Making a claim
Who do I call to make a claim on my home insurance?
Call 1800 147 147 from 9am - 5pm, Monday to Friday, to talk immediately to an experienced claims adviser or email us at propertyclaims@aviva.com. Have your policy number to hand when you call. If outside office hours, our staff will take the basic details of your claim and a claim adviser will follow up with you the next working day.
Calling outside office hours?
No problem. Our staff will take the basic details of your claim and a claims adviser will follow up with you the next working day.
If you have an emergency, such as damage to your roof, a burst pipe or broken window, we can provide rapid access to tradesmen and repairers via our Help in a home emerency cover. The Help in a home emergency number is 1800 565 556 and can be phoned anytime, any day.
Is it worth claiming?
If you are thinking of claiming it is best to call our Claims team on 1800 147 147 during working hours 9am – 5pm Monday – Friday. One of our experienced claims advisers can discuss your options so you can make an informed decision that’s best for you.
How do I know if I am covered?
Call our dedicated claim number on 1800 147 147. One of our experienced claims advisers can determine if you have cover or they may appoint a Loss Adjuster to investigate further if necessary.
We advise customers to refer to their policy booklet and policy schedule before calling. These documents show what you are covered for and what exclusions may apply.
What happens if I am late notifying a claim?
Failure to notify Aviva immediately may prejudice your claim. As stated above it is best to call our Claims team on 1800 147 147 during working hours 9am – 5pm Monday – Friday. One of our experienced claims advisers can discuss your options even if you are only thinking of claiming.
Do I need to complete a claim form?
No, we take all the relevant details over the phone and appoint a Loss Adjuster in some cases to gather further information.
How long will my claim take?
The complexity of the claim will determine how long it takes and how it is managed. Sometimes, a claims adviser can settle the claim over the phone with for example some photos of the damaged or lost property, receipts, quotes and/or an estimated size of the affected area of your home.
In other cases we may appoint a Loss Adjuster to meet with you to discuss your claim on our behalf. If that is the case the Loss Adjuster will contact you to arrange a suitable appointment.
Above all, don’t worry- our experienced claims advisers are there to guide you through the entire process.
Who will repair my home?
We may instruct our Loss Adjuster to inspect the damage and document the extent of the damage, then discuss and agree settlement with you. Our Loss Adjuster will negotiate a fair price with your contractor for the work required to repair or reinstate the property.
If you have a sudden emergency in your home, such as damage to your roof or a burst pipe or broken window we can provide rapid access to tradesmen and repairers via our Help in a home emergency helpline.
The Help in a home emergency number is 1800 565 556 which is open 24/7.
Can I dispose of damaged contents?
Do not dispose of contents yet. Place destroyed items outside of the house, photograph them and keep receipts, brochures and manuals where possible. Dispose of fridge and freezer contents, but not before photographing and listing them.
What about immediate costs that might be incurred?
Provided cover is in order, an interim payment can be recommended from Aviva on your behalf in order to provide monies to you for immediate outlays such as alternative accommodation, purchase of essential items that have been damaged such as medicines, clothing and food stuffs.
No-Claims Discount
If I only have a small claim will it affect my No-Claims Discount?
Yes, regardless of the amount of your claim it will still affect the No-Claims Discount in the same way. An exception to this is jury duty.
Will I lose my No-Claims Discount if I change my mind about claiming?
You will only lose your No-Claims Discount if Aviva make a payment on your claim, therefore if you are thinking of claiming it is best to contact us so you can make an informed decision.
You can notify a claim for records only or cancel a claim further down the line without it affecting your No-Claims Discount, as long as Aviva have made no settlement payments.
Can I repay a claim at a later date to reinstate my No-Claims Discount?
Yes, please contact our Property Claims Team on 1800 147 147 to discuss how.
Policy Excess
What is an excess?
The excess is the first amount that Aviva will not cover and you will have to pay yourself. The excess can differ for each insured event (you may have different excess amounts for a fire, leaking water and subsidence, for instance.)
As an illustration: damage to your property is estimated to be €1500 and your policy excess is €275. Aviva will expect you to pay the first €275 of the claim and will pay the remaining €1225 in accordance with your policy.
Loss Adjuster
What is a Loss Adjuster?
A Loss Adjuster is a property claim expert appointed by Aviva to investigate and handle the property claim on Aviva’s behalf. The Loss Adjuster is there to help you so do not hesitate to contact them with any queries.
What Loss Adjusters do Aviva use?
We gave our own in-house, qualified, and experienced Loss Adjusters. We also use the following Loss Adjusting firm to investigate and settle claims.
