As the United Kingdom comes to the end of a four-week lockdown that started on the 5th November 2020, the majority of the country have been used to spending a lot more time at home. It is worth keeping in mind how this might affect our home insurance.
While insurers have pledged to do everything they can to support their clients during these times, there are a few matters you might want to consider, or steps to take to make sure that you are prepared.
Accidental Damage
You may have decided not to pay extra to cover for any spillages or accidents at your property because of how much of your week you spend at work. If you’re going to be working from home, you might decide this is worthwhile after all. Get in contact with your insurer, and they should be able to add it for an additional fee. Be aware that if the damage has already happened before you added the extra cover, it isn’t something you can claim for.
Working from Home
Most insurers are likely to accept that you are working from home, especially if you normally work from an office, and probably won’t charge anything extra, so it is definitely worthwhile giving them a call and letting them know.
If your employer has provided you with a laptop, phone, tablet or otherwise that is owned by them, then it will be their responsibility to make sure the items are covered away from home.
Anything you own and use for work purposes may be restricted, or even excluded entirely under your home insurance, so it is worth checking their limits for business equipment.
If you find your current cover is too restrictive, then we have a number of schemes with flexible limits that might be a good fit for you.
Claims Service
You may find that it takes a little longer for your call to be answered as a number of staff will be working from home rather than their typical office environments, but they will be on hand to help you. Check if you can log the claim online through your insurer’s website, which may be the quickest way to get in touch with them.
Changing Living Situations & Unoccupied Properties
If you are required to self-isolate, and will be home 24/7 then you do not need to let your insurers know.
If you have a second home, holiday home, or unoccupied property, your insurance policy may have a requirement that it is regularly inspected. You may not be able to meet this requirement if you need to self-isolate for example, or if the property is a considerable distance away. It is worth contacting your insurer in this instance to come to a resolution.
If a guest staying with you is not part of your family, and you have not advised your insurer, it is worth giving them a call. If your guest has expensive belongings with them, cover for their items may be restricted on your policy, so it is worth checking to ensure the cover is sufficient.
Arranging Insurance
New home insurance policies are available to buy in the market if you don’t currently have cover in place. GSI Insurance Services (Southern) Ltd. have a number of schemes available with competitive discounts, and we can accommodate most special requirements for people having to work from home.
Please note that if you are a current customer of ours, or need our help to arrange insurance that is more sufficient for your needs, our operation is unaffected, and you can contact us during normal office hours on 0800 612 9376.
