Should I claim or pay myself?
Reviewed October 2026 · General guidance; your policy wording and insurer decide your claim.
Claiming makes sense when the insurer’s payout is clearly larger than what claiming costs you. That cost is your deductible, the depreciation you pay, and the No-Claim Bonus discount you lose at renewal.
For small repairs, losing a 35–50% NCB often costs more than the repair itself, so paying yourself can be cheaper.
ClearClaim’s claim check works this out with your own numbers and shows every step. Open it from “Check a claim”.