My insurer is refusing to pay out on a claim, what should I do?
QI HAVE recently had to make a claim on my home insurance policy due to water damage. The insurer is being difficult and is now saying that its records show that I made a claim on a previous policy but never told them about that when getting a home insurance for my current home. In reality they are talking about a claim I had on a rental property I owned seven years ago. I didn’t think it was relevant which is the only reason I didn’t put it on the application form. What can I do now to get my claim paid?
APeople think that when an insurer asks about previous claims they are referring to the property on which they are taking out the insurance. That is not the case. Insurers want you to disclose any claims on any property, according to Deirdre McCarthy of InsureMyHouse.ie.
In theory, this non-disclosure on your part makes your insurance contract null and void. But all is not lost. Some insurers will take a reasonable approach to these situations if you can demonstrate that the non-disclosure was purely accidental.
A couple of things are already in your favour, Ms McCarthy says. Firstly, the fact the claim was seven years ago and it could be considered a bit unreasonable to remember details from this long ago. Secondly, the claim was on a different property.
If you used a broker you might get him or her to liaise with the insurer on your behalf. This can often result in a better outcome for claimants. If not, write a letter to your insurer, in which you can set your case out clearly and make the case for payment. Be honest about your understanding of the question on the application form, and make the point that you have always had home insurance and kept on top of premium payments, so that you would have the policy to fall back on if you ever needed it.
QWE are reviewing our health cover now and realise that we are insured on a very basic plan. Are there penalties for upgrading and can I change my cover at any time during the year?
AIt depends on your insurer. Vhi will only allow you to amend your cover annually at your renewal date, whereas Laya and Irish Life Health will allow you to make changes to your plan midyear if required. When you are considering a change of plan, you should be aware of the upgrade rule which applies equally across all health insurers. Where a change of plan gives you increased cover for hospital treatment, all insurers will restrict your cover for any pre-existing conditions, to that payable on your previous plan for a further two years, according to Dermot Goode of TotalHealthCover.ie. Where a new condition presents after you have changed to the new plan, you will be on cover immediately, assuming all other relevant waiting periods have been served.
The advice of Mr Goode is to try and include cover for private hospitals on your plan so that you are not reliant on our public system only. If you opt to upgrade from public hospitals only, you should consider the following plans across the market which cover public and private hospitals: Vhi One Plan 250 which is €832; Irish Life Health Benefit Plan at €899; and Laya Essential Health 300 at €895 per adult.
QI HAVE just been offered my first job since finishing college in June. I’m delighted – and I’m broke. I know that the last time I worked, which was the summer before last, I got stuck paying emergency tax for the few months or more. I can’t afford this to happen to me again as I will have rent and other bills to pay. Is there any way I can avoid this?
AYou can avoid this by giving your Personal Public Service (PPS) number to your new employer as soon as possible. This number can be found on tax documents or communications from a social welfare or tax office. It may also be on your payslips from previous employment.
If you don’t know your PPS number, you can contact your local social welfare office, according to Eileen Devereux, commercial director at Taxback.com.
It is your new employer’s obligation to then register your employment with Revenue. Revenue will issue your Tax Credit Certificate (TCC) to your employer which will have details of your tax credits.
If you want to be proactive you could register your employment with Revenue yourself, which would ensure that your TCC is issued on time. It’s best to sort out your tax affairs before you start work to give your employer and the tax office time to get things sorted out before your first payday.