Claiming on your home insurance policy often comes at an already stressful time, so the last thing you need is a difficult claims process.

You may have been burgled, or been the victim of flooding or subsidence – if there’s damage to your home you’ll want to contact your insurers as soon as possible.

What steps do you need to take next and how do you make sure your claim goes smoothly?

Submitting a home insurance claim

If your home has been burgled, the first thing to do is phone the police, who’ll issue you with a crime reference number which you can give to your insurer.

If your home needs repairs, you need your insurer to agree to the work before proceeding, so unless it’s an emergency, don’t do anything without consulting your insurer first.

If your home has been seriously damaged, insurers are usually understanding and should reimburse you the cost after the event if you have to go ahead and make emergency repairs.

To submit your claim, dig out your policy documents and find your policy reference number – all insurers have a hotline you can ring to register your claim and discuss what to do next.

Providing evidence

After you’ve let the insurance company know you want to make a claim, you’ll have to fill out a claim form which it’ll send you.

Be prepared to provide the insurer with receipts or evidence to prove you really own what you’re claiming for – if you can’t find receipts, then credit card or debit cards statements may be an alternative.

By Emily Bater

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