By 12.30pm on Monday 26 May, Allianz had received 973 claims, with the majority of claims from Port Macquarie and Taree. This number is expected to rise in the coming days as the flood waters recede and customers head home to their properties to inspect the damage.
Allianz has also activated its ‘Blue Army’, where employees are diverted from across the business to support claims lodgment to assist with an expected surge in the volume of customer calls.
Scott Cooper, National Manager Disaster and Recovery, Allianz, said: “The team at Allianz is working quickly to care for our customers and help them get back on their feet.
“Our team will be stationed in Taree tomorrow and Port Macquarie from Wednesday and we encourage our customers in these regions to head to the centres for a face-to-face conversation with one of our representatives. We can assist in understanding your policy and the claims process, lodging a claim, booking assessments and arranging temporary accommodation if needed.
“We’ve also bolstered resources to assist customers to lodge a claim, so if you need to make a claim, don’t delay – please call us on 13 10 13, or you can lodge your claim online. We’re here to help.”
Allianz is committed to caring for their customers during these times and there are a number of actions that Allianz customers are being encouraged to take if they have been affected by the floods.
- For customers needing to make a claim, the Allianz team is available 24/7 for new claims lodgment on 13 10 13, and customers can also claim online at allianz.com.au/claims.
- You can lodge your claim without being at home or having a copy of your policy, as we already have your details on file.
- Prioritise safety: Confirm there are no hazards before entering your property. Return only after emergency services have declared it safe. If your property has been affected by water, ensure a licensed electrician inspects it before turning on electricity.
- You can start the cleanup process without waiting for an insurance assessor to arrive.
- Create an inventory and capture photos of damaged items, including their model numbers, to assist us in facilitating their replacement.
- Ensure your home is well-ventilated. Remove wet items such as carpets and curtains, but remember to take photos beforehand.
- Allianz can also process motor claims without needing to send a claims assessor to view the car in person. Customers should capture photos of the damaged car including VIN numbers, license plates and the odometer to assist with the claim.
- The Insurance Council is warning flood impacted households and businesses to be wary of disaster chasers, who target communities recovering from disasters, and older customers are particularly susceptible to these scams. Allianz has a helpful toolkit for older Australians with information about what to look out for.
- Allianz also offers free, confidential counselling support for customers, distribution partners and their immediate families who have been affected by a natural catastrophic event. Calls are handled by Assure Programs and bookings can be made 24/7 via 1800 955 599. For more information, visit Allianz’s counselling support page.
