If there is a dispute, is an insurance company deciding whether my claim is settled?

No, disputes are assessed by our expert evaluation partner, The Dispute Service, who operate the longest-running tenancy deposit protection scheme in the UK. They review the evidence and provide a fair and impartial decision. There are some claims that we can settle using our in house claims team, without adjudication; however, if you disagree with our decision, you remain able to ask for TDS to provide an outcome.