What is the CUE database?

CUE is a central database that holds over 34 million records that record the details of incidents that may or may not lead to an insurance claim.  Covering car, home, travel and home insurance, the information held on the system is vast.  Managed by the Motor Insurers’ Bureau (MIB), this is the biggest register in the UK for general insurance claims, and it was introduced back in 1994 to help reduce the risk of fraudulent claims, which in turn helps to keep prices down for honest policyholders.

The insurance industry uses the system to analyse claims made by a customer over the previous 6 years and the claims held on the system can be anything from a theft or major accident right through to minor damage. All this information is submitted by the insurers themselves.

How does the database affect my insurance premiums?

Because no two insurance policies are equal, the CUE database acts as source of information for insurers looking to provide the right amount of cover for your vehicle.

More importantly, CUE is relied upon to assist insurers in the event of a claim.  With every incident recorded, they can calculate how much of a potential risk you will be to them.  If you think you can outwit an insurer by not disclosing previous claims in order to reduced your premiums, you can’t – they will have instant access to all the information on the database and you will be found out, quick sharp.

By keeping all the information in one place, insurers are able to reduce the incidents of fraudulent claims, which in turn helps to keep premiums lower for everybody.

Does every type of incident need to be reported?

You may think that a minor knock or insignificant accident isn’t worth wasting their time with, but in truth, every incident should be disclosed to your insurance company.  Withholding information could even be seen as ‘non-disclosure’ or ‘mis-representation’ which could have a serious effect on the validity of your policy as time goes on.

If your insurer suspects that you are guilty of non-disclosure, you could find your policy is canceled immediately, and that you will be seen as much higher risk to future insurers, thus raising your premiums significantly.

What happens if you report and incident but never make a claim

Many minor incidents don’t reach the claim stage, but you still have a responsibility to advise your insurer.  This information helps them to understand the potential risks involved for every customer.  From attempted thefts to bumps and minor accidents, all this information will give your insurer an insight into where your bike is stored, how you ride it and other important factors that will affect your insurance policy.

Can I see what information is held about me on the database?

If you wish to know what CUE has to say about you, you can make a free data subject access request using the Motor Insurance Bureau’s (MIB’s) subject access request form.

What if the information is incorrect?

If you feel the information held on there is wrong for any reason, you can make a complaint via the Motor Insurance Bureau, or alternatively speak to the insurer that you believed has submitted the wrong information about you.

If you aren’t sure about the exact dates of an incident or the costs of a claim, you should speak to the company that covered you at the time of the incident and ask them to update the CUE database as appropriate.

For more information

Please see this link to read more about the CUE Database