Instead of calling the claims team to report your claim, you can now report you claim online using our digital claims facility. You can report your claim online if you are claiming for:

• Storm damage to your home
• Perished freezer food
• Accidental damage to TV's, laptops, mobile phone, flooring, glazing and jewellery
• Accidental loss of jewellery

This is a quick and easy way to make your claim. Depending upon what you are claiming for, you may be able to receive a settlement offer straight away.

To check if you can submit your claim this way, please click the relevant claim type, under 'What type of claim can we help you with today?'

For support using our online claim journey, just click on our virtual assistant at the bottom right-hand side of your screen.

To get your online claim journey started, all you will need is your policy number. This will be shown on your policy schedule.

We'll ask you for key details about your claim, such as: what happened, what you're claiming for, evidence to support your claim (you'll be able to upload this online).

As your insurer, we're here to help make claims as easy as possible. We understand that making a claim can be a worrying and stressful time for you.

When you make a claim online, you will receive a decision on the outcome of your claim. If, for any reason, we are unable to provide you with an immediate decision, we'll clearly tell you what will happen next and how long it will take.

Once your claim has been registered, we'll send you a link so that you can easily track your claim 24/7 by logging into the claims hub. All you need is your policy or claim reference number sent to you after you completed your claim notification.

To log into the claims hub, please follow this link
www.ageas.co.uk/claims/home-insurance

You can find what your home insurance covers you for by checking your policy booklet. Your policy documents will also tell you what excess may be applicable, depending on the type of claim you wish to make.

You can track your claim online by logging into the Ageas claims hub. To log in, all you need is your policy or claim reference number which you would have received via a text message and email.

The hub enables you to view key information about your claim. Here you can:

• Check your claim status
• Find contact details of approved suppliers we've appointed to assist with your claim
• Upload documents directly to the claim
• Send and receive messages to/from the claims team

The format of your claim reference will be 7 digits and one letter e.g. 6234567R

To log into the Ageas claims hub, please follow this link
www.ageas.co.uk/claims/home-insurance

We apologise that you are having trouble making a claim online. We take the protection of our customers' information very seriously and always apply appropriate levels of security.

In order for us to verify who you are, when you log in, we will send you an authentication code to either a mobile phone number or email address, which you provided when taking out your policy with us. If your details are not recognised, we unfortunately cannot send you a code to verify your identity.

If you have not received an authentication code to complete security checks, you will need to contact our claims team to report your claim on 0345 165 5795.

If your details are not recognised, we unfortunately cannot send you the authentication code to complete necessary security checks. Below are common reasons why your details may not be recognised and advice on things to check.

Invalid policy number - If the details you have provided do not match our records, please check you have entered all characters correctly and try again. If you think they are correct, please call us on 0345 165 5795.

Invalid date of birth - Please make sure you are entering the date of birth as shown on your policy schedule.

If you are still having difficulty reporting your claim online, please contact our claims team on 0345 165 5795 where one of our agents will be able to assist you.

Almost everything in your home will suffer from general wear and tear over time. You can extend the lifetime of your property and the possessions inside it by taking care of your home through general maintenance and upkeep. So, for example, from time to time it would be worth having your roof checked for missing or cracked tiles.

Wear and tear is a common reason that claims are declined especially in a weather event like a storm. It's difficult for rain or wind to damage well-maintained properties unless it is an extreme weather event, but a poorly maintained roof could let rain in that could also damage your contents.

If you look after your property and something unexpected happens, that's when your insurance should be there to help.

Unfortunately, there are things we do not cover. It is therefore important to check your policy booklet before reporting any claim, for more information on what is and is not covered. Your policy documents will also tell you what cover you have selected and what excess will apply, depending on the type of claim you wish to make.

Common examples of some areas not covered under your policy:

• Damage to gates, hedges and fences caused by storms
• Breakdown and maintenance of items such as boilers
• Damage caused by wear and tear or gradual operating causes e.g. fading or worn patches on furniture or carpets, blockage or cracking of guttering causing damp walls, deterioration of sealant in shower causing gradual seepage of water into wall
• Mechanical and electrical failure of appliances

Storm damage occurs when a property has been damaged due to an extreme weather event, usually including very high winds, extreme rain, hail or snow.

