It probably comes as no surprise to learn that last month was one of the wettest Decembers in the UK since records began in 1910.
Sadly it means that thousands of households have made a claim for flood damage caused to their home over the past few weeks. For some it could be their second claim in two years after extensive flooding in 2012, the UK’s second wettest year on record.
I doubt that anyone really gets the value of insurance until they have to make a claim. In most cases, it should be a fairly straightforward process that delivers a positive outcome for the insured so long as their claim is valid.
However, not all claims are straightforward and as climate change appears to be impacting our weather patterns leading to more surge events, insurers are becoming more robust when it comes to floods. As they have paid £4.5 billion to flood victims and claims have risen by 200 percent in the last decade, according to the Association of British Insurers, I guess they have a reasonable case.
Making any insurance claim is pretty stressful but for householders suffering flood damage, it’s a distressing time and stress levels are bound to be high. While insurers do generally do their best to respond quickly, sometimes the additional support of the intermediary who sold them their policy can make a real difference to the householder.
While many of you may well have already offered your services or received panicked calls from clients, I would urge you to contact your clients who live in affected areas to see if they have suffered any damage and need support in making or progressing their claim.
If they haven’t already done so, ensure they contact their insurer as soon as possible if their home or possessions have been damaged. This may sound obvious but in times of distress such as a flood, your client may not be able to find their documents or remember who their insurer is. You can help them here.
Most importantly, urge them to keep records. They should make a note of all calls to their insurer including date, the name of the claims representative and what was agreed and keep copies of all correspondence. Advise them to mark the height of the flood water on affected walls with a permanent marker as well as photographing and videoing the damage. Help them make a comprehensive list of the damage to the property and belongings and make sure they don’t throw away anything until told by their insurer that it is ok to do so.
If they feel they are getting the run around from their insurer or are having trouble in getting the claims team to respond and we helped you source their cover, then you shouldn’t hesitate to contact us. While I can’t speak for other providers, I can assure you that the team at The Source will always do their best to contact our insurance partners to help smooth the claims process for your clients.