More home insurers report surge in flood claims

Posted : 27-06-2007

A number of insurers have now declared an increase in the number of home insurance claims received following the recent flooding in South Yorkshire.

Home insurance firm Direct Line has added 100 staff to its emergency response team and has asked customers to be patient when waiting for their claim, while Lloyds TSB Insurance reported that weather-related claims increased eight-fold as the rain fell at the weekend.

Furthermore, the situation worsened and Lloyds TSB received nearly twice the number of calls it had first anticipated, even taking into account the unusual weather.

Phil Loney, managing director of Lloyds TSB Insurance, commented: "As the situation continues to unfold we may have no option other than to invoke our catastrophe plan."

"We are contacting customers in the worst affected areas to offer our assistance and we urge other homeowners to contact their insurers as quickly as possible," he added.

Mr Loney concluded by thanking customers for their "patience and understanding".

Residents living near the Ulley Dam in the Rotherham area had to evacuate their homes after Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council reported a "significant risk" of the dam walls collapsing.

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