Removing Stress in Property Insurance Claims

Stress Awareness Month has been held every April since 1992 to raise awareness of the causes and cures for our modern stress epidemic. During the Covid-19 pandemic, it was found that on average, people were experiencing significantly more stress, anxiety and depression. In fact, one study has revealed that the proportion of people who say they are “coping well with the stress of the pandemic” fell from 73% to 62% in just 7 months.

These statistics highlight the true impact of the pandemic on stress levels across the country and emphasise the importance of doing all we can to reduce this. That’s why, in light of Stress Awareness Month, we have made it our mission to make policyholders across the UK aware of how a Loss Assessor can dramatically reduce stress in the property insurance claim process.

Being unable to understand insurance jargon can be extremely frustrating for a policyholder. This can lead to heightened levels of stress, anxiety and confusion. Unfortunately, this lack of knowledge is frequently exploited by Insurers who use it to their own advantage.

Simon Colburn, director of Property Claim Assist, stated that policyholders “are usually powerless to argue [with their loss adjuster] because they are not experts in insurance terminology and are typically desperate to get their property back to its pre-loss condition”. This indicates just how important it is for policyholders to educate themselves on insurance terminology at the start of their claim, or to consult with a Loss Assessor at the earliest possible date. To find out more about the insurance jargon you need to know, visit our previous article.

When your property has suffered damage, the last thing you expect is to be waiting months for your property insurance claim to be progressed. Sadly, this can be a harsh reality for many. Take the London floods of July 2021 for example. Our flood insurance claim experts discovered that three months after the floods, some insurers had still not sent out loss adjusters to inspect the damage caused. This shows that many insurers do not progress claims swiftly, and cause unwarranted stress to policyholders who are then further delayed in being able to rebuild their lives. A Loss Assessor like Property Claim Assist can speed up the process on the policyholder’s behalf and achieve the settlement they are entitled to.

Policyholders should never feel pressured into accepting the first settlement offer. The adjuster is a skilled negotiator who knows to pitch the lowest price.

When a policyholder has suffered property damage and is particularly vulnerable, they are more likely to accept lower settlements instead of the true value of their claim.

When a policyholder makes a property insurance claim, their insurer usually appoints its own contractors to carry out the repair works. Unfortunately, many policyholders across the country are unaware that it is well within their right to source their own tradespeople. This is a guaranteed way to make sure the long-term future of the property is taken into consideration throughout the whole repairs process, removing stress at a later stage.

Sourcing tradespeople could, however, take time and heighten stress levels during a period of intense worry and uncertainty. There is an alternative. Did you know, you can appoint a Loss Assessor like Property Claim Assist to manage and oversee the entire claims process for you? That means no need to get tradespeople quotes, no prospect of becoming a victim of cowboy or less-skilled tradespeople and no need to assess the quality of workmanship. What’s more, is that we even provide our service for FREE if our own network of trusted and vetted contractors is used to restore the property.

If a policyholder does not fully understand their rights, they are more likely to fall victim to the property insurance claims process and experience a high degree of stress. The most important right an individual has is that they can appoint their own Loss Assessor to manage their claim from start to finish. Here are some more rights policyholders should be aware of…

Stress in insurance claims is particularly high among vulnerable adults, who might be less aware they are not receiving their full entitlement from the property insurance policy they purchased.

Simon Colburn, director of Property Claim Assist states that “there are so many vulnerable adults in our society. These include the elderly, disabled, bereaved, indebted or those who struggle with numeracy and literacy, to name just a few. Anyone within the vulnerability spectrum should be entitled to gain a fair and full settlement with ease and experience a stress-free process”.

If you choose to deal with your property insurance claim alone, the insurer and their loss adjuster hold the upper hand in the claim negotiations. This may leave you feeling frustrated, defeated and highly stressed, but there is an alternative.

Few homeowners or commercial property owners are aware of their right to appoint their own property claim representative – A Loss Assessor. By appointing a Loss Assessor, you have someone on your side throughout your claim, translating policy clauses, negotiating the settlement, refuting reasons to reduce or decline your claim and helping you return to your pre-loss condition as swiftly as possible. All the stress that you could have experienced by handing your claim alone is instantly taken off your shoulders.

The goal of our expert Loss Assessors at Property Claim Assist is to achieve the full and fair settlement you are entitled to and help you rebuild your life back to the position you were in before suffering property damage. We even provide our services for FREE, if our vetted and trusted contractors carry out the schedule of repair works.