Home insurance getting cancelled

Jussi23

I have been with Sainsburys for buildings insurance for many years, but I had a letter yesterday saying they are not renewing it this July because they aren't offering home insurance any longer. The letter said that Lloyds bank might offer me home insurance, but the uncertainty about this is stressing me out. I had to claim for subsidence about 8 or 9 years ago, and fear that this will stop Lloyds from offering me home insurance and that I might not find another insurance company to offer me home insurance, I don't know what to do.

user1977

You haven't tried looking for quotes yet?

XRS200

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6664848/home-insurance-getting-cancelled

With a subsidence claim in your history, you want to stay with the same insurer. Which insurer was that?

Ayr_Rage

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81969359#Comment_81969359

From the OP I guess it's Sainburys who are now withdrawing from the market.

Time to get on comparison sites and see what they throw up.

Edit : As your renewal in July you may not be able to get accurate quotes so far ahead.

XRS200

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81969363#Comment_81969363

Sainsburys are likely an intermediary not the actual insurer.

Annemos

This is becoming more frequent now.

RSA (Morethan) pulled out of the Home Insurance Market Completely, to only do Commercial Insurance.

The Insurer of the John Lewis Policies has also just left the home insurance market completely. (Their contract was set up to be for 5 years.)

Which Insurance Company is the actual Underwriter of your current policy and were they also the same one who handled the Subsidence Claim?

(It may be that your Insurer is still doing Home Insurance Policies… just not with Sainburys)

Jussi23

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81969353#Comment_81969353

The letter only came yesterday morning, so I haven't looked yet.

Jussi23

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81969452#Comment_81969452

I think that Lloyds Bank General Insurance Limited must be the underwriter, as it says in the letter that they are my existing provider. It says thet Lloyds Bank will let me know if they can continue with cover. It is this uncertainty which is worrying me. If they do offer me cover, I will accept it. But I don't know if they will or not.

Jussi23

I had to check the letters from my 2015 subsidence claim and it was the Halifax Home Insurance which covered it back then. (I was with Sainsburys)

Jussi23

I would definitely stay with Sainburys if I could, but they are withdrawing from offering home insurance.

Annemos

Lloyds Bank Gen Ins Ltd is a member of the ABI

https://www.abi.org.uk/about-the-abi/abi-members/?sw=l

Halifax Group Ltd is member of the ABI

https://www.abi.org.uk/about-the-abi/abi-members/?sw=h

The problem for me is that I am not a Corporate expert, so I cannot tell whether these two are linked.

It all depends on how Companies are organised and subsidiaries etc etc. Definitely NOT my field of expertise!

https://www.lloydsbankinggroup.com/who-we-are/our-brands.html

But in any case, there are 2 general guiding rules within the Home Insurance Industry, which the Ombudsman (FOS) also supports.

1 After a Subsidence Claim a homeowner should be retained by the INSURER WHO DID THE SUBSIDENCE CLAIM. (Take a careful look at the EXACT corporate name of that Insurance Provider on your actual Policy Document.) Also to note, we are talking about the actual top Underwriter here, not any Seller or Retailer or intermediate Managing General Agent etc etc. (Thus not Sainburys. Sainsburys never had the obligation.)

2 The ABI supports this position for their members, and they all agree to adhere to it. (And the FOS also expects it to be adhered to, even if the Ins Company is NOT a member of the ABI).

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Your situation:

Notes… the problem comes, if since the Claim was finished, one has broken the link with the old Insurer who actually did the claim… and then moved on to another Insurer. Then the second Insurer if NOT obligated to retain you.

(As I say, your case above is confusing for me with these different Corporate entities which may be linked. So it is not clear to me if you have broken the link?)

========

Here is a case which I am attaching for you which describes the position of staying with the same Insurer after a claim…… FOS case 4190935

https://www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk/decision/DRN-4190935.pdf

So my usual advice for anyone who has clearly stayed with the same Insurer since the Subsidence Claim, is to write to that Insurer and use the wording in that Ombudsman case, in order to draft one's own request for help with that Insurer: …….

a) If they are still underwriting Home Insurance Policies, then one can put in a request for a new Policy with them via another mechanism, eg a retailer or a broker. (I have had to do this twice)

b) BUT if they have now pulled out of the market completely, then as that case shows, they should have put some measures in place for us when they pulled out of the Insurance provision. (I have just encountered this.)

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Your own situation again:

I know EXACTLY how you feel. It is horrible!!

As I said, I am not sure if you have completely severed the link with your original insurer, since the claim.

If you do get absolutely stuck with the above…. I have come across these providers, but I have not tested them yet myself…..

Howdens (They told me they use Prestige Underwriting to provide quotes for homes that have had Subsidence claims.)

And maybe one can also go to Prestige Underwriting direct.

Otherwise, one would be searching online or going to Brokers for help.

Some have said on here that Lloyds Bank might consider homes after ten years have elapsed since the Subsidence claim.

One can also try BIBA. They have a list of brokers that consider Subsidence. I approached one of those near to my home out of interest, and they said they would be using Lloyds of London.

Good luck…. both to you and me!

EDIT: Was Halifax Home Insurance only an Intermediary when you had your Subsidence Claim? Who was the actual Underwriter on that Policy… was it Lloyds Bank General Insurance Limited? I am hoping it was.