Home Insurance Cancelled - what to do? Please help....

Amye685

Hello

I recently phoned my insurance company to tell them we'd done an extension and added patio doors - like an idiot, during the works it didn't even cross my mind to tell the insurance company.  The works are now complete and the property is secure etc - the main reason I called them in the first place was to add 'patio doors' to the policy as I hadn't ticked that box before.

They instantly cancelled my insurance and the person on the call stated "we are cancelling your policy as we can no longer provide cover" - the cancellation letter through the post also stated the reason as 'insufficient cover'.  I later phoned up to confirm the reason for them cancelling my policy and was told "due to building works".  I asked if this was recorded anywhere on their system and she said 'yes' but the previous person said there was no reason but it wasn't my fault (I have the chat session in writing with her stating they couldnt provide cover due to no fault of mine).

My question is - I've now applied for insurance with other insurers and ticked the box to declare that I have had insurance cancelled, but then have to call them to explain why. I told them that the other insurer told me "insuffiencient cover" which counts as an underwriting issue. However, if the reason was 'misrepresentation' i.e. I failed to tell them about the extension during its build, then they won't insure me.  Obviously the latter is more serious.

Can insurance companies contact others directly to check the reason for the insurance being cancelled?

Also, if I insure with a new insurer (declaring honestly the cancelled insurance, but not exactly WHY), can they check later down the line if I have had building work done and work out that I wasn't being truthful?

Please help, I'm in despair that we won't get covered for not declaring the building work, even though I don't have this in writing, that's effectively why the policy was cancelled.

Thank you in advance if you've got this far!!

Amye685

Please help!  I told my insurance company on the phone that we'd had building work done and I wanted to add to the policy that we now have patio doors (I didn't think the small extension would need mentioning, as there are still the same number of rooms etc in the house). They immediately cancelled the policy stating they were unable to cover me any longer.

I have lost the letter that confirms the cancellation, but states "insufficient cover" as the reason.

I have been honest when searching for new insurance stating that yes, I have had insurance cancelled - but can the new company check exactly WHY it was cancelled.  If I tell them the reason was the old company simply told me they couldnt cover me any more, will they check this with them or ask for written confirmation?

I obviously want to avoid going to specialist insurers and paying through the roof because I stupidly forgot to tell the insurer about an extension and it going down as 'failure to disclose' or misrepresentation'.

Any advice greatly appreciated!

Mr.Generous

I wonder if that insurance company won't cover patio doors? I don't see where the insuficient cover phrase would come from. I'm not an expert though sorry.

35har1old

Amye685 said:

Please help!  I told my insurance company on the phone that we'd had building work done and I wanted to add to the policy that we now have patio doors (I didn't think the small extension would need mentioning, as there are still the same number of rooms etc in the house). They immediately cancelled the policy stating they were unable to cover me any longer.

I have lost the letter that confirms the cancellation, but states "insufficient cover" as the reason.

I have been honest when searching for new insurance stating that yes, I have had insurance cancelled - but can the new company check exactly WHY it was cancelled.  If I tell them the reason was the old company simply told me they couldnt cover me any more, will they check this with them or ask for written confirmation?

I obviously want to avoid going to specialist insurers and paying through the roof because I stupidly forgot to tell the insurer about an extension and it going down as 'failure to disclose' or misrepresentation'.

Any advice greatly appreciated!

What did your policy document say about informing them.
Some set a figure on the cost at which you need to make them aware of the work 
Your mention a extension so how have you the same number of rooms

Hoenir

The requirement would be to notify them ahead of the works commencing. As the not just the increased value when it's finished. Also the potential risks while work is undertaken.  Forgetting to do things unfortunately incurs penalties on occcasions.

Muskey

Claims and Underwriting Exchange (CUE):-
CUE is a central database of motor, home and personal injury/industrial illness incidents reported to insurance companies which may or may not have given rise to a claim. 

elsien

Duplicate thread. 

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6552186/can-home-insurers-check-with-a-previous-insurer-why-a-policy-was-cancelled#latest

dunstonh

Care: duplicate thread:  https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6552185/home-insurance-cancelled-what-to-do-please-help#latest

TELLIT01

To cancel cover after work has been completed seems odd on the face of it.  Even more odd that the driver for cancellation might be the installation of patio doors.

I could understand there being issues if a claim had been made during building work.  When we had a conservatory added it certainly never occurred to me to inform the insurer about building work going on.  We did inform them once the conservatory was completed and that information was added to the policy without any problem.