Assurant Solutions ®

Customer Privacy Policy

Data Protection – How We Handle Your Personal Information

Assurant Intermediary Limited (part of the Assurant, Inc. group companies), registered in England and Wales No. 4019801, with mailing address at Emerald Buildings, Westmere Drive, Crewe, Cheshire, CW1 6UN, is committed to preserving the privacy of our customers. Please read the following privacy notice to understand how we, as a data controller, collect, use and protect the personal information that you (“Policyholder” or “you”) provide to us for purposes of providing the insurance policy (“Policy”) to you.

Personal information that we collect from you

We collect and use a variety of personal information about you as part of providing your Policy; including your name, address, contact details, date of birth, credit history, criminal offences, claims information and IP address (which is a unique number identifying your computer).

You can choose whether or not you provide this information to us, but if you decide not to do so, we will be unable to provide services under this Policy to you.

The main reason we collect your personal information and special categories of personal information is because we need it to provide you with the appropriate insurance quotation, policy and price as well as manage your policy such as issuing documentation to you. Our assessment of your insurance application involves an automated decision to determine whether we are able to provide you with a quotation and/or the price. If you object to this being done, then we will not be able to provide you with insurance.

We will also use your information where we feel there is a justifiable reason for doing so for example: to prevent and detect fraud and financial crime and recording and monitoring calls.

This information is intended to be used by Assurant Intermediary Limited for the following purposes:

• Performance of our obligations under the Policy and provision of the benefits under this Policy. We use your information for these purposes where necessary for the performance of your contract of insurance with us.
• For statistical analysis, performing internal administrative functions, handling customer enquiries, managing customer relationships and evaluating the appropriateness of this Policy and its benefits. We use your information for these purposes where necessary for pursuit of our legitimate interests (monitoring and improving our offerings and our customer experience and administering our internal processes).
• Risk evaluation and management (including operational risk), debt recovery, fraud and payment default prevention and evidence management. We use your information for these purposes where necessary for pursuit of our legitimate interests (protecting our business from fraudulent activity and recovering sums due).
• Anti-money laundering, anti-terrorism efforts and sanctions screening. We use your information for these purposes where necessary for compliance with our legal obligations.

Personal information that we collect from other sources

Initially we will receive your details from your broker through whom you have procured this insurance product to enable us to administer and perform your contract of insurance with us.

We also receive information from a number of different sources for example; the underwriter of your policy, their appointed claims management supplier, your bank or building society in relation to Direct Debit collections and publically available sources such reference agencies in order to check your identity to prevent money laundering; and undertake additional fraud searches, where necessary in pursuit of our legitimate interests in protecting our business from fraudulent activity and recovering sums due.

Who we share your personal information with

We will share the data we have collected from you or your broker with the underwriter of your policy. 

To support your claim, we may also share any information you have provided us with to the claims management firm that have been appointed by your insurer, in order to accurately assess your claim. 

Where necessary we will also send information to your broker/network in order to update them on your policy status or to offer a requote to you, should it be in your interest in order to ensure adequate and appropriate cover.

We will also share limited data with carefully selected 3^rd parties such as software providers, web developers, printing providers, financial institutions and identity specialists. 

Your personal information may be disclosed to other Assurant group companies, other insurance companies (e.g., Insurers and Managing General Agents), and to any other entity or service provider contractually obligated to us for the purpose of performing tasks that directly relate to the administration and service requirements of your policy.

Your personal information will also be disclosed to public bodies and organisations in order to satisfy our legal and regulatory obligations, where required.

Where we send your personal information

With respect to the aforementioned purposes, your personal information may be transferred outside the European Economic Area to countries that do not have equivalent data protection laws (for example, if we share your data our parent company Assurant). To ensure an adequate level of security and protection, these transfers will be secured by standard contractual clauses adopted by the European Commission, in line with applicable law.  The Policyholder may request information about these international transfers, and/or request access to a copy of our standard contractual clauses using the contact details provided below.

How we use your Data to Make Automated Decisions

We may use automated decision making, including profiling; to assess insurance risks, detect fraud and administer your policy.  This helps us to decide whether to offer the insurance and determine quotation prices. If you have any concerns regarding the decision reached, please contact us https://www.assuranthomeinsurance.co.uk/customer-contact-us/ and we will arrange for a person to check the accuracy of the result.  We will need your name, email address, policy or account number and reason for your request.

How long we keep your personal information

Your personal information will be retained as long as necessary for the performance of the contract of insurance, in accordance with applicable company records retention policies, and for as long as required or permitted by applicable law or regulation. For example, we retain policy information for 7 years from the end of your relationship with us.

How and why we will contact you

We may contact you by post, phone, text, or email regarding your insurance policy or quotes and to keep up date you with any service requirements relating to your insurance policy.  Any information that you provide to us in response to these communications will not be used or disclosed other than in accordance with this privacy notice, or without your permission, unless required by law.

Your rights

Pursuant to the General Data Protection Regulation and/or applicable local law, you have a right of notice, access, data portability, rectification, restriction of processing, erasure of the information we hold about you, as well as an objection right which you may exercise at any time by sending your request in writing to: Assurant Intermediary Limited, Emerald Buildings, Westmere Drive, Crewe, Cheshire, CW1 6UN.

You may also submit your request in writing to Data Protection Officer, PO Box 98, Blyth, NE24 9DL, or by sending an email to DataProtectionOfficer@assurant.com.

Please note that the exercise of such rights is not absolute and is subject to the limitations provided by applicable law.

You may address a complaint or question concerning the processing of your personal information at the above-mentioned contact details. You may also lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority, which in the UK is the Information Commissioner’s Office, in the country where you live, work, or where you consider the problem has occurred.