We know making a home insurance claim can be confusing and stressful.
It means something has happened to the place or things that matter to you the most. 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.
How to make a home insurance claim
If you need to make a claim, here’s what you need to do to make sure it goes as smoothly as possible.
Check what you're covered for and review 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.
Remember you’ll be covered for more if you’ve bought any add-ons, like Accidental Damage cover or Home Emergency cover.
Read through your policy documents carefully to see. If you’re insured with us, you can find them on our policy documents page or by logging into MyAccount.
Create an inventory and don't get rid of damaged items
Make a list of everything that’s been damaged, so it’s easier for you – and us – to keep track of what you’re claiming for.
Remember not to get rid of any damaged items, as we might need to see them.
Keep records of everything
Take photos and videos of everything that’s been damaged.
Plus, keep hold of any receipts or proof of purchase for items you want to claim for.
Contact your insurer and submit your claim
The easiest and quickest way to make a claim is to log in to MyAccount. Or you can visit our make a claim page to see all your contact options.
Make your claim as soon as you can. The sooner we know what’s happened, the sooner we can get things sorted.
Get all your evidence together before you make a claim – this helps speed things up.
Meet with the adjuster
Depending on how big or complicated your claim is, we might send a loss adjuster to your home.
This is someone from our team who’ll come to your home to look at the damage and decide how much it’ll cost to fix or replace.
We’ll review your claim
Once we’ve looked at the damage, we’ll review the claim and decide how to settle it.
That might be repairing any damage, replacing something or offering a payment.
Remember, we’ll take your excess off your payout. So for example, say your excess is £250 and your claim is going to cost £1,250. That means we’d pay you £1,000.
Check out our in-depth guide on home insurance excess.
Making a claim for theft, burglary or vandalism
If you’re making a theft, burglary or vandalism claim, you should always make sure you’re safe first.
Call the police
If your home has been burgled or damaged by vandals, call the police straight away.
You’ll also need to get a crime reference number from them so we can process your claim.
Document everything
Try and keep a record of everything’s that happened, including any photos or videos you have. For example, you might have footage from your Ring camera of the criminals.
Making a large home insurance claim
If you’re making a really big claim – for example, your home has been flooded – then the process might take longer.
We’ll need more time to look through all the evidence and decide what the best next steps are.
With big claims, it’s more likely we’ll send out a loss adjuster to look at the damage first.
When should I submit a home insurance claim?
It’s really important to make your claim as soon as you can after something’s happened.
It means we can start the process of getting things sorted for you ASAP.
Once you’ve made your claim, you can still give us new evidence if you need to. Just let us know and we can add it onto your file.
Your home insurance claim questions answered
Here’s a few more of your most asked questions when it comes to how to make a home insurance claim.
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 example, if the cost of the repair is less than your excess, then we won’t accept your claim.
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 us rejecting your claim 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, we'll keep you in the loop throughout the process and let you know how things are going.
Will making a home insurance claim affect the cost of my insurance?
It could do, yes.
It might mean your price could go up when it’s time to renew. That’s because you're generally more likely to claim again if you already have once.
For example, if you claim once for flood damage, your home might flood again.
But there lots of other factors that can affect the price of your home insurance too. These include things like your:
- address
- circumstances
- property type
- security features
- home's flood risk
- cover level
- taxes and inflation
You can find out more in our home insurance pricing guide.
How soon can you claim on home insurance?
You can claim on your home insurance any time after your policy start date.
Just remember, you can’t claim for something that happened before your policy start date.
Can I negotiate a home insurance claim settlement?
If you’re not happy with the outcome of your settlement, there are a few things you can do.
First, get in touch with us. We might be able to do something to help you feel better with the outcome.
Next, 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.
Can I cancel a home insurance claim?
Yes, you can. Most insurers will let you withdraw your claim before it’s settled.
But this doesn’t mean it doesn’t stay on your file. It could still affect the cost of your insurance in the future – even if we didn’t settle your claim.
Can I reopen a closed home insurance claim?
Yes. If there’s new evidence or something new comes to light that could support your claim, you might 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 us, insurers use your claims history to decide on your price.
More about the claims process
If you’re making a claim with us and still have questions about the process, we’ve put together a handy home insurance claims timeline.
This is so you can understand what to expect from start to finish.
