Victims of 2015 floods can help insurance survey
COUNCIL WANTS TO KNOW IF COMPANIES HAVE REFUSED TO COVER HOUSEHOLDERS
VICTIMS of the Boxing Day floods in 2015 are being asked about their experiences of obtaining home insurance since.
Every homeowner who received a residential flood grant from Calderdale Council is being asked how easy it was to renew their insurance afterwards.
The grants, which were funded by the Ministry of Housing, Communi- ties and Local Government, enabled flood resilience and resistance works to be carried out to properties, to reduce the impact of future flooding, and make homes easier, quicker and cheaper to repair.
The aim of the survey is two-fold. It aims to identify how many people have accessed flood insurance for their properties, be it a full insurance policy or contents only and also if residents have experienced any difficulties in obtaining affordable home insurance.
The results will better inform the council about the number of residents in Calderdale who are able to access affordable flood insurance and also identify if anyone has been unable to secure any offer of flood insurance following the introduction of Flood Re, questions about which are also in the survey.
Flood Re, a partnership between Government and insurers to ensure the flood aspect of home insurance was more affordable, was introduced in response to a number of catastrophic floods in recent years including those which have hit Cal- derdale towns and villages including Elland and Brighouse.
Not all insurance companies have signed up, and if homeowners are denied flood insurance they are advised to consider contacting an alternative insurer that is part of the Flood Re scheme.
The council’s Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Economic Strategy, Clr Barry Collins, urged people to help provide data and added: “Three years on from the devastating floods in December 2015, it is especially important for household- ers to be able to obtain affordable flood insurance.
“We would be extremely grateful to anyone who can take five minutes out of their day to complete this survey.”
The questionnaire can be completed online at www.calderdale. g o v. u k / s u r v e y / f l o o d - r e s i l i e n c e - household-insurance.
Alternatively, it can be returned to Calderdale Council by post in the pre-paid envelope included with the letter by no later than Thursday, February 28.