What is an adverse claims history?
Insurers don’t expect you to never make a claim, but your claims history can work against you if it’s deemed to be ‘adverse’. Put simply, adverse can mean you’ve made many claims in a short space of time or you’ve claimed for a few high-value events.
For example, you may have claimed on your insurance ten times in one year or you’ve claimed for costly events like theft or break ins.
Why does my claims history matter?
If you have an adverse claims history, an insurer may see you as a high-risk customer. They may take your claims history to be an indication of the types of claims you’ll make in the future.
For that reason, you may be rejected from standard insurers or your current insurer may refuse to renew your policy.
What about claims that weren’t my fault?
Unfortunately, a claim is a claim to an insurer. In fact, most successful claims aren’t the fault of the individual making a claim. If you are found to be at fault, your claim will likely be rejected.
For example, an insurer will deem you at fault if your home is burgled after you leave your windows open or your house floods after you leave a tap on. For that reason, these won’t be valid claims. If your home is forcibly broken into, that will be a valid claim.
How can I check my home insurance claims history?
You can check your home insurance claims history by calling your current or past insurer. They can give you a full breakdown of your claims history that you can share with your new insurer when you’re looking for a new policy.
How long do home insurance claims stay on record?
This depends on who your insurer is. On average, insurers will keep your claims history for three to seven years. If you’re looking to switch to a new insurer, you can check your existing policy document or get in touch with your insurer to see how long your claims stay on record.
At Wesleyan Financial Services, we work with a panel of providers that keep your claims history from three to five years.
How do I get a good home insurance deal with an adverse claims history?
Getting a new policy when you have an adverse claims history can be hard, but it’s not impossible. You may find that standard home insurers will reject your application, so you’ll need to look for insurers that specialise in policies for people with a long or complicated claims history.
Make sure you’re upfront with an insurer when requesting a quote. This will save you both time when checking your eligibility.