice, you can report your concern by emailing the Code Team or calling 1800 931 678.

General Insurance Code Governance Committee Publications

• General Insurance Code Governance Committee (GICGC) Industry Data Report 2021-22 (PDF, 3.48MB 64 pages)
• General Insurance Code Governance Committee (GICGC) Annual Report 2021-22 (PDF, 3.97 MB, 26)
• General Insurance Code Governance Committee (GICGC) Annual Report 2020-21 (PDF, 3.14MB, 85 pages)
• General Insurance Code Governance Committee (GICGC) Annual Report 2019-20 (PDF, 794KB, 88 pages)
• Living the Code: Embedding Code obligations in compliance frameworks (PDF, 370 KB, 44 pages)
• Media Release - Living the Code: Embedding Code obligations in compliance frameworks (PDF, 600 KB, 1 page)
• General Insurance Code Governance Committee (GICGC) Annual Report 2018-19 (PDF, 2.03 MB, 105 pages)