Insurance giants rally to aid storm-impacted customers

Insurance giants rally to aid storm-impacted customers | Insurance Business Australia

Catastrophe & Flood

Insurance giants rally to aid storm-impacted customers

Latest total of received insurance claims revealed

Catastrophe & Flood

By
Roxanne Libatique

Insurance companies have taken proactive measures to support people impacted by the December storms.

Suncorp Group (Suncorp) is actively engaged in recovery efforts across areas in Far North Queensland (FNQ) affected by ex-Tropical Cyclone (TC) Jasper.

Suncorp CEO Steve Johnston, who recently visited Cairns, emphasised the long-term recovery process for the impacted communities.

“Suncorp is a proud Queensland company – unfortunately, we have been through this before, and we understand the impact devastating extreme weather events have on people’s lives, livelihoods, and our broader society and economy,” he said. “We have our teams locally and right across the country providing extra support to our customers affected by ex-TC Jasper to get back on their feet as quickly as possible.

“We also have good capacity with builders, assessors, and claims teams available to assist those impacted by the rolling series of severe storms in South East Queensland.”

As of Jan. 2, Suncorp has received over 1,700 insurance claims related to ex-TC Jasper, including 1,200 claims for homes.

“I want to thank all our teams who have been doing everything they can to support our customers since ex-TC Jasper hit the Far North. From our contact centres 24/7, to our claims teams including the customer support teams at recovery centres across the region, and our assessors and local builders out in the community with our customers,” Johnston said. “I also want to thank everyone involved in the recovery who has rolled up their sleeves to help the Far North in its time of need.”

The Insurance Council of Australia (ICA) declared the storms an “insurance catastrophe,” prompting insurers to prioritise claims and offer urgent assistance to the most affected.

In a recent statement, NRMA encouraged impacted customers to promptly contact their insurer for immediate support.

“The storms over the Christmas period have been devastating for many communities, and our thoughts are with those who have tragically lost their lives, their families, and friends at this terribly difficult time,” said NRMA executive manager Alex Dunn. “We urge anyone who has suffered damage to their property, vehicle, or business from these storms to contact us as soon as possible to lodge their claims so we can provide immediate support such as emergency financial assistance and temporary accommodation, if required.”

The insurance giant’s property assessors and partner builders are on the ground providing affected customers with emergency assessments and make-safe repairs. In the Rutherford and Aberglasslyn regions in NSW, specialist repairers are securing sites to conduct triage assessments of vehicle damage and complete repairs.

RACQ

RACQ has bolstered resources to support its members following the destructive storms in South East Queensland.

“So far, we’ve received 2,560 claims for home insurance and 478 for motor following a series of destructive storms in South East Queensland over the Christmas break,” said RACQ managing director and group CEO David Carter.

RACQ focuses on expediting claims processing, emergency make-safe works, and organising temporary accommodation and cash payments for affected members.

“December has been a difficult month for many Queenslanders, and we want to reassure our members that we will continue to be there for you when you need us,” Carter said.