Blog
Blog
Blog
A claim is a request to be paid, supported by evidence. Almost everything that makes a claim slow comes down to evidence that was available on the first day and was not collected.
The first hour
If it is safe to do so, before anything is moved or cleaned up:
- Photograph widely, then closely. Wide shots establish where things were. Close shots establish what was damaged.
- Get a reference number. Police, fire service, or the building manager — whoever attended. An incident number closes more coverage questions than any other single item.
- Write down names. Other parties, witnesses, and anyone who attended, with a phone number.
- Keep what is broken. Do not dispose of damaged property until the insurer has said it may go.
Reporting it
Report as soon as you reasonably can. Policies contain notification conditions, and a late report is one of the few things that can affect an otherwise valid claim.
When you report, have ready:
- The policy number
- The date, time and location
- A plain description of what happened, in the order it happened
- The reference number and the photographs
Say what you know, not what you assume
Describe what you observed. Speculating about cause — “the pipe must have been leaking for months” — introduces a coverage question that may not exist, and it is very hard to walk back later.
Nobody expects a polished account. They expect a consistent one. The version you give on day one is the version everything else is measured against.
While the claim is open
- Keep receipts for anything you spend as a result, including temporary repairs and accommodation.
- Do temporary repairs to stop further damage — most policies require you to, and the cost is usually claimable.
- Do not authorise permanent repairs until the insurer confirms the scope.
- Ask for a decision date. You are entitled to know when to expect an answer, and having one makes chasing unnecessary.
If it is refused
A refusal comes with the reason and the policy wording it rests on. Read both. Refusals fall into three groups: the loss is excluded, the evidence does not support it, or a condition was not met. The first is usually final; the other two often are not, and new evidence can reopen the claim.
