Making a home insurance claim

Making an insurance claim doesn’t have to be a stressful or time consuming chore. Although we hope you don’t have to, here at Policy Expert we can help you sail through the process of submitting an insurance claim.

What to do first?

If you need to make claim, the first thing you must do is phone your insurance company. Their dedicated claims line number will be on your policy or any insurance correspondence you’ve been sent. Most insurers will have 24-hour emergency claims lines so you can phone any time of the day or night. If you took out a budget policy, this may not be available so do check the small print on your policy.

At this stage we recommend that unless it’s an emergency for security or safety purposes, you do not contact your own contractors or suppliers as this may complicate the claim further down the line and any requests for compensation might be rejected under the terms of your policy. Most insurers will have their own approved tradesmen, loss adjusters and claims assessors that can handle your personal situation. They may choose to contact them on your behalf or pass you the details to make contact yourself.

What paperwork will need completing?

Some insurance companies complete the claims procedure entirely over the phone. Others will require you to fill in forms to send back to them. Always read your policy thoroughly or phone your insurer to check what you need to do. An assessor may need to visit your home and review the damage before confirming that any further repairs are covered by your policy. Your insurance provider will advise you of this depending on the nature of the claim.

It may be useful to take pictures of the damage for your insurer and for your own records. Provide your insurance company with as much information as possible but don't exaggerate or falsify anything as this could make your policy void or even lead to them taking legal action against you.

Some insurance companies may also ask for proof of purchase if you are claiming for personal possessions. It is therefore advisable to keep receipts for expensive items somewhere safe or with your insurance documents so they are easy to find if you need them in the future.

Read more in our home insurance guides or get a quote now.