Claims Reach Over 34,000
According to the Insurance Council of Australia (ICA), insurers have now received over 34,000 claims across southeast Queensland and northern New South Wales related to ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred, marking a more than 50% increase in just 24 hours.
Yesterday, the ICA reported that insurers had received over 22,000 claims from policyholders, noting that numbers were expected to rise as people continued to assess the damage to their properties and businesses.
Breakdown of Claims
The latest figures show that the total number of claims has climbed to 34,248, with 31,830 from Queensland and 2,418 from New South Wales. Of these claims, 31,241 are related to Home, 1,631 to Motor, and 1,376 to Commercial.
Collaboration with Government Agencies
Considering these factors, the ICA, insurers, reinsurers, the National Emergency Management Agency, and other government agencies recently convened to discuss how the insurance sector is assisting customers affected by ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred.
The meeting reportedly heard that insurers pre-emptively contacted more than a quarter of a million customers across southeast Queensland and northern New South Wales with safety and preparedness tips and instructions on how to lodge a claim as quickly as possible.
Comments from ICA CEO
Andrew Hall, CEO of the Insurance Council of Australia, commented, “As part of the recovery from ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred, insurers and reinsurers met today with NEMA and other government agencies to share what the industry is observing on the ground.
This ongoing dialogue with our partners in government is crucial to ensuring that resources are deployed to where they are needed most. Insurers have already paid out almost $2.4 million in 6,000 small emergency cash payments to help impacted customers get through the immediate aftermath of this event, for items such as food and temporary accommodation.”
“Claims numbers are increasing significantly each day, with more than 34,000 claims now received by insurers, the large majority from Queensland.”