Depending on your policy, your building would be covered if damage occurred under the following circumstances:

• Where wind speeds are recorded over 55mph
• Where rainfall reaches more than 25mm/1 inch of rain within a 1 hour period
• Where hailstones exceed 20mm/0.8 inches in diameter
• Where there are 30cm/12 inches or more of snowfall within a 24 hour period

We will determine if these conditions are met by checking local weather records.

Once you report storm damage, the claims department will check local weather records to see if the weather you experienced meets the requirements to be considered a storm. For more information, please refer to the section 'What counts as storm damage?'

If the requirements for a storm damage claim are met, then a storm specialist supplier will be appointed to view your property, either in person or remotely.

After they have assessed the damage, a decision will be made by the supplier as to whether they think the damage to your property was caused by these recent weather conditions or by something else, such as general wear and tear. If they agree the damage was caused by the weather conditions, we will consider which of the following options is best suited to your circumstances:

• We may be able to offer you a cash settlement for you to pay for the repairs
• If there is more work to be done, we may instruct one of our approved contractors to contact you directly and make arrangements for the repairs
• If the damage is substantial, we'll appoint an expert to manage the claim - either remotely or in person - and talk you through the best course of action

This will depend on the cover you have. If you have buildings cover, in the event of a successful claim, any part of your building which has been damaged as a result of the extreme weather will be covered.

If you have contents cover, then any damaged contents will be covered.

Policy limits are shown in your policy documentation.

Fences, gates, trees and hedges are not covered in the event of storm damage under your buildings cover. Please refer to your policy booklet as some garden items may be covered under contents cover if you have that.

This will depend on the circumstances of your claim. On average, storm claims are being usually dealt with within 23 days.

However, this is just an estimate. Your claim could take a shorter or longer period of time.

Your excess is shown within your policy documentation.

If your claim is settled via a cash payment, the excess will be deducted from the total amount before it is paid to you. Alternatively, if one of our repair networks carry out restoration, reinstatement or repair work, they will collect your excess from you on our behalf.

Please contact our Claims Team on 0345 165 5753 in the first instance to discuss your concerns. This will give us the opportunity to understand your concerns and provide clarity on the reason for declining your claim.

For more information, please refer to the section 'When would my storm claim not be covered?'

If you remain dissatisfied with the decision, you have the right to register a complaint. For more information, please refer to the section 'How do I make a complaint about my claim?'

In many declined claims it is not the weather event which caused the damage but an existing underlying problem, which the recent weather event highlighted.

Wear and tear is a common reason as to why storm claims are declined. This is especially the case with flat roofs that are over 10 years old or old tiled roofs.

It's difficult for a weather event to damage well-maintained properties, unless it is quite extreme. For more information, please refer to the section 'What counts as storm damage?'

Unless it is an emergency, please do not carry out any repairs or replace items without us agreeing to this first.

If you need to take action to protect your property we would recommend that you do so only if the temporary repairs can be easily removed for a full inspection.

PLEASE NOTE:
The cost of any temporary repairs will not be reimbursed if your claim is declined following our inspection.

We would ask that you contact us before you undertake any repairs or clean up, unless repairs are essential for protecting the property/item(s).

Please refer to the section 'Can I carry out temporary repairs?'

We understand that some customers like to stay in their own homes where possible, so we can provide facilities like temporary kitchens and bathrooms to enable you to do so. If you do have to leave the property, we will help you make those arrangements, whether this is staying with relatives or checking into suitable alternative accommodation.

For more information on alternative accommodation cover please refer to your policy documentation.

To make your claims experience as easy as possible, our specialist suppliers have full authority to manage claims without the need to refer back to us for approval. If we've appointed one to manage your claim, and you would like an update, please call them directly in the first instance and they will be able to assist you. For CCG, call 0330 124 2254; for Virtus, call 0330 024 8948.

Contents insurance will cover the items and valuables within your home that are not permanent features, fixtures or fittings of the building.

This will usually include things like your furniture, kitchen appliances, jewellery and entertainment systems.

Some items, such as carpets, may seem like buildings but are, in fact, considered contents.

If you are unsure what your item falls under and need to make a claim, get in touch with the Claims Team and they will be able to work this out for you.

