Norfolk County Council's annual insurance costs have risen by just over 4% for 2026/27, the Audit and Governance Committee heard on 28 April, as the council renewed the second year of an insurance programme running through to 2030.

The council operates a self-insured model with significant deductibles — meaning it absorbs the cost of smaller claims directly rather than passing them to insurers. For liability and motor claims, the council handles any claim below £314,000 itself, with no lower excess charged. For property claims, the threshold is £250,000, above which external insurers pay out.

In 2025, the insurance team processed over 1,500 claims across liability, motor and property categories, denying approximately 79% of them. Motor claims involving the council's fleet were the largest area of activity, with driver training work ongoing with Norse — the council's arms-length trading company.

Property claims fell compared to previous years, largely due to milder winter weather, though officers flagged ongoing concerns about potential fuel and oil thefts at schools, with preventative work underway.

The council also recovered nearly £210,000 from third parties who caused damage to highways assets. Councillors were told that police attendance at incidents is the most effective way to identify responsible parties, and that damage can also be reported through the council's website — though recovering costs is harder when responsibility is unknown.

Looking ahead to Local Government Reorganisation in 2028, officers confirmed that insurance cover remains in place for claims arising from periods when premiums were paid, regardless of when a claim is actually made. Work is underway with insurance specialists and district councils to plan how historic and future claims will be managed across the new unitary authorities that will replace Norfolk's existing councils.