Who does a loss adjuster actually work for?
The insurer pays them — and understanding that, without overstating it, is the key to dealing with one sensibly.
What a loss adjuster does. They are appointed by the insurer to investigate a claim, usually a larger or more complex one: establish what happened, whether the policy responds, the extent of the damage, and what it should cost to put right. They visit the property, take photographs and measurements, interview you, examine documents, and produce a report and recommendation.
The professional position. Loss adjusters are typically chartered professionals bound by a code of conduct requiring impartiality and objectivity. A competent adjuster is not trying to refuse your claim — they are establishing facts, and they will identify cover you did not know you had, which happens more often than people expect. Insurers rely on their independence, because a report that does not withstand scrutiny is worthless to them.
But they are instructed and paid by the insurer. Their assessment of scope, cause and cost is made within that relationship, and where judgement is involved — and a great deal of it is — the framing reflects who commissioned the work.
The genuinely independent alternative: a loss assessor. A loss assessor is engaged and paid by you, to prepare and negotiate your claim on your behalf. They typically charge a percentage of the settlement or a fee. For a large or contested claim — a serious fire or flood — they can be worth it. For a routine claim they usually are not, and some operate aggressively, so check regulation, fees and cancellation rights before signing anything, particularly anyone who appears at the scene of a loss uninvited.
How to deal with an adjuster effectively:
Document everything before anything is cleared — photographs, video, serial numbers, receipts if you have them.
Do not dispose of damaged items until told you may.
Keep a written record of conversations and confirm key points by email.
Read the report if you can obtain it, and challenge specifics rather than the conclusion generally.
Use the complaints process, then the Financial Ombudsman Service, which is free and can direct redress.
General information, not advice.