Storms cause massive increase in home insurance claims

Swiftcover reports that yesterday saw a 250 per cent increase in home insurance claims in the UK as a result of the storms that hit much of the UK yesterday.

The average amount of claims expected on a normal day was exceeded by 10.15 am. In the early part of the day most claims came from Scotland and Northern England but as the day progressed more calls came in from central and southern England.

Two people died in the storms yesterday. A man in his 50’s was crushed by a falling tree as he sat in the passenger seat of a stationary vehicle in Kent and a member of crew on board a tanker in the English Channel was killed after the vessel was hit by a massive wave.

The insurer said that initial estimates put the average cost of a claim at close to £1,000. The majority of claims were for damage to roofs and conservatories and water damage to property.

Christine Matthews, head of household claims at swiftcover.com commented: “The scale of the storms that hit the UK on Tuesday, 3 January took the country by surprise and have caused unprecedented damage. We would advise anyone whose property is affected by the storm to contact their insurer in order to make sure that help can be provided quickly.”

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