Insurance Claim - Loss of Income

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Ollie.
Posts: 2
Joined: Wed May 20, 2020 8:07 am

Insurance Claim - Loss of Income

Post by Ollie. »

Hello!

My first post here! I've found lots of useful information here over the years, so that you.

Has anyone had any success claiming on their insurance for 'loss of income'? My policy covers me for a 'notifiable disease' which Covid-19 is. I have submitted my claim with supporting evidence and am waiting to hear.

I wondered if anyone had done the same with any success?

Ollie
CarolineJ
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Location: North coast of Scotland
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Post by CarolineJ »

My insurers said that because I didn't have a case of the notifiable disease in the property it was still usable and therefore refused to pay out (Hiscox).

Raymond Blanc has been turned down for a payout on 37 premises under the same policy clause with them and is taking them to court, so I'm waiting to see how he gets on!
Faint heart never won fair holiday let...
stephenballantyne
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Joined: Mon Jul 24, 2017 1:45 pm
Location: Molleston, Pembrokeshire

Post by stephenballantyne »

Hi,

After a couple of months of going back and forth with my insurer, they have finally agreed to pay out on our Loss of Profit cover. We've not been covered by any other government support schemes and have been surviving on Universal Credit since March.

They are honouring a clause in the policy that covers us in the event that we're forced to close by the local authority. They initially said that we had to have a record of Covid-19 on site, but through discussions with them (including presenting them with official government guidance and their own FAQs from their website), they've agreed that the policy wording has discrepancies and are willing to accept a loss of profit claim for April-June. July is on hold depending on whether we're able to re-open or not.

Happy to help in any way that I can if you want to PM me.

Cheers,
Steve
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greenbarn
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Location: The Westmorland Dales, Cumbria

Post by greenbarn »

stephenballantyne wrote:Hi,

After a couple of months of going back and forth with my insurer, they have finally agreed to pay out on our Loss of Profit cover. We've not been covered by any other government support schemes and have been surviving on Universal Credit since March.

They are honouring a clause in the policy that covers us in the event that we're forced to close by the local authority. They initially said that we had to have a record of Covid-19 on site, but through discussions with them (including presenting them with official government guidance and their own FAQs from their website), they've agreed that the policy wording has discrepancies and are willing to accept a loss of profit claim for April-June. July is on hold depending on whether we're able to re-open or not.

Happy to help in any way that I can if you want to PM me.

Cheers,
Steve
Which insurer is this please? NFU by any chance?
stephenballantyne
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Joined: Mon Jul 24, 2017 1:45 pm
Location: Molleston, Pembrokeshire

Post by stephenballantyne »

Yep, NFU
Ollie.
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Joined: Wed May 20, 2020 8:07 am

Post by Ollie. »

Covid-19 became a notifiable disease at 6.15pm on the 5th March 2020. Evidence below, you may wish to revisit your insurer!

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/coro ... le-disease

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/notifiable- ... -to-report
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greenbarn
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Location: The Westmorland Dales, Cumbria

Post by greenbarn »

Ollie. wrote:Covid-19 became a notifiable disease at 6.15pm on the 5th March 2020. Evidence below, you may wish to revisit your insurer!
There are very few policies where the cover for loss of income is not based on the insurer’s list of specified diseases, included as part of the policy, rather than a catch-all “any notifiable disease” clause. For obvious reasons Covid-19 was not in the insurers' lists, typically neither are SARS and MERS.

They are having slightly less success wriggling out of claims where the property (or close by) was directly affected by a proven case where they may have used the term “Any Notifiable Disease”.

The only company that appears to have got their policy wording wrong (from their point of view) is Schofields, where owners are having some success if they jump through enough hoops and the claim exceeds the £10k (or £25k) small business grant (insurers regarding that as offsetting their liability is a whole different topic with class actions forming to challenge).

There may be insurers other than Schofields who are paying up for loss of income but I’ve not heard of them, with the exception of the crack in the NFU Home and Lifestyle policy referred to in a previous post.

The PASC are collating complaints for a class action against the Pavey Group (RSA, Cottagesure I believe) and may well have information regarding similar groups.
zebedee
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Joined: Fri Sep 12, 2014 2:57 pm
Location: yorkshire dales

Post by zebedee »

Greenbarn said

The only company that appears to have got their policy wording wrong (from their point of view) is Schofields, where owners are having some success if they jump through enough hoops and the claim exceeds the £10k (or £25k) small business grant (insurers regarding that as offsetting their liability is a whole different topic with class actions forming to challenge).
Do you know any more detail about this company and the claims Greenbarn?
ClareW
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Joined: Thu Feb 18, 2016 11:19 am
Location: Malvern, Worcestershire

Post by ClareW »