This will depend on the cover you took out when you purchased your contents policy.

Essentially, your standard contents insurance policy will cover the cost of repairing or replacing the contents of your home if they are damaged by an insured event such as theft, fire, flood and leakage of water. If you also purchased the optional add-on cover of Accidental Damage, that will cover you for other instances relating to accidental damage (which is damage that is unexpected and unintended, caused by something sudden and which is not deliberate).

There will be exclusions for each type of peril, so please refer to your home insurance policy booklet for full details of your cover.

In the first instance, we will look at repairing the damaged item. If this is not possible, we will consider replacement options.

We will look to replace your items as 'new for old'. This means that, if your item is available to buy, we will aim to replace it by giving you a new one through one of our suppliers. We may alternatively give you a cash settlement for the value of the item.

If the item is no longer available, we will look to either replace it with the nearest item available or give you a cash payment for the amount that the item is worth.

Standard contents cover will provide cover whilst your items are within the boundary of your home.

There are a few common exceptions to this that are included in some contents policies such as items covered whilst a member of your family is at university. Please check your contents policy wording to see what is included.

Contents which you commonly carry with you will also be covered outside of your home, if you have the optional 'Everyday or Specified personal belongings' extension. Please check your policy documentation for any exclusions or limits that might apply.

Your excess is shown on your policy documentation.

If your claim is settled via a cash payment, the excess will be deducted from the total amount before it is paid to you. Alternatively, if one of our repair networks carry out repairs or replacement, they will collect your excess from you on our behalf.

In the event that you need to make a claim for contents, there are a couple of things that the claims department might request in order to proceed with your claim.

These can be things such as pictures of the damaged item(s), quotes to repair or replace the item(s) and the reason why they need replacement, as well as receipts, valuations and/or proof of purchase may be required in some cases or replacement costs from websites for any irreparable items.

If a supplier is appointed to deal with your damaged contents, you might not be required to provide the above as they will carry out those checks for you.

We would ask that you contact us before you undertake any repairs or clean up, unless this is essential for protecting the item(s).

'Escape of water' is a term used in home insurance to describe a water leak that can come from multiple sources in the home.

For example:

• Leaking pipes (boiler, water tank, radiators or heating system etc.)
• Burst pipes (caused by water freezing within them)
• Appliances (i.e. washing machine, dishwasher etc.)

What is not considered an 'Escape or leakage of water' includes (but is not limited to):

• If you experience water escaping through the failure, wear and tear or lack of grouting or sealant around baths, showers etc.
• Overflow of water from blocked guttering

If you experience water entering your property due to weather events like a storm, please refer to the section 'Storm damage and claims'

Repairs to the pipe work, water or heating system of your home are often not covered by your insurance policy. Please refer to your policy wording for more information.

For more information about making a claim, please refer to the section 'What should I expect when making a claim for escape or leakage of water?'

Based on the information you provide, we will check your policy to ensure you are covered and let you know how we can help.

Please be aware that your policy does not cover general repairs to the pipework, water or heating system of your home. You will need to check your policy documentation to see if you have purchased the Home Emergency optional cover. If you do have this cover, your policy documentation will also provide details on how to contact the relevant team. If you do not have this extended cover, please contact a plumber directly to repair and stop the leak.

Once the leak has been stopped, we will get to work on fixing the damage caused.

We may be able to offer you a cash settlement for the water damage repairs and raise a cash payment for you to use in getting the repairs completed.

If there is more work to be done, we may instruct one of our approved contractors to contact you directly and make arrangements for the repairs.

If the damage is substantial, we will send out an expert to manage the claim and talk you through the best course of action.

Some of your items may need replacing or restoring. Depending on your cover, we can let you know if we can help with those too.

Depending on the time of year and the extent of the damage, we do advise that you turn on the heating and open the windows to dry out the property as much as possible. In some cases, where the damage isn't extensive, this may be enough to resolve the issues.

For information on when your claim would not be covered, please refer to the section 'When would my claim not be covered?'

Depending on the level of cover you have selected, which will be shown in your policy documentation e.g. Buildings, Contents or both, cover is provided for the loss or damage caused as a result of water leaking from things such as heating or drainage installation, washing machine or dishwasher.

