There has been a significant increase in the number of providers attaining the top rating for service standards in the workplace pensions, group risk, healthcare and cash plan sectors.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD A COPY OF THIS YEAR’S PROVIDER SERVICE RATINGS REPORT
Corporate Adviser’s Provider Services Ratings Report for 2026 shows that service standards have gone up across the board with more companies achieving the top five-star and four-star ratings.
These ratings are based on feedback from advisers working across the employee benefits sector. Providers are rated on a number of different metrics, including their communications, provider-generated adviser support content, ease of use of their technology, quality of administration and expertise and knowledge of staff.
In the group pensions market four providers — Aviva, Royal London, Scottish Widows and Standard Life — earned a five-star rating, up from just two last year, with both Fidelity and Hargreaves Lansdown receiving four stars.
In the group risk category both Unum and Zurich received a five-star rating, with Aviva, L&G, and MetLife achieved a four-star rating. Last year not one provider received a five-star rating in this category.
In the healthcare sector five providers received the highest five-star ranking, as the industry continues to bounce back from the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.These were Axa Health, Aviva Health, Bupa, Freedom health and Vitality. Only Bupa and Vitalty achieved this top rating last year.
In the cash plan category, Medicash and Health Shield achieved a five-star rating again, and were this year also joined by Simplyhealth and Westfield Health.
The report provides details of how providers scored across the various different metrics, as well as which standards advisers working in different part of the employee benefits market value.
Service levels remain central to the relationship between provider and intermediary, with bad service keenly felt by advisers, consultants and brokers – potentially causing increased workloads, creating potential for errors, and straining relationships with employer clients when things go awry.
The Corporate Adviser Service Ratings give advisers, consultants and brokers an unbiased and independent evaluation of the levels of service providers are delivering across the market, and help support advisers in understanding what they should expect from providers, enabling them to see how their own experiences compares to their peers.
For a deeper dive into adviser attitudes towards provider service, including provider-specific analysis and peer comparisons, contact ricardo.medina@definitearticlemedia.com