Change home insurance with on-going claim

CaptainPie

Hi Money Saving Experts!

quick question, I have an ongoing home insurance claim with Legal and General, they haven't been particularly good with dealing with it - mostly due to the loss adjustor and their contractors - but my renewal is coming up and I don't want to be tied into them for another year.

Am I allowed to change insurers mid claim? Can they kick up a fuss about it?

Many thanks!

pogg000

no, your insurance covers you from x date to x date

InsideInsurance

They cannot kick up a fuss but a number of Home insurers will not take on a new customer who has an ongoing claim.

Certainly shop online but before buying ensure that your new insurer is aware the claim is still ongoing and happy with that to avoid problems down the line

CaptainPie

As in the issue occurred on such and such a date - whence it falls under insurer 1's remit?

Are they obliged to continue work on it even if I am no longer a current customer?

Quentin

Yes .

InsideInsurance

CaptainPie wrote: »

As in the issue occurred on such and such a date - whence it falls under insurer 1's remit?

Are they obliged to continue work on it even if I am no longer a current customer?

Home insurance, and most/ all personal lines products, are written on a occurrence basis where the insurer at the time of the incident that leads to claim happened is the one on the hook for dealing with the claim. Generally makes life easy with the one possible exception of long tail claims like subsidence where they may be an arguement of the date of when the issue started.

Some commercial insurance are written on a claims made basis where its the insurer at the time of the claim rather than the time of the incident that lead to the claim that is on the hook but you have to vouch at the beginning of the policy that you are not aware of any possible pending claim. Insurers like this as there is a set date where they know no new claims can come in where as with incident based policy 6 years or more after the policy ends a claim can still come in (eg from an injured child).

Irrespective of the base of cover though, in all classes of insurance I am aware of then once a claim is in flight the insurer is on the hook until the end of that claim even if the insurer chooses not to renew the policy. There could be some bespoke wording for non-compulsory corporate policies but cant say I've ever heard of anyone doing such a thing.