Claims and Underwriting Exchange (CUE) database

What is the CUE database and how does it work?

The Claims and Underwriting Exchange (CUE) is a national database that records insurance incidents reported to UK insurers. It's managed by the Motor Insurers' Bureau (MIB) on behalf of the insurance industry and covers four areas: motor, home and travel insurance, and personal injury claims.

Its main purposes are:

1. To help insurers calculate risk accurately
2. To combat insurance fraud
3. Keep prices fair

If someone tries to claim for the same injury twice or fails to disclose a previous incident when applying for a policy, CUE makes it much harder to get away with.

Every insurer that uses CUE is required to contribute data to it. This means the picture it builds up over time is extensive.

When you apply for or renew a car insurance policy, your insurer will run an automatic check against CUE. The results are weighed alongside other factors – your age, address, occupation and driving licence history – to arrive at your premium.

It’s worth mentioning that, by combating fraud, CUE helps to keep prices fair. This is because the cost of fraud is usually passed onto the consumer in the form of higher premiums.

What car insurance claim information is held on the CUE database?

CUE holds a range of personal and incident-related data, including:

• Your name
• Address
• Date of birth
• Policy details
• A record of any claims or incidents that have been reported

Here’s an important distinction worth knowing: CUE records incidents, not just claims. That means if you contacted your insurer to discuss a potential claim – but decided not to proceed – that conversation will still be logged, typically as a ‘notification only’ or ‘information only’ entry.

This won't look the same as if you made a full claim but will nonetheless be visible to insurers when they check your record.

This catches a lot of people off guard. It's worth bearing in mind any time you phone your insurer with a ‘hypothetical’ question about a minor bump or scrape – even if you decide to pay for the repair yourself and hang up – there’ll probably still be a record of the call.

How to check your CUE database record

You have a legal right to see the information CUE holds about you, and it won't cost you anything. Here's how to do it:

Step 1: Submit a Subject Access Request (SAR) to the MIB

Under GDPR, you can request your CUE data for free by submitting a Subject Access Request to the MIB website. Or you can do this by post:

Data Subject Access Request Team

Motor Insurers' Bureau

6-12 Capital Drive

Linford Wood

Milton Keynes

MK14 6XT

You'll need to provide proof of identity – one document confirming your name and date of birth, and another confirming your address.

Step 2: Wait for your report

The MIB will respond within one month of receiving your request and all required documents. You can choose to receive your data by email or post.

Step 3: Review your record carefully

It's a good idea to check your CUE record before renewing your insurance – particularly if you're unsure of the exact dates or costs of a previous incident. If your record doesn't match what you declare on your application, your insurer may query it, which could delay your quote or affect your premium.

Find out more about how the CUE database affects your home insurance.

How long does information stay on the CUE database?

Information is held on CUE for six years from the date a claim or notification is closed. After that, it drops off your record automatically.

It's worth knowing the distinction between two related timeframes. Most insurers ask you to declare claims made in the past five years when you apply for a policy – but insurers can see up to six years of history via CUE. That means an incident you no longer need to declare could still be visible to an insurer checking your record.

Personal injury claims can also be cross-referenced with a separate database called CUE PI, which is specifically designed to track personal injury incident records and help prevent duplicate claims.

How does CUE affect my car insurance quotes?

When you apply for car insurance, your insurer checks CUE automatically before calculating your quote. They compare what you've declared against what the database shows. If there's a discrepancy, there could be consequences.

Let’s say you declare no claims, but CUE shows a recorded incident. Your insurer might increase your premium, apply additional conditions, or in some cases withdraw the quote altogether.

Failing to disclose relevant information – even accidentally – could also be treated as non-disclosure. This could invalidate your policy if you later need to make a claim.

It's also worth being clear on the difference between CUE and your no-claims bonus (NCB):

• CUE tracks incidents
• An NCB is a separate record, usually confirmed by a document from your previous insurer

When you switch providers, you'll typically need to provide NCD proof independently. CUE doesn't do that job for you.

Can I remove incorrect information from the CUE database?

If you spot something on your CUE record that you believe is wrong, you can challenge it. For example, if you find an incident recorded as your fault when it wasn't, or a claim that shouldn't be there.

The process works as follows:

The MIB manages the database, but it's the insurer who originally logged the entry that has the authority to change it. Your first step should be to contact that insurer's complaints or data team directly with any supporting evidence you have – a court judgement, a letter confirming a non-fault decision, or correspondence showing a claim was withdrawn.

Once the insurer agrees to amend the record, ask for written confirmation. Check that your CUE entry has been updated accordingly.

If you need to contact the MIB directly – for example, if you're unsure which insurer logged a particular entry – you can reach them by phone on 0345 165 2803, by email at dataprotection@mib.org.uk, or by post at the address above.