I am insured through I4me and just been on the phone with the brokers about the possibility of a claim from denial of access, as I4me said I should be covered. Having spoken to them, it would seem that I should be able to claim for cancelled (not postponed) trips that have been refunded, and bills etc that have had to be continued to be paid from 23rd March up until the gov says we can open up. However, he said that it may be offset with the gov grant- I received the £10,000 small business rate relief grant as they are looking at loss of profit. As most of my bookings were postponed I need to do the sums of refunds and bills etc, but think it unlikely to come to more that the grant.
Also to bear in mind is if I am not eligible it will still affect my no claims bonus.
It somehow doesn't seem right that the insurer can use the gov grant to offset as it means that they are benefiting from the grants rather than us?
Guest

i4me Insurance Claim

Post by Guest »

I am currently in the process of claiming through the 'denial of access' clause in the I4ME insurance policy (and the clause in the policy is spot-on for the pandemic).

ClaireW (and others) I would welcome any feedback on your claim. I am certainly going to fight the offset of the Government Grant, as we pay insurance for a reason and when the s41t hits the fan, I believe we should get paid out.

Please give feedback.
moray_cottages
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Post by moray_cottages »

I'm currently sitting in front of the computer collating information for a claim with Schofields however the more I read the more I wonder what exactly they might pay out on.

Has anyone submitted a claim and had any feedback?
In particular if guests transferred to dates in the future are they considering that "a loss"
The policy document states rental income which is NOT pre-paid is not covered - so does that mean that only guests deposits which have been paid are covered and not the final payment?

Any further info gratefully received......
zebedee
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Joined: Fri Sep 12, 2014 2:57 pm
Location: yorkshire dales

Post by zebedee »

Hi.
I originally sent an email to Schofield’s stating my intention to make a claim and was asked for a huge amount of information. I thought it was pretty bad mannered of them, to be honest. I didn’t see why they needed a lot of this information and I do worry about sharing it with them.

Then I read that the underwriters were saying g if you received the grant, they were off setting it, so I decided not to waste my precious time sending everything including my granny’s school books to them only to have the claim refused.

Out of the blue came an email from the loss adjusters saying they were requesting the information as they are now no longer “required” to offset the Covid Business supports grant (I like their wording!)
They go onto say, without prejudice, that some of the wording in my policy may be affected by the current test case and they MAY therefore look to make an offer in full and final settlement of my claim before the results of the test case are known.

Interesting!

(If anyone would like to see the email, pm me and I will forward it to you.)

I also wonder exactly what they are thinking. For example, as a remote owner, my cleaner has been visiting the property ( as required by my insurance policy) and I have paid normal changeover rates for doing so.

I have stressed in my emails that I have not therefore saved this money and I have also deferred bookings, which is other money lost. Will I be listened to? I think it depends on how worried they are as the court case progresses.
moray_cottages
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Location: Forres
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Post by moray_cottages »

I think I'm in the same sort of position as you zebedee - I received the same email last week. What they will/won't pay out for is so unclear I'm not sure its worth the not inconsiderable amount of time it is going to take to get all the paperwork together. I've emailed my claims handler to try and get some more precise information out of them. :roll:

zebedee wrote:Hi.
I originally sent an email to Schofield’s stating my intention to make a claim and was asked for a huge amount of information. I thought it was pretty bad mannered of them, to be honest. I didn’t see why they needed a lot of this information and I do worry about sharing it with them.

Then I read that the underwriters were saying g if you received the grant, they were off setting it, so I decided not to waste my precious time sending everything including my granny’s school books to them only to have the claim refused.

Out of the blue came an email from the loss adjusters saying they were requesting the information as they are now no longer “required” to offset the Covid Business supports grant (I like their wording!)
They go onto say, without prejudice, that some of the wording in my policy may be affected by the current test case and they MAY therefore look to make an offer in full and final settlement of my claim before the results of the test case are known.

Interesting!

(If anyone would like to see the email, pm me and I will forward it to you.)

I also wonder exactly what they are thinking. For example, as a remote owner, my cleaner has been visiting the property ( as required by my insurance policy) and I have paid normal changeover rates for doing so.

I have stressed in my emails that I have not therefore saved this money and I have also deferred bookings, which is other money lost. Will I be listened to? I think it depends on how worried they are as the court case progresses.
zebedee
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Joined: Fri Sep 12, 2014 2:57 pm
Location: yorkshire dales

Post by zebedee »

I think any affected members of the forum should get together and share notes.
I’ll pm you. Hopefully others will make contact
Joanna
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Post by Joanna »

There's a very active Facebook group for Schofields claimants - search for 'Schofields clients action group'. Lots of useful info from owners who've made successful claims.
Jo

Joint owner of Baker's Cottage in Chester & Chandler's Cottage in Sidmouth
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