ARAG in the UK has partnered with claims management company Veriwise to provide a support package called “Very Wise Student”.
Offered free for the first year to new student clients, Very Wise Student features accommodation safety checks, legal support with repair issues, tax advice, and a confidential counselling helpline.
The support package uses Veriwise’s machine-learning platform to check against more than 150 housing regulations and identify statutory breaches, as well as ARAG’s flagship legal advice service.
Students can get legal advice on boiler problems, tenancy agreement disputes, deposit issues, pest infestations, rent increases, and landlord visits, among others, as well as tax advice in relation to student loans or part-time work.
“Partnering with Veriwise has enabled us to address some of the biggest concerns that both students and their parents have, when they leave home for further education,” said ARAG city account manager Colin Fennelly. “Is their accommodation safe? Have they got somewhere to turn if they get stressed or anxious? Could an unscrupulous landlord take them for a ride?
“Very Wise Student offers a great match-up between the Veriwise technology and support for housing issues and ARAG’s broad helpline capabilities, that delivers a great package of benefits for students and reassurance for their parents.”
Students can sign up at verywisestudent.io.
Commenting on the tie-up, Veriwise managing director Ajay Jagota declared: “The student accommodation market is one which demonstrably and undeniably needs to change. Students repeatedly have to put up with paying a premium for substandard accommodation and are all-too-often defenceless against unscrupulous and rogue landlords and letting agents.
“That a company as internationally reputable and successful as ARAG has sought Veriwise out as a partner supports two arguments that I have consistently made.”
Jagota noted: “First, insurance and legal products can improve the safety and living conditions for millions of renters where the current enforcement of legislation is clearly failing. Second, there is a role for private companies to leverage technology to improve the current inefficiencies and empower renters who often feel trapped and powerless when they encounter issues with their accommodation.”
ARAG Plc, which began operating in the UK in 2006, is part of Germany-headquartered global enterprise ARAG Group. Aside from Very Wise Student, the British unit is also looking to collaborate with Veriwise on other products and services in the insurance and lettings space.