Sedgwick Ireland
Head Office: Merrion Hall, Strand Road, Sandymount, Dublin 4
Tel: 01 2611231
Email: fnol@ie.sedgwick.com
How soon will the Loss Adjuster contact me after I notify Aviva?
If Aviva have appointed a Loss Adjuster then the Loss Adjuster/Adjuster’s office should be in contact with you within 1 working day. Please note this may take longer during busy periods such as severe weather events.
Why does the Loss Adjuster measure my house?
Our Loss Adjusters measure your house to determine if the sum you have insured your house for is sufficient.
In order to do this, the Loss Adjuster sometimes may have to access areas of the property which are not affected by the claim. The Loss Adjuster will advise you if they feel the sum insured is inadequate. If the sum insured is too low this may affect the settlement. The Loss Adjuster will also advise you if your sum insured may be too high.
If a Loss Adjuster is appointed, who do I contact with claim queries?
The Loss Adjuster handles everything on Aviva’s behalf; therefore any queries should be directed to the Loss Adjuster. A contact number will be provided at notification.
I am unhappy with how the Loss Adjuster is handling my claim.
If you are unhappy with the way a Loss Adjuster is handling your claim you can either raise the matter with the Loss Adjusting firm or you can highlight this to Aviva by contacting us on 1800 147 147. We will look to resolve any issues you may be having.
Public Loss Assessor
What is a Public Loss Assessor?
Similar to a Loss Adjuster, a Public Loss Assessor is a property expert that you can hire to handle the claim on your behalf. You should ensure that they are registered with the Central Bank of Ireland on their website: www.centralbank.ie. The cost of a Public Loss Assessor is not covered under your policy.
Do I have to hire a Public Loss Assessor?
You do not have to hire a Loss Assessor but people hire a Loss Assessor for different reasons, some because they are too busy to deal directly with our Loss Adjuster or the claim is complex. The cost of a Public Loss Assessor is not covered under your policy.
Underinsurance
What happens if I am under insured?
When your home is under insured, you may be required to bear a proportionate part of your claim. Either the Loss Adjuster or an Aviva claims adviser will explain this to you in more detail should you need to make a claim on your policy of insurance.
Betterment
What is Betterment?
Betterment applies when you are left in a better position after the settlement from Aviva than before the incident occurred. As a result Aviva may look for a contribution from you and make the necessary deductions from the settlement.
Claim Documents
Where do I post documents such as estimates etc.?
If a Loss Adjuster is appointed by Aviva the documents should be send directly to the Loss Adjuster. Email is the quickest way to send documents to the Loss Adjuster who would have provided full contact details to you on first contacting you.
If you wish to post the documents send them to the Loss Adjusters office address or if the Loss Adjuster is an Aviva Loss Adjuster send them to the Claims Team in Galway – address below.
If no Loss Adjuster has been appointed then the documents and photos should be emailed to your claims adviser directly.
Please note your claims reference number clearly on all correspondence.
If you are posting documents to Aviva our address is:
Aviva Insurance Ireland DAC
Property Claims
Ballybrit Business Park
Ballybrit
Co. Galway, H91 WP08.
Or can email to us at propertyclaims@aviva.com.
Retention
What is Retention?
To help our customers fund the costs of repairs before completion the Loss Adjuster appointed by Aviva may decide to issue the bulk of the settlement agreed but hold back a percentage of it. The percentage held back will be released when evidence is provided that repairs are fully complete.
Payment of a claim
How soon will I receive payment after I agree settlement?
If our Claims team are settling the claim then payment can be requested immediately following settlement agreement. If you choose to be paid by Electronic Fund Transfer (EFT) payment can be in your account in 2-3 working days.
If your claim is with a Loss Adjuster and they have issued their final report to Aviva then it will normally take 3 - 5 working days for you to receive payment via EFT.
If you choose payment by cheque this will take longer.
Will the cheque go directly to me or my insurance broker?
If you choose to be paid by cheque and you have an insurance broker, the cheque will be issued directly to your broker.
Can the settlement amount be lodged directly into my bank account?
Yes – our preferred method of payment of a claim is via SEPA or Electronic Fund Transfer (EFT) directly into your bank account. In order to transfer the payments we will require you to provide you BIC and IBAN number for your bank account.
Why is my bank/mortgage provider a payee on my settlement cheque?
Aviva have a legal obligation to name your Bank or Mortgage Provider on any cheque for damage to your buildings when the settlement amount is greater than €50,000. Please contact your Mortgage Provider when you receive the cheque.
How to delete my bank/mortgage provider as a payee from my cheque?
We need the Bank/Mortgage Provider to forward a letter on headed paper, stating it is ok to issue the cheque without their interest noted.
We also need them to note the Claim number, Cheque number and the Amount of the cheque, and then we can issue the cheque solely in your name.
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