Secure the right home insurance claim help
Has your home been damaged in a storm or fire? Perhaps someone has broken in and stolen jewellery and other valuable items? You need to know where to get the best home insurance claim help.
The logical place to start, of course, is with your insurer. But before you ring them, dig out your insurance policy and check your product disclosure statement (PDS) and the policy schedule (PS). This should detail exactly what you are covered for and will help prepare you for any questions the insurer might ask.
It may also help you to determine whether to make a claim. If your excess - the amount you have to pay before getting any reimbursement - is high, it may be cheaper to do the repairs yourself. If the damage or loss is not excessive, it may also not be worth putting in a claim as it could affect your no-claim bonus, or increase your premiums in the future.
If you decide to go ahead, you deserve the best possible help to get your home insurance claim sorted. It is why you pay those hefty premiums, after all.
What information should I provide?
You will need to provide all the details you can possibly remember to your insurer as soon as possible after the incident. Some insurers have time limits, which can vary from 30 days to up to a year, so check your policy or speak to your insurer about the terms and conditions as soon as you are able.
If there has been a break-in, call the police. Identify what has been stolen and if it is covered under your insurance policy. Ask for a police report so you can provide that information to the insurer.
If your home has been damaged, don’t try to do any of the repairs yourself, even if you are worried about further damage if parts of the house are exposed from storm or flood damage, for example. Call the insurer and explain the urgency of the situation. Most insurers have preferred suppliers and should be able to arrange emergency repairs.
If your home has been lost in a fire, taking any paperwork with it, the insurer can still help you. Ask them to give you all the details of your policy or, better still, get them to email a copy to you or a trusted friend to review, so you know exactly what is covered.
How long should it take to process my claim?
The insurance company must respond to your claim within 10 business days of your lodgement. They may not come back to you with a decision, but they must contact you within that time if they need more information before approving or rejecting your claim.
The insurer must tell you within five days of appointing a loss assessor or loss adjustor to assess your claim. They may also require reports from specialists, such as engineers, which could further delay your claim.
The General Insurance Code of Practice outlines how and when insurance companies need to respond, including that all claims be processed in a “fair and reasonable way”.
If you believe you are not getting help with your home insurance claim in a timely manner, ask to speak to a manager or supervisor, or be put through to the complaints department.
What if the insurer rejects my claim?
It can be hard not to panic when the stakes are so high, but if your home insurance claim is rejected it is not necessarily the end of the road. There are some legitimate reasons why the insurer might be refusing to pay up, including that you failed to disclose some important information when you took out or updated your policy, or that you failed to meet a policy condition, such as keeping your home in good condition or having locks on all windows and deadlocks on external doors.
However, the rejection could also be because of a breakdown in communication, or that you failed to supply the right information at a time when you were distressed. You can ask the insurer to outline the reasons your home insurance claim was rejected and to send you any evidence the assessor used to make the decision. If the insurer refuses to review your claim, you can complain to the Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA), an independent body authorised to help with home insurance claims.
Take the pressure down
It can be very stressful waiting to have an insurance claim resolved, particularly for something as important as your home. At Handle My Complaint, we know what your rights are and want consumers to get what they deserve. If your insurance claim seems to be taking way too long, or you are not getting a satisfactory response from your insurer, lodge a home insurance complaint with us and let us help resolve your claim.
