BIBA encourages members of the public to have an insurance health check before the festive season begins in earnest.
Commenting, Graeme Trudgill, Head of Corporate Affairs, said: “We want to ensure that everyone enjoys the festive season and that no one gets a nasty surprise. Things can go wrong over the Christmas period – and when they do, being properly insured means that you can get on with enjoying the festive season despite unwelcome events. A simple call to your insurance broker can make the difference between a happy Christmas and yuletide heartache.”
In particular, BIBA warns the public to check with their insurance broker