If you have suffered from damage or loss to your house or its contents, the following guidelines will assist you in making a claim on your policy to repair or replace your property.
- If you have suffered from theft or vandalism, inform the police immediately.
- If your credit cards or cheque cards have been stolen, let the company that issued them know immediately, so that the cards can be stopped. You are normally only covered for any unauthorised spending AFTER you have informed your card issuer.
- If your property is damaged, do what you can to prevent the damage from getting worse. If temporary repairs have to be done to prevent further damage, arrange for the work to be done and keep any receipts. Many insurance companies provide telephone helplines for policyholders facing an emergency. They will be able to give you the names of competent tradesmen for emergency repairs and give detailed advice about making a claim. Some companies may provide you with the details of tradesmen who will work directly for them, and so any bills will paid by the insurance company, rather than you.
- Read your policy carefully to ensure that the loss you have suffered is covered. All insurance policies set out clearly the risks that they do, and do not, cover.
- Decide which policy (contents, buildings, or both) to claim under. If both policies cover the damage, take into account the amount of excess payable for each policy, and the effect of the loss of any no-claims discounts on the following year's premiums.
- Ask your insurance company for a claim form, and complete it as soon as possible. Return it with any estimates for the cost of replacement or of repair the damaged property. Most insurance companies will want to see evidence of ownership and value of property which has been lost or damaged. For this reason, you should always keep any receipts and valuations. However, if you do not have these, check with your insurer to find out what other evidence they will accept.
- If you have an indemnity policy then you must deduct an amount to represent wear and tear. However, if you have a replacement as new (new for old) policy you will be able to claim for the full cost of replacing or repairing your property.
- If you are finding it difficult to get estimates, send the claim form to the insurance company straight away and let them know that you will send the estimates to them as soon as possible.
- You must keep any damaged items in case the insurance company wants to see them.
As soon as the insurance company gets your claim form and estimates, they will either pay your claim, arrange for a claims inspector to visit you, or appoint a loss adjuster to handle the claim.
The claims inspector is employed by the insurance company; they will visit you to discuss the basis on which your claim will be settled.
A loss adjuster is an independent expert, skilled in assessing claims and in advising on the best repair methods. They will make a recommendation to the insurance company on the best way in which to settle your claim.
