Making a Household Insurance Claim

Report all crimes, such as break-ins or vandalism, to the police. The same applies to losses, even if you are sure something has been lost rather than stolen. A claim may be refused if you haven't reported it to the police and been given an incident reference number to quote.
After certain types of disaster - such as a flood, fire, or break-in - you should contact your insurer as soon as possible to find out what you can do in terms of immediate repairs and expenditure. After a burglary, for example, you may need to secure the property with new locks or replacement glass. Many insurers have 24-hour phone lines.
If you can't get hold of your insurance company, keep paperwork relating to any unavoidable emergency expenditure. It's important to limit further damage as far as you can in order not to jeopardize a full pay-out.
Don't embark on longer-term or less urgent repairs until you have agreement for the work from the insurance company.
If you have access to a camera, consider taking pictures of your home showing the results of the damage and loss. Photos could provide useful evidence to support your claim.
You should put in a claim as soon as possible after you become aware that you have suffered insured damage or loss. Delayed claims may be refused.
Try and get the insurance company's permission before throwing anything out, for example a carpet ruined by flooding. You may be advised to keep a small sample. The insurer may want to send someone to inspect all the damage.

Keep receipts of things you buy, especially of expensive items. These could be useful if you ever need to claim. Consider taking photos of the inside of your home and particularly of high-value items, such as antiques, including jewellery.

Many insurers offer a no-claims discount. If you have one, find out what it would cost you to lose it, and also the amount of any excess you may have to pay, before you decide whether it's worth making a claim on this occasion.
People often put in claims for things they are not covered for. But the reverse is also true. You may be unaware that your policy covers you for a particular loss or damage. Read the policy carefully.
Don't immediately go out and buy a replacement item, for example a television, without checking with your insurer. Some insurers may want you to replace the TV from a named supplier (from whom they will get a discount for the volume of their business) rather than offer cash. Also, you should be aware that most policies give the insurer the right to repair rather than replace items.
Ask whether your insurer would agree to upgrade a replacement. Even where insurers give replacement goods rather than cash, some allow you to pay the difference to upgrade your replacement. For example, if your DVD player were stolen, you could bring forward plans to buy a DVD recorder.
If you can't agree the value of your claim with the insurance company, consider paying a loss assessor to present your case (not to be confused with loss adjusters, whose job is to value your loss on behalf of the insurance company). To check out the cost and procedure, contact the institute of Public Loss Assessors.