Brand partners sign a new agreement with nationwide building society

Brand Partners, the partnerships division of Direct Line Group, is pleased to announce that it has signed a new contract with Nationwide Building Society to expand its provision of home insurance. The new agreement builds on the success of its existing relationship with Nationwide that spans over 10 years. Through the integration of systems, a new operating model has been created, which means that Direct Line Group will handle all of the post sales, service and claims management for Nationwide’s home insurance customers.

Since 1st March 2012, Direct Line Group has already been processing all new Nationwide home claims. This is a considerable change and represents an 85% increase in the number of claims previously handled by Direct Line Group.

Nationwide is offering two new home products, Home Insurance and Home Insurance Essentials, both of which are underwritten by U K Insurance Limited 1. The new products mean that customers buying the Society’s home insurance now have the flexibility to choose the level of cover and the premiums that best suit their needs.

The new products are available online at nationwide.co.uk, on Moneysupermarket.com and Confused.com, by phone or by visiting any Nationwide branch.

Damian Arnold, Director of Brand Partners, Direct Line Group said:

"As we continue to grow our partnerships business, this is another momentous milestone. We have demonstrated great capability and expertise within the partnerships marketplace, so I am especially proud that we, not only renewed our relationship with Nationwide, but also significantly extended our operations with them in a way that will benefit all of their customers."

Martyn Dyson, Nationwide’s head of insurance, commented: "Being part of the UK’s largest insurer, Brand Partners has an excellent reputation for the service they
provide. As a mutual organisation, we have an ongoing commitment to ensure that our members get the very best service from us at Nationwide, which is why we have expanded our relationship with Brand Partners. After all, it makes sense for the administration and service to be based with the company underwriting our Buildings and Contents insurance policies."

The remainder of the new operating model will be rolled out in phases and will include the implementation of all servicing and policy renewals, as well as the migration of Nationwide’s existing claims and policies.

-ends-

For further information please contact:

Jennifer Thomas
Direct Line Group
Telephone: 020 8285 8865
Email: Jennifer.n.thomas@rbs.co.uk

Notes to Editor
1 U K Insurance Limited is part of Direct Line Insurance Group plc.

Direct Line Insurance Group plc

Direct Line Insurance Group plc (Direct Line Group) is headquartered in Bromley, Kent; it has operations in the UK, Germany and Italy.

Through its number of well known brands Direct Line Group offers a wide range of general insurance products to consumers. These brands include; Direct Line, Churchill and Privilege. It also offers insurance services for third party brands through its Partnerships division. In the commercial sector, its NIG and Direct Line for Business operations provide insurance products for businesses via brokers or direct respectively.

In addition to insurance services, Direct Line Group continues to provide support and reassurance to millions of UK motorists through its Green Flag breakdown recovery service and Tracker stolen vehicle recovery and telematics business.

Nationwide Building Society

Nationwide is the world's largest building society as well as the second largest savings provider and a top-three provider of mortgages in the UK. It is also a major provider of current accounts, credit cards, ISAs and personal loans. Nationwide has around 15 million members.

Since the credit crunch began in 2007, Nationwide has remained profitable against a very difficult economic environment. In the full year ending April 2012, Nationwide made a strong underlying profit of £304 million – up 10% from the previous year.

Customers can manage their finances in branch, on the telephone, internet and post. The Society has around 16,000 employees. Nationwide's head office is in Swindon with administration centres based in Northampton, Bournemouth and Dunfermline. The Society also has a number of call centres across the UK.