Home Insurance UK - Claims Advice
No one wants to have to make a claim on their home insurance UK, but in the unfortunate event of a claim you can make things less stressful by simply being prepared and knowing what to do. It’s a good idea to keep all of your insurance documentation in a safe place, along with instruction manuals or proofs of purchase for insured items, as you will need these to help substantiate your claim.
Your first decision is to determine whether your claim falls under your buildings insurance or your contents home insurance UK cover. Damage to the structure of your property will be covered by buildings insurance, most other things will fall under contents. In some instances, for example flood or fire damage, it’s likely you’ll need to claim on both. This is where having both policies with the same insurer can help make life a little easier…
It’s a good idea to know your 24-hour emergency number, if one is provided by your insurer - enabling you to call for advice immediately. Don’t be afraid to call a contractor to make emergency repairs, as in almost all cases you can claim this back from your insurer. The last thing you want is to allow the damage to get worse or risk further loss because a leaking roof hasn’t been patched up, broken windows haven’t been boarded up or your doors or locks are damaged.
If you’ve been the victim of theft from your home, mugging or malicious damage, it’s important to contact the police as soon as possible. They will be able to advise you on the best course of action. Besides, your insurer will be more than likely to require a police incident number in order to process your claim.
Your insurer should provide you with a claim form. This should be completed accurately and returned as soon as possible. In the case of damage to buildings, you may be required to get some estimates for repairs, and these should be returned with your claim form. If you are claiming for damaged possessions, you should be able to provide proof of ownership too. Photographs can be useful for this too. If an item can be economically repaired, you may wish to get an estimate for such work. Otherwise, damaged items will probably be replaced on a new for old basis.
Your UK home insurance company may wish to see any damaged items, so if possible arrange storage for them, in a garage or shed if you can’t keep them in your house, or are unwilling to do so.
Once an insurance company has received your claim form and accompanying documentation, it shouldn’t be any more than a few weeks before they decide on a course of action. For smaller claims, they may just pay out. Or they may send a claims inspector to your home to discuss the claim with you, answer any questions you may have, and arrange for the claim to be paid as soon as possible. In some cases they may send a loss adjuster – someone who is an expert in a particular type of claim. They will be able to offer advice to you, and to your insurance company on the most appropriate way to deal with your claim.
More Resources:
Citizens Advice Bureau
- Pages on Home insurance options and advice if you need help with a claim.
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