Date of notification
Category: Claims handling · Reviewed by the Apex broking team · Last reviewed 2026-08-21 · ~3 min read
Category: Claims handling
Also known as: notification date, date of notice, effective date of notification
Related concepts: notification of claim, trigger clause
Definition
The date of notification is not simply the date the insured first became worried about something. It is the date on which a notice satisfying the policy’s requirements — as to content, form, recipient and, where specified, method — was received. Wordings vary: some fix the date by reference to when notice is given, others to when it is received, and a few contain deemed-service provisions dealing with post and electronic delivery.
Why the date decides the outcome
Three things usually turn on it.
- Which policy year responds. On a claims-made basis, a claim first made or a circumstance first notified during the period of insurance attaches to that period. A notification given a day after expiry may fall into the following year, with a different limit, a different excess, different terms, or a different insurer — or into no year at all if cover has lapsed.
- Compliance with the notification condition. Where the wording requires notice within a fixed number of days, or as soon as reasonably practicable, the date fixes whether the condition was met.
- Whether a later claim can be deemed back. Claims-made wordings commonly provide that a claim arising from a circumstance notified during a period of insurance is deemed to have been made during that period. Without an effective notification on a date within the period, that deeming does not operate.
Deeming provisions in detail
A typical deeming clause says that if, during the period of insurance, the insured gives written notice of a circumstance that may give rise to a claim, any claim subsequently made arising out of that circumstance shall be deemed to have been made during that period. The effect is to lock the claim into the year of notification, which is why a properly dated and evidenced notice before renewal is so valuable. It is also why a policy will normally exclude claims and circumstances that were known before inception, and why the retroactive date sits alongside the notification machinery: the retroactive date limits how far back the insured act or omission may go, while the notification date determines which year the resulting claim lands in.
Evidencing the date
Disputes about notification are very often disputes about proof. Practical steps that resolve them in advance: send notice in writing to the claims address in the policy schedule rather than to an account handler; state expressly that the letter or email is a notification under the policy, quoting the policy number and period; describe the matter well enough for the insurer to understand what is being notified; keep the delivery receipt; and ask the broker to confirm the date of receipt by insurers in writing. Where a matter is notified close to expiry, doing this before the last working day of the period avoids arguments about out-of-hours delivery.
Notification and renewal
The weeks before renewal are the highest-risk period. Matters that have been sitting unnotified need to be reviewed and, if arguably notifiable, notified into the expiring year. There is a second reason for doing so: a known circumstance that has not been notified is very likely to be a material circumstance for the purposes of the fair presentation at renewal, and will in any event be excluded from the new policy as a known circumstance. Notifying and disclosing are separate obligations and both need to be discharged.
Late notification and run-off
Where cover has already expired and not been renewed, notification of a claim after expiry generally falls outside the expiring policy unless the insured bought run-off cover, which extends the period during which claims may be made in respect of past work. Run-off does not extend the deadline for notifying matters that should have been notified during the live policy; it provides a new window for claims first made after cessation.
Why it matters
The date of notification is a single, checkable fact that frequently determines whether a claim is covered at all. It costs nothing to fix it clearly at the time and is very difficult to reconstruct afterwards. The wider obligation is set out in notification of claim, and the reason the date carries so much weight is explained in claim made.
Frequently asked questions
Does the date of notification mean the date I sent the letter or the date insurers received it?
It depends on the wording. Some policies fix the date by reference to giving notice, others to receipt, and some contain deemed-service provisions. Where the point is tight, obtain written confirmation of receipt.
Why does a notification made just before renewal matter so much?
On a claims-made basis, a circumstance notified within the period is normally deemed to fix any later claim into that period. Notify a day late and the matter may fall into the next policy year, or outside cover altogether.
If I notify a circumstance, is that a claim on my record?
It is a notification, not necessarily a claim. Insurers record notified circumstances and will ask about them at renewal, but many are closed without any payment.
Related entries
This entry is part of the Apex Insurance Wiki. Last reviewed 2026-08-21. Next review: 2027-02-21. It is general reference information about UK insurance law and market practice, not regulated advice on a specific policy.
Apex Insurance Brokers Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FRN 724952). This page is general information, not advice on a specific policy.