Your policy will also cover you for the cost of locating and gaining access to the leak if required. However it is possible that limits will apply. For more information, please refer to the section 'What is 'Trace & Access'? What does it cover?'

For full details on what is covered for an escape or leakage of water, please refer to your policy booklet.

When you report the claim, we will do everything we can to establish the level of damage and will consider which of the following options are best suited to your circumstances:

• We may be able to offer you a cash settlement for the water damage repairs and raise a cash payment for you to use in getting the repairs completed yourself. We may ask you to contact a local tradesman in order to assess the damage
• If there is more work to be done, we may instruct one of our approved contractors to contact you directly and make arrangements for the repairs
• If the damage is substantial we will send out an expert to manage the claim and talk you through the best course of action

We understand that people like to stay in their own homes where possible, so we can provide facilities like temporary kitchens to enable you to do so. If you do have to leave the property, we will help you make those arrangements, whether this is staying with relatives or checking in to alternative accommodation subject to the limits of your policy cover.

Trace & Access applies when you are unable to find the source of a leak, for example from hidden pipework.

Providing your building has been damaged by the water leakage, we will pay the reasonable costs you have to pay to find where the leak is coming from, including the cost to repair walls, floors or ceilings, up to the limit shown in your policy documentation.

You must get our agreement before work starts in order to receive this benefit. For more information please refer to your policy documentation.

Getting your home back to normal can take time depending on the circumstances and the extent of the damage. On average, escape or leakage of water claims are usually dealt with within 95 days.

This is just an estimated average, your claim could take a shorter or longer amount of time.

Your excess is shown on your policy documentation.

You will either pay the repair network directly or, when we settle the claim with cash, we will deduct the excess from the total to be paid.

Common exclusions applicable to an escape or leakage of water claim include (but are not limited to) the following:

• General repairs to the water or heating system (e.g. the cost of a plumber to fix the pipework or where the leak is coming from)
• Loss or damage that has been happening gradually over a period of time (e.g. damp, mould, failed sealant around a bath or shower tray)

You may also not be covered for loss or damage caused by water overflowing from wash basins, sinks, bidets, showers and baths as a results of taps being left on. To check, please refer to your policy booklet.

PLEASE NOTE:
There will be general exclusions that apply to all sections of your policy cover. Please refer to your policy booklet for full details of these exclusions.

Please contact our Claims Team on 0345 165 5753 in the first instance to discuss your concerns. This will give us the opportunity to understand your concerns and provide clarity on the reason for declining your claim.

For more information, please refer to the section 'When would my claim not be covered?'

If you remain dissatisfied with the decision, you have the right to register a complaint. For more information, please refer to the section 'How do I make a complaint about my claim?'

Unless it is an emergency, please do not carry out any repairs or replace items without us agreeing to this first.

If you need to take action to protect your property we would recommend that you do so, provided the temporary repairs can be easily removed for a full inspection, if required.

PLEASE NOTE:
The cost of any temporary repairs will not be reimbursed if your claim is declined.

We would ask that you contact us before you undertake any repairs or clean up, unless repairs are essential for the immediate protection of the property/item(s).

Please refer to the section 'Can I carry out temporary repairs?'

'Accidental damage' is a term used in home insurance to define unexpected and unintended damage, by something sudden and which is not deliberate caused by an external force to your property or contents. Examples of accidental damage include spilling a drink and staining the carpet or accidentally drilling through a pipe.

Based on the information you provide, we will check your policy to confirm if you are covered for accidental damage to either your buildings or contents and let you know how we can help.

When settling your claim we have the following options available to us, and we will decide which is most appropriate:

• Repair
• Replace
• Rebuild
• Payment

We may offer to repair, replace or rebuild any damage through one of our approved suppliers. However, you may use your own supplier if you prefer, providing you agree this with us beforehand. Should you use your own supplier, any payment made would not normally exceed the discounted amount we would have paid our approved supplier. All repairs carried out by our approved suppliers are guaranteed for one year.

If we decide it is not appropriate to repair, rebuild or replace your buildings and/or contents, we will send you a payment, less the excess, representing either:

• The amount by which the buildings and/or contents has gone down in value as a result of the claim
• The estimated cost to repair, replace or rebuild your buildings and/or contents, whichever is the lowest

Terms and conditions apply. Please refer to your policy booklet for further information.

