Should the UK have a minister for resilience?

Subsidence claims in 2025’s first half are demonstrating that this natural phenomenon is no joking matter.

Data published by the ABI in August 2025 showed that subsidence related claims cost its insurer members £153m across the first six months of the year, with the average payout per claim standing at £17,264.

Comparatively, November 2024 statistics published by the trade association put subsidence claims costs at £66m for quarter three last year.

This uptick in subsidence claims has prompted insurer Axa UK to renew its call on the government to appoint a minister for resilience, to focus on significant climate linked issues such as extreme heat and flooding.

Labour committed to this appointment while in opposition, ahead of its July 2024 general election victory, and Axa UK believes a ministerial resilience role is crucial to protect homes and commercial premises from the impact of climate change.

The insurer noted that such an appointment can help ensure resilience is factored into future building projects – including the government’s plans for 1.5 million new homes to be built over the next parliament.

Douglas Barnett, director of commercial customer risk management and sustainability at Axa UK, said: “Axa UK supports the government’s ambitious house building target – but we urge it to go further and consider comprehensive resilience measures for new developments.

“Last year, Axa UK conducted extensive research on the areas of England most vulnerable to flooding and extreme heat. The results of public polling about the impact of heat on their properties and their awareness of the associated issues highlighted a lack of knowledge and preparedness.”

Subsidence shows demand

This cited research, published in November 2024, found that more than half of the 2,003 UK adults surveyed said their homes were not equipped to deal with the impact of flooding or extreme heat – a less well known risk that can cause cracking and subsidence.

Subsidence typically occurs when soil loses moisture and contracts, often due to prolonged dry spells or the presence of trees and shrubs that draw water from the ground.

At the end of July 2025, insurer Ecclesiastical issued a warning about subsidence risk after recording the driest start to the year in England since 1976 – a stark contrast to spring 2024, which was the wettest in 38 years, it noted.

The insurer’s warning followed a bulletin from the Met Office in June 2025, which confirmed that this year saw “the UK’s warmest, sunniest and sixth driest spring in historical records”. It added: “The UK recorded its sunniest spring on record in a series from 1910”.

Louise Clark, manager of general insurance policy at the ABI, said: “Climate change is significantly increasing the risk of subsidence in the UK, particularly in areas with clay rich soils that sink and swell in response to changing moisture levels caused by hot temperatures.”

Axa UK’s aforementioned research showed that 48% of homeowners had never checked if their home insurance covered them for the effects of extreme heat. In addition, it found that homes and businesses in England with the highest chance of flooding face at least £818m in financial costs by 2055.

Barnett continued: “Appointing a minister for resilience will mean the government can take a more holistic approach to systemic risks facing the UK. It will also support the insurance industry to prepare for, respond to and recover from climate related events.

“Improving risk management practices will help to build a sustainable and resilient insurance sector that is better equipped to serve the evolving needs of customers.

“At Axa UK, we want to protect our customers from the impact of climate change and help them prepare for the future.

“Resilience should be hard baked into future planning, but it is also important to retrofit existing homes and business premises to ensure they are protected from evolving risks.

“Appointing a minister with a clearly defined portfolio will ensure that all decisions are viewed through a lens where resilience is a key consideration.”

Industry appetite for resilience leadership

While Axa UK is leading the way in terms of calling for the appointment of a minister for resilience, it remains to be seen if this is an issue that the wider insurance industry will rally behind.

Graeme Trudgill, chief executive at Biba, told Insurance Times: “There are a number of government departments that carry responsibility for elements of UK resilience, covering the bases for consumers, businesses, [the] environment and the economy.

“These include the Cabinet Office, HM Treasury and Fintag within HM Treasury’s UK Government Investments department, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and others.

“The question of a need for a resilience minister has not been raised by our members, however we do see a need for government to focus more on long-term resilience, so [Biba] would be interested to understand more detail about the proposals being made.”

Currently, the minister for the Cabinet Office also serves as the minister for resilience. At the moment, this role is being held by Nick Thomas Symonds, who was appointed in July 2024.

This position is responsible for leading the UK’s efforts in bolstering national resilience against various threats, including those related to climate change. The minister for the Cabinet Office also oversees the UK Resilience Forum, a platform for key organisations to collaborate on emergency preparedness.

In addition, Kerry McCarthy is parliamentary under-secretary of state for climate at the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero – a relatively new government department that was founded in February 2023.

Charlie Inwood, general insurance policy advisor at the ABI, said: “As the realities of climate change become impossible to ignore, the need to futureproof our homes and properties has never been more urgent.

“Flooding and storms are becoming the new normal and the damage they cause, alongside wider issues like subsidence, all demonstrate that our houses aren’t resilient enough.

“A stronger focus on property resilience across society, including in government and the buildings industry, is needed to better protect people and their homes. The more we focus on resilient design and infrastructure today, the better we can manage the risks of tomorrow.”