ABI sets out insurer commitments ahead of possible floods over Christmas

ABI has vowed that insurers will continue help households affected by floods over the festive period ahead of more heavy rain expected over Christmas.

The Met Office has warned of heavy rain in the north of England over Christmas Day and Boxing Day and the prospect of more flooding.

The ABI said steps insurers will take include:

• Contacting customers proactively in flooded areas to offer assistance.
• Ensuring claims lines have the capacity to deal with all customer calls promptly, to provide advice and assistance.
• Deploying insurers’ own emergency response teams in all areas where they have a significant number of affected customers.
• Making emergency payments to support flooded customers, their families and businesses where necessary for immediate needs.
• Providing alternative accommodation and business premises as a matter of urgency to affected eligible customers.
• Sending loss adjusters to flooded homes and businesses as soon as is practically possible.

ABI general insurance policy manager Mark Shepherd said: “Everyone hopes the flood waters stay away over the Christmas break, particularly for residents of Cumbria who have already seen their properties inundated more than once in the past few weeks.

“However, if the worst does happen insurers will continue to be there for affected households and businesses, right through the festive period. People affected by flooding will be able to pick up the phone to their insurer on Christmas Day to get help, and work will start straight away on assessing damage and making emergency payments where needed.

“Sadly there was also flooding over the Christmas and New Year period in the winter of 2013 and we saw then that many loss adjusters were on the ground the same day to help people affected.”