This will depend on the circumstances of your claim.

To validate a claim, we need confirmation of the cause of the damage, from either your chosen repairer, or we may decide to instruct one of our repair networks to inspect the damage.

For more information, please refer to the section 'What should I expect when making a claim for accidental damage?'

Your excess can be found on your policy documentation.

You will either pay the repair network directly or we will deduct the excess from the total to be paid, when we settle the claim with cash.

Please contact our Claims Team on 0345 165 5753 in the first instance to discuss your concerns. This will give us the opportunity to understand your concerns and provide clarity on the reason for declining your claim.

If you remain dissatisfied with the decision, you have the right to register a complaint. For more information, please refer to the section 'How do I make a complaint about my claim?'

One reason that your claim may not be covered is because you do not have the Accidental Damage extension on your Contents policy.

If you have chosen this cover, it will be shown on your policy documentation.

Common exclusions applicable to Contents accidental damage extension claims include (but are not limited to) the following:

• Damage caused by wear and tear
• Damage caused by scratches or dents unless they prevent you from using the item
• Damage caused by computer viruses
• Damage if the property is unoccupied
• Damage caused by chewing, scratching, tearing or fouling by domestic animals or pets
• Damage to sports equipment when it's being used

PLEASE NOTE:
There will be general exclusions that apply to all sections of your policy cover. Please refer to your policy booklet for full details of these exclusions.

One reason that your claim may not be covered is because you do not have the Accidental Damage extension cover on your Buildings policy.

If you have chosen this cover, it will be shown on your policy documentation.

Common exclusions applicable to Buildings accidental damage extension claims include (but are not limited to) the following:

• Damage caused by wear and tear or lack of maintenance
• Poor workmanship or bad design
• Damage caused by chewing, scratching, tearing or fouling by pets
• Damage caused by someone that you lend or rent all or part of your home to
• Damage if the property is unoccupied

PLEASE NOTE:
There will be specific and general exclusions that apply to all sections of your policy cover. Please refer to your policy booklet for full details of these exclusions.

We may decide to inspect your damaged item(s) before we are able to accept your claim. Therefore, we would ask that you contact us before you make any repairs or replacements.

Please do not dispose of the damaged item(s) before making a claim, as not having the item(s) available for inspection may affect the outcome of the claim.

Based on the information you provide, we will check your policy to ensure you are covered and let you know how we can help.

We want to make claiming as easy as possible, so we look to settle all damage to fridge/freezer food claims on the first call.

Settlement of these types of claims will always be a cash payment.

Please note that during 2020, the average amount we paid per claim to our customers in respect of this peril was £122.00.

Cover is provided for fridge or freezer food that is damaged due to a rise or fall in temperature or contamination by the chemicals inside them.

Please note limits apply and they will be shown in your policy documentation.

Fridges and freezers are not covered under this section of your policy.

Depending on the reason that the fridge/freezer has stopped working, another section of your policy may or may not cover this.

For example, if the fridge/freezer has simply stopped working due to its age (mechanical failure or breakdown), this will not be covered under any section of your policy.

For more information, please read the Contents section of your policy booklet.

You are not expected to keep ruined food, however it is recommended that you take photographs of all items before disposing of them, as we may ask you to send these before a cash settlement can be agreed.

We want to make claiming as easy as possible, so we look to settle all fridge/freezer food claims on the first call.

For more information, please refer to the section 'What can I expect when making a claim for damage to fridge/freezer food?'

Your excess is shown on your policy documentation.

Your excess will be deducted from the total amount to be paid by us when we settle the claim.

Please contact our Claims Team on 0345 165 5753 in the first instance to discuss your concerns. This will give us the opportunity to understand your concerns and provide clarity on the reason for declining your claim.

For more information, please refer to the section 'Why would my damage to fridge/freezer food claim not be covered?'

If you remain dissatisfied with the decision, you have the right to register a complaint. For more information, please refer to the section 'How do I make a complaint about my claim?'

