Urgent advice needed w/ home ins claim!

worriedparent_2

Hey guys, it's my first post here, I'm hoping to get some good advice from some of the industry professionals on this board. Hopefully it will put my mind at ease - I've been getting really worried about this

I've had the same home insurance policy for the last 4 years on my property, never made a claim. Then, a few days ago, we were badly flooded, I phoned up my insurer to make a claim. So far so good.

However, upon reading through my policy documents last night, I noticed on my Proposal Form it states "have you, or any of your family living with you, ever had a policy declined, refused cover, declared void or cancelled?" This made my blood run cold - me or my wife have never had a policy cancelled so we ticked "no" to this at the time.

However, my 25-year old daughter moved back in with us 3 years ago (still here now) after a failed relationship with an abusive boyfriend. They got into a real financial mess whilst living together, and (I know as we helped her go through her finances) I remember she had a contents insurance policy on their rented flat, which was cancelled due to non-payment.

So I'm now really scared that my insurer will find out about my daughter's past insurance cancellation and then void my wife and I's policy, thus not paying out anything Is this a valid fear or am I being paranoid? If so it would seem pretty unfair as she's not even mentioned on the policy, it's just in the name of me and my wife....

Thanks in advance for any help!

huckster

Not relevant as she was not living with you at the time the policy was bought and even now she is not paying the policy premium, just living with you.

*Scarlett

The insurer might look at this differently. They send you a renewal each year and it is up to you to disclose any material facts that may have changed since you took the policy out 4 years ago.

Presumably your daughter does have possesions in the home that you would expect to be covered by the insurance.

You really should have disclosed the info when she moved in with you - your insurer may not have had an issue with cover under the circumstances but equally they may have loaded the premium or refused cover. All have different criteria.

I would say that your claim will be ok as you and you wife have no history of cancelled insurance & the insurer might not investigate further than that.

If you come up against an issue, check the renewal docs that they send you. Do they specifically send you assumption / underwriting questions to confirm or review each year? Check what they ask you to do before renewal.

The cancelled insurance is probably something that you never thought about when your daughter moved in - I'm sure there were other things on your mind.

If the insurer does decline the claim you could try

http://financial-ombudsman.org.uk/

But don't lose sleep over this until something happens . I would however declare the circumstances to future insurers.

mikey72

I wouldn't. It's an unreasonable t&c, and an unreasonable question. Some 25 year olds wouldn't discuss this, and would resent being asked their history for an unrelated policy to them. It's probably fair to say a lot of parents would answer this without quizzing every member of their family, and would truthfully answer no to the best of their knowledge.

dacouch

*Scarlett wrote: »

If you come up against an issue, check the renewal docs that they send you. Do they specifically send you assumption / underwriting questions to confirm or review each year? Check what they ask you to do before renewal.

If the insurer does decline the claim you could try

http://financial-ombudsman.org.uk/

But don't lose sleep over this until something happens . I would however declare the circumstances to future insurers.

This is the relevant information, if the renewal documents clearly ask about anyone living with you having a cancelled or voided policy then you would probably be required to declare it. If they have not asked it you will probably be ok. If there is a part of the policy requiring disclosure mid term for cancellations/voiding it becomes stickier but you will possibly be ok.

Plenty of Insurers don't care about cancellations due to non payment.

As others have mentioned, let the claim continue, see if it comes up and then come back to us if it does.

Insurers aren't as strict on the anti fraud measures on floods as they would be with a theft etc claim.

Stop worrying about something that may not be an issue

dunstonh

I very much doubt this will even be raised and almost certainly they will not even go looking for it. I wouldnt worry about it. Certain things are easy for them to find out. Others much harder. Certain claims will see them investigate deeper (theft etc) whilst natural events like flooding will be more interested in making sure your claim amounts are right.