CII Launches Vulnerability Management Initiative for Insurers

The Chartered Insurance Institute has launched a new research and guidance initiative designed to help insurance and personal finance firms better identify and support customers in vulnerable circumstances. Launched during Chartered Week on 24 February 2026, the project is the first in a planned series of societal initiatives from the CII aimed at improving customer outcomes across the sector.

The initiative is run in partnership with Three Hands Insight, a consultancy specialising in lived experience research. The CII has also sponsored the participation of four leading insurance firms — Allianz, Chubb, Cornish Mutual, and Covea — who will combine their customer outcomes expertise with insights from a community of lived experts representing a range of vulnerability types, including ill health, physical disability, dementia, visual impairments, neurodiversity, and unpaid caring responsibilities.

Focus areas for the research include the identification of vulnerability and disclosure, customers' experiences during claims, and financial exclusion — including cases where customers have been unable to obtain insurance at all due to their circumstances. Participants will also provide direct feedback on paper and digital communications from insurers, offering practical insight into how the sector can improve its accessibility.

The project builds on the CII's Road to Consumer Trust campaign, which supports firms with the practical implementation of the Financial Conduct Authority's Consumer Duty requirements. Michael Hilton, Director at Three Hands Insight, described the project as a brilliant opportunity to improve outcomes for vulnerable customers across the UK.