The home insurance claim process

• Making a home insurance claim doesn’t need to be stressful
• We’ll take you through the insurance claim process, so you know what to expect, from start to finish
• We’re here to help you get things back to normal as soon as possible – to make a claim with QBE, call 133 723

When life doesn’t go to plan, for example, after an extreme weather event, making a claim on your home insurance policy can be the moment you truly experience the benefit of insurance.

But making a claim can feel confusing – so we’ve stepped out the process so you know just what to expect.

How to make a home insurance claim

When you make an insurance claim, it’s because you’ve faced loss or damage from an event. We’re here to help you get back on your feet.

“The best thing you can do is contact your insurer as soon as possible,” says QBE General Manager of Short Tail Claims, Arron Mann.

“We can give you advice on what to do next.”

Stay safe and contact authorities if necessary

Personal safety is the most important concern after an unexpected incident. A damaged building can be dangerous, so if your property or the surrounding area isn’t safe, don’t enter unless it’s been declared okay to do so by safety authorities.

Read your policy

If you have time, check your Product Disclosure Statement, which includes details on what your policy covers – and what it doesn’t. But don’t worry too much about this – we’ll help you every step of the way.

Contact your insurer

It’s important to make contact as soon as possible. Claims are best lodged over the phone so they can be processed straight away.

Give as much information as possible

When you lodge an insurance claim, you’ll need to provide some details. This may include:

• Photos or videos of the event, property damage, or items
• Lists of items damaged, lost or stolen
• Police report number
• Receipts or valuation report
• Product makes, models and serial numbers

It’s worth writing down details of the incident right after it happened when it’s fresh in your mind. That way, you won’t forget the smaller details.

“Once your claim is lodged, we review all the details you’ve provided and check your policy covers you for the circumstances of your claim,” Mann says.

“Depending on the type and extent of damage, we’ll send a QBE Preferred Supplier to inspect the damage, so we understand what’s needed to get your claim resolved.

“From there, we’ll know whether the damages can be repaired, or we need to pay you the value of the damaged item, if the repair costs exceed the value of the item.”

Working with insurance experts

Some claims are complicated, so we may need the help of an insurance assessor (also known as a loss adjuster).

“The role of an insurance assessor is to review the circumstances of your claim and assess the loss and its total value,” Mann explains.

The assessor may need to come to your home, so they can let us know your situation and help us settle your claim.

Sometimes, we may also need to get an external expert to give specialist advice – for example, reviewing your loss, damage, or the circumstances of your claim.

They help us decide on your claim outcome or provide advice on the best way to manage or resolve your claim. Common types of external experts we use include:

• Specialist loss adjusters and assessors
• Restorers
• Building consultants
• Engineers
• Hydrologists
• Forensic investigators
• Accident reconstructionists
• Forensic accountants

Quotes for the scope of works

Mann says an essential part of the claims process is working with your insurer, who will agree on the work needed. This includes quotes for the repairs or replacement of property or belongings after the damage.

“This step is critical because once we understand what’s required – including costs – we can start the work to return our customer to the situation they were in before the incident,” he adds.

Using QBE’s Preferred Suppliers

We have an established panel of licensed builders, restorers, repairers and assessors to help our customers when they need it most.

“Insurance companies deal with tradespeople on a daily basis, so we understand who to contact to do the work for you, whether it be builders, plumbers, smash repairers or other professionals,” Mann says.

“We have contractual obligations with our suppliers to ensure we see the right outcomes for customer service, the quality of repairs, and the cost so we can control premiums,” he adds.

Repairs, total loss and cash settlements

Once quotes and the full scope of work has been agreed, the tradespeople can begin work on an agreed start date for repairs.

“In some situations, the cost of the repairs will exceed the value of the item.

“In this case, we’d pay the total loss value, which will be either the agreed value on your policy or the market value that’s determined by the loss adjuster,” Mann explains.

This is the stage of the process when cash settlements can be discussed with your claim handler. If we offer a cash settlement under a home building policy, we’ll give you information on how cash settlements work and how decisions are made.

“The preference is for us to manage all aspects of your repairs, so you can avoid worrying about the financial side which can be stressful,” he adds.

The importance of your sum insured

Your sum insured value should be consistent with replacing your entire home, in case of total loss. If you’re not insured at today’s values, you may be underinsured.

“Too often, we find people underestimate the importance of their sum insured and take shortcuts to achieve a lower premium. But this can leave people underinsured in a crisis,” says Mann.

“An accurate sum insured comes down to valuing your home and belongings correctly.

“When calculating your sum insured, make sure you consider the replacement costs of items and fixtures, preparing land and foundations, and understanding costs must be new for old at today’s prices.

To help our customers work out their sum insured, we’ve built calculators to help you determine how much insurance you need.

It’s also important to consider costs that may not be obvious. For example, removing debris could add 10-15% to your sum insured.

“Some policies automatically account for inflation for your sum insured but it’s best not to rely on this as your sole safeguard,” Mann says.

Another tip is to speak to a reputable builder and get a current quote for the cost of a complete rebuild of your home.

We’re here to help when you make a claim

“We understand you’re often only contacting an insurance company when something bad has happened. But remember, we’re here to help and it’s our job to make the claims process as smooth as possible,” says Mann.

“Don’t worry if there’s something you don’t understand, as we’ll explain it to you. We do this every day and hopefully, you don’t have to go through this process too often.”

“Once we hear from you, we coordinate a tailored course of action to deliver the best outcome possible,” Mann concludes.

To make a claim, call 133 723 or lodge a claim online.