We know making a home insurance claim can be confusing and stressful.
It means something has happened to the place or things that matter the most to you. So obviously, you want it sorted ASAP!
We’ve put together this guide to explain how it all works and hopefully ease some of the stress.
What does home insurance cover?
Home insurance covers different things depending on what insurer you’re with, what type you have, and if you’ve bought any add-ons.
But in general, home insurance is designed to protect your home and everything inside it from unexpected events, like:
- theft
- damage
- fire
- storms
As with any insurance policy, there are some limits and things that your home insurance won’t cover. Always check your policy book to see what you are and aren’t covered for.
Home insurance cover levels
Home insurance providers will usually offer a range of cover levels (or tiers), that are different depending on what they cover and how much they cost.
For instance, we offer three tiers: Admiral, Admiral Gold and Admiral Platinum.
Our Admiral tier is our lowest level of cover but has the all the essentials. Admiral Platinum is our highest level of cover. It offers more benefits and covers much more, but can be more expensive.
Home insurance add-ons
You can also usually choose from a range of extras that you can add onto your policy for an extra cost.
For example, we offer things like:
- Home Emergency or Home Emergency Extra cover – for if you have an emergency in your home that needs immediate attention, like your heating system failing
- Family Legal Protection – this covers you for legal costs for things like property or employment disputes
- Accidental Damage cover – to protect your home and belongings from accidents
Check out our full list of home insurance optional extras. Remember, policy limits and exclusions apply, so always check your policy book.
How to make a home insurance claim
If you do need to make a claim, here’s what you need to do to make sure it goes as smoothly as possible.
The home insurance claim process
If your home has been burgled or damaged by vandals, your first step should always be to call the police and make sure you’re safe.
After that, follow these steps:
- Check your policy documents. It’s important you understand what you are and aren’t covered for, so you don’t try to claim for something you can't.
- Gather your evidence. Take photos and videos of everything that’s been damaged, plus any receipts or proof of purchase you might need.
- Submit your claim. Most insurers will have an online platform where you can do this (ours is MyAccount) or you can get in contact another way. You should submit your claim as soon as possible.
Once your claim’s been submitted, it’s up to your insurer to review the claim and decide how to settle it.
They’ll look through all your evidence and they might send a ‘loss adjuster’ out to look at your home.
A loss adjuster is someone who visits your home to look at the damage and decide how much it’ll take to fix or replace.
Once your insurer has everything they need, they’ll decide how best to settle your claim.
That might be getting some repairs sorted, replacing something, or offering a payment.
Making a large claim
If you’re making a really big claim – for instance, your home has been flooded – then the process might take longer.
Your insurer will need more time to look through all the evidence and decide what the best next steps are.
With big claims, it’s more likely your insurer sends out a loss adjuster.
Is it worth claiming on home insurance?
Usually, yes.
If there’s an issue with your home that could cost thousands of pounds to fix, you don’t want to be left out of pocket.
If it’s a minor repair, it might not be worth it. For instance, think about what your excess is. If the cost of the repair is less than your excess, your claim wouldn’t be accepted.
In that case, it’s probably best to fix the issue yourself.
Before you make any claim, check your excess and your policy documents to see what you are and aren’t covered for. That way, you can hopefully avoid your claim being rejected right off the bat.
How long do home insurance claims take?
There’s really no set time for how long a home insurance claim could take to settle.
For more straightforward claims, it could be turned around in a few weeks or even days.
For more complicated and bigger claims, you could be looking at a few months.
Either way, your insurer should keep you in the loop throughout the process and let you know how things are going.
Your home insurance claim questions answered
Here’s a few more commonly asked questions when it comes to how to make a home insurance claim.
Can I negotiate home insurance claim settlement?
If you’re not happy with the outcome of your settlement, there are a few things you can do.
First of all, talk to your insurer and let them know your thoughts. They might be able to do something to help you feel better with the outcome.
Secondly, if you’re really not happy with the settlement, you can speak to the Financial Ombudsman. Check out their guide on settling home insurance disputes.
Does home insurance go up after a claim?
It could do.
When it’s time to renew, home insurers (including us) take a look at your claims history. If you’ve made claims in the past, the price of your insurance could go up.
Can I cancel a home insurance claim?
Yes, you can. Most insurers will let you withdraw your claim before it’s been settled.
But it’s important to remember that doesn’t necessarily mean it doesn’t stay on your file, and it could still affect the cost of your insurance in the future.
Can a closed home insurance claim be reopened?
Yes, it can be. If there’s new evidence or something new comes to light that could support your claim, you may be able to reopen your case with your insurer.
That means you could get a better outcome if your evidence is useful.
Can home insurance companies check your previous claims?
Yes, they can.
Whether you’re getting a quote with a new company or renewing with your existing insurer, insurers use your claims history to decide on your price.
