With New South Wales (NSW) inundated again this month, major insurers have immediately processed flood-related claims and reaffirmed their support for flood-affected customers.
As of July 11, Insurance Australia Group (IAG) said it had received 3,895 claims related to the event, mostly for storm damage to homes, property, and vehicles, including water entering through the roof, wind damage, and fallen trees.
Luke Gallagher, executive general manager of direct claims at IAG, has encouraged customers impacted by the recent extreme weather event and flood across NSW to lodge their claims as soon as possible to access immediate support.
“We know returning to a storm or flood-damaged property is a difficult and distressing experience. Please contact us online or over the phone, so we can lodge your claim and help you through those next steps,” he said.
Gallagher further stated that IAG's major event response team is always in place to support customers suffering from severe weather.
He added: “Our partner repairers were quickly on the ground conducting emergency ‘Make Safe’ repairs and assessing damaged properties wherever possible. Our claims teams continue to support our customers in arranging emergency support, such as temporary accommodation and financial support.”
Specifically, AIA life insurance policyholders in affected locations who qualify for an Australian Government Disaster Relief Payment will receive a premium waiver of up to three months. However, it does not apply to automatic policies held in a superannuation fund or corporate schemes.
Additionally, AIA health insurance customers who have taken a hit from the recent weather event and are eligible for the flood assistance package may choose from two forms of assistance: a waiver of health insurance premiums for three months while still having full access to cover, or a policy suspension for up to two years.
The insurer also provides tailored support to customers in flood-affected areas, including wellbeing programs and a list of government and community organisations operating in impacted areas. Regarding claims, AIA said it will prioritise affected customers through every step of the claims process.
“If you are currently going through the claims process, or you need to make a claim on one of your policies with us, and you have been impacted by the floods, let our claims team know, as they can assist [in making] the claims process as simple as possible,” AIA said on its website.
The Insurance Council of Australia (ICA) has declared the recent NSW flood a “significant event.” Like IAG, other insurers have been on the move since the weather event hit the state early this month. HCF Australia (HCF) and RT health, for example, offered assurances that they are committed to supporting their members with uncommon care. Meanwhile, PetSure has extended its emergency assistance to ensure pets' safety.
