The Association of British Insurers estimates that as many as 200,000 UK homes could find themselves uninsurable after 2013 when the government agreement with insurance industry which safeguards insurance policies for high flood risk homes comes to an end.
At present, homes in flood risk areas are protected thanks to an agreement known as the Statement of Principles between the government and the insurance companies. This guarantees insurance cover for all properties regardless of whether they are at increased risk of flood damage.
The term was put in place to allow the government time to improve flood defences, however the agreement is due to come to an end on July 1st 2013, after which the insurance companies will no longer be obliged to offer policies to these types of high risk homes. At present, there are no plans to extend the current agreement.
According to the recent research conducted by the Association of British Insurers, approximately 200,000 homes are at risk of flooding with property in Boston and Skegness found to be at highest risk in Britain followed by homes in the Vale of Clwyd, Folkestone, Hyde and Windsor.
The ABI is calling for the government to intervene and take some responsibility for the funding of insurance for the high flood risk properties, while environment agencies are calling for more action to be taken to improve the flood defences, however progress on this has been slow as there’s some discussion over which departments are responsible for funding these improvements.
A recent survey conducted by the AA Insurance group has estimated that the cost of home insurance rose by 10% over the course of 2011.
As the run up to Christmas gets fully underway, your house becomes more of a target to burglars as we bring home the goodies ready for the big day. On average in the UK we spend £624 each on presents and food and drink, which means the value of your contents increases significantly during this time, so to avoid falling victim to thieves, it’s worth checking with your home insurance provider to ensure these extra items are covered should the worst happen.
Fans of downloading music could be at risk of losing hundreds of pounds worth of downloaded music as a recent study found that the vast majority of home insurers don’t offer cover for digital downloads.
A recent study by insurance provider Direct Line has suggested that as many as half of British home owners are undervaluing the contents in their property which could leave them severely out of pocket should your property be burgled, or damaged by flooding or fire.
