No claim bonus not paid

I was due for a no claim bonus, but was told that due to my daughter being rear ended, and the other parties insurance was to pay I am forfeiting th no claim bonus. According to them we registered a claim and therefore didn't qualify. I feel this is a blatant way of getting put of paying the bonus. She was rear ended, the consultant told her if she personally claimed from his insurance, then we would get the bonus. The normal procedure in a collision is to contact your own insurance, they must then get the monies back from the other insurance, and not losing any money, this cannot be regarded as a claim For a company of this size, offering a no claim bonus, then finding nitty gritties to get out of it is appalling