Direct Line

The UK insurer famous for the red phone, selling car, home and pet insurance and breakdown cover. ACQUIRED: by Aviva (2025).

About Direct Line

Direct Line is a well-known UK insurer, headquartered in Bromley, that began in 1985 as the insurance arm of the Royal Bank of Scotland and became the UK's first telephone-only insurer. Its founders were Peter Wood and Martin Long. Its brands have included Direct Line, Churchill, Privilege, Darwin and Direct Line for Business, plus Green Flag breakdown cover. ACQUIRED: by Aviva (completed 1 July 2025).

Aviva completed its purchase of Direct Line Group on 1 July 2025. At the time of the deal, consumer coverage said Direct Line, Churchill and Green Flag were expected to keep running as brands under Aviva, while Darwin, By Miles and Privilege were to be reviewed. We include Direct Line because the brand is still in use, but the group's old website now redirects to Aviva, so it is worth checking which brand any job or product belongs to.

Direct Line sold directly to customers by phone and online, and later added business insurance, which was started in Leeds in 2007. In 2023 it took over as insurer for Motability Operations, with a team based in Liverpool at 1 St Paul's Square. It was listed on the stock market in 2012 and became part of Aviva in 2025. A company profile says it had about 10,200 employees in 2024, but this figure is before the takeover. It closed 14 of 27 UK offices in 2014 and announced around 550 job cuts in 2023, which shows how the business has changed over time. In 2014 it also sold its telematics business and its Italian and German units. A consumer-press report said its UK Insurance arm worked with 26 partner companies, including Sainsbury's, HSBC and Volkswagen.

We did not find a mission statement for Direct Line. In practice the business is about selling insurance and related services direct to consumers, and providing roadside assistance and cover for Motability customers. Company culture was not described in the sources we could read, because the group's own website no longer carries its pages.

The sorts of roles at an insurer like Direct Line include customer service and sales, claims handling, pricing and data, product development, technology, marketing and finance. With Aviva now the owner, it is wise to ask which sites and teams will be retained.

What they do

• {'desc': 'Cover sold directly to UK customers under Direct Line and Churchill.', 'title': 'Car and home insurance'}
• {'desc': 'Breakdown and recovery cover.', 'title': 'Green Flag'}
• {'desc': 'Insurer for Motability Operations since 2023.', 'title': 'Motability insurance'}

Key facts

• Began 1985 as the UK’s first telephone-only insurer, founded by Peter Wood and Martin Long
• Bromley headquarters; offices including Leeds and Liverpool
• ACQUIRED: by Aviva, completed 1 July 2025
• About 10,200 employees in 2024 (pre-takeover profile)

Website: www.directline.com