Reasons why your claim might not be covered include:

• Damage caused by your power supply being cut off by the supplier (as a result of no payment of bills, for example)
• Damage caused deliberately by you or your family
• Any amount over the limit shown in your policy documentation

Please check your policy booklet for specific policy exclusions.

We would ask that you contact us in the first instance, where this is possible. However, if you do replace the items, please keep hold of receipts, as you may be asked to send these before a cash settlement can be agreed.

In insurance, Buildings are defined as the property shown in your insurance schedule/statement of fact. They include the structure of your home, including any fixtures and fittings, garden walls, gates, decking, paths, drives, patios, permanent swimming pools built of brick, stone or concrete, permanently fixed hot tubs, solar panels, fully enclosed outbuildings and hard tennis courts.

Unless otherwise agreed, outbuildings do not include:

• Any building which is not on a permanent foundation or base
• Tree houses
• Inflatable buildings (whether over swimming pools or not)
• Any structure which is made of canvas, PVC or any other non-rigid material

PLEASE NOTE:
Carpets are considered contents.

This will depend on the cover you took out when you purchased your buildings policy.

Essentially, your standard buildings insurance policy will cover the cost of repairs to your home if it is damaged by an insured event such as theft, fire, flood and escape/leakage of water from pipes, storage tanks, etc. If you also purchased the optional add-on cover of Accidental Damage, that will cover you for other instances relating to accidental damage (which is damage that is unexpected and unintended, caused by something sudden and which is not deliberate).

There will be exclusions for each type of peril, so please refer to your home insurance policy booklet for full details of your cover.

Based on the information you provide, we will check your policy to ensure you are covered and let you know how we can help.

We may be able to offer you a cash settlement for certain claims to enable you to get the repairs completed yourself.

If there is more work to be done, we may instruct one of our approved contractors to contact you directly and make arrangements for the repairs.

If the damage is substantial, we will send out an expert to manage the claim and talk you through the best course of action.

You may be asked to provide supporting documents for your claim e.g. photos, quotations, receipts or proof of purchase in some cases. Details of where to send this will be provided by your claims adviser.

If the damage has been caused by water, depending on the time of year and the extent of the damage, we do advise that you turn on the heating and open the windows to help dry out the property as much as possible, in some cases this is all that is needed to resolve the issues.

When you report a claim to us, we will do all we can to establish the level of damage and determine the best option for your circumstances. We may instruct one of our approved contractors to contact you directly and make arrangements for the repairs or if the damage is substantial, we will send out an expert to manage the claim and talk you through the best course of action.

Your excess is shown on your policy documentation.

If your claim is settled via a cash payment, the excess will be deducted from the total amount before it is paid to you. Alternatively, if one of our repair networks carry out restoration, reinstatement or repair work, they will collect your excess from you on our behalf.

In the first instance we will aim to validate your claim during the first notification call, using video call and repair estimate scoping tool technology.

Where this is not possible you may be asked to provide pictures of the damage, a quote to repair or replace, a report confirming the cause of the damage, receipts or proof of purchase in some cases and/or replacement costs from websites.

You may also be required to provide measurements of the damaged area(s).

If an approved repairer is appointed to deal with your claim, you might not be required to provide the above items as they will attend to a number of these for you.

We understand that some customers like to stay in their own homes where possible, so we can provide facilities like temporary kitchens and bathrooms to enable you to do so. If you do have to leave the property, we will help you make those arrangements, whether this is staying with relatives or checking in to suitable alternative accommodation.

If you need to take action to protect your property we would recommend that you do so provided the temporary repairs can be easily removed for a full inspection if required.

PLEASE NOTE:
The cost of any temporary repairs will not be reimbursed if your claim is declined following our inspection.

We would ask that you contact us before you undertake any repairs or clean up unless it is essential for protecting the property from further loss or damage.

You will no doubt be aware from the various media stories that a number of factors are affecting businesses this year, including certain suppliers we may appoint to validate the damage to your property and make any repairs covered under the terms of your policy. They include:

Initial contact from our building inspection teams

The recent storms have led to an unprecedented surge in claims and as a result, following our instructions to them, our surveyor inspection teams are taking slightly longer to make contact with customers. Currently, they will make contact within two working days to arrange the inspection of damage, with the actual visit being scheduled within seven working days where possible.

Delays in obtaining materials and completing repairs

Where a repair to damaged buildings is to be carried out by one of our suppliers, there may well be a delay in being able to start and complete the repair. There are several reasons causing this at present which include:

• A shortage of building material availability in the UK

Many materials are imported into the UK and a combination of Brexit, the Covid19 pandemic reducing manufacturing output, an increase in demand for global and UK infrastructure projects (like HS2 and house building) and the Suez Canal blockage have all meant demand is much higher than usual and supply much lower. Roofing tiles, timber, plaster and concrete are some of the materials impacted by these factors. As a result it is taking longer to obtain these and therefore repair timeframes are taking longer.

• A shortage of labour

A significant proportion of labour for the construction industry has traditionally come from Europe and Brexit plus the Covid19 pandemic has seen that labour leave the UK. There has also been significant demand for labour for UK infrastructure projects such as house building and HS2.

• Covid19 self-isolation

If a supplier's contractor/tradesperson has to self-isolate due to Covid19 whilst in the process of undertaking repairs at a property, whilst every effort will be made to arrange for an alternative tradesperson to continue the work and prevent any delays, customers should be aware that in most instances this is not possible. A contractor will allocate their tradespeople to different customer repairs and they will have works planned on different jobs weeks in advance. It is often not possible to move them from one job to another. As soon as the tradespeople who have had to self-isolate are well enough to return to work, contact with a planned date to re-commence repairs will be made. However, due to tradespeople having jobs planned weeks in advance they may not be able to re-attend the site as soon as their period of self-isolation ends.

A policy excess is the amount you have to pay towards the cost of your claim.

There are different excesses that may apply.

There is a standard (or compulsory) policy excess which applies to all claims, although the amount you need to pay may increase depending on the type of claim you want to make. For example, the standard excess on your policy may be £100 but is likely to increase for a claim for water damage to your property.

You may have also added a voluntary excess when you took your policy out in exchange for a lower premium. This excess will be added to the standard (or compulsory) excess in the event of a claim.

Details of all your policy excesses can be found on your policy documentation.

Our Excess Protection optional cover is designed to cover you if the excess on your policy (up to a maximum of £500) can't be recovered by a third party, for up to two claims a year during your period of insurance.

If you have opted for this extended cover, it will be shown in your policy documentation.

If you haven't told us about your complaint yet, please get in touch with us and we'll do our best to put things right.

There are 3 ways to make a complaint.

Online:
Please submit your complaint using our online form which may be accessed through our website www.ageas.co.uk/make-a-complaint/home-complaint.

Write to us:
Customer Services Adviser
Ageas House
Hampshire Corporate Park
Templars Way
Eastleigh
SO53 3YA

Please include the following:

• Your full name and address
• Your contact details, including any daytime phone numbers
• Your policy or claim number
• Details of your complaint and if you’ve had any losses
• If you’ve already spoken to someone about your complaint - let us know their name and the date you got in touch
• What you’d like us to do to resolve your complaint

Telephone:
Please give us a call using the number shown in your claim’s documentation.

We'll try to resolve your complaint within three working days. If we can’t do this, we’ll write to you within five working days to either:

• Tell you what we’ve tried to do to resolve your complaint
• Let you know we’ve received your complaint and when you can expect a response from us
• Let you know who is dealing with your complaint

If you're not happy with how we have handled your complaint, or we haven’t resolved it within eight weeks, you can take it up with the Financial Ombudsman Service through the methods detailed below.

Just so you know, this needs to be within six months from the date of our final response. Using this service won't affect your legal rights.

As a free, independent body set up by the Government, it's the Financial Ombudsman's job to resolve disputes between customers and companies in the UK. You can find out more at www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk and fill out its online, Word or PDF form.

By phone:
Call 0800 023 4567 or 0300 123 9123

By email:
complaint.info@financial-ombudsman.org.uk

In writing:
Financial Ombudsman Service
Exchange Tower
London
E14 9SR

You are able to go straight to the Financial Ombudsman Service, however, please note they will advise that if you are dissatisfied with our service, that you give us the opportunity to resolve your concerns in the first instance.

If, following this, you're still not happy with how we have handled your complaint or we haven't resolved it within eight weeks, the Financial Ombudsman will investigate your case.