The insurer's customer support team will provide face-to-face support by arranging emergency repairs, organising temporary accommodation for customers whose homes have been severely damaged, and providing cash payments for emergency purchases.
Suncorp Group chief executive officer Steve Johnston commented: “The next few weeks will be challenging for residents as they return to their homes, assess the damage, and start the clean-up. The support of the Australian Defence Force will go a long way in bolstering local efforts and helping communities recover.”
He has welcomed the Federal Government's quick response in urging state governments to classify insurance workers and tradespeople as essential workers.
“This will give tradespeople confidence to cross borders to support affected communities. We are committed to getting our customers back on their feet as soon as possible, so it is important that we can get assessors and repairers on the ground to affected regions quickly given the magnitude of this event,” he said.
As of 4pm (AEST) on March 24, Suncorp had received over 5,400 claims across NSW, South East Queensland, and Victoria. Of the total claims received, around 80% are in NSW and over 85% relate to property damage.
The insurer expects claims numbers to rise over the coming days. It will update the market on the expected claims costs once claims numbers stabilise and it is in a position to more accurately estimate the ultimate number of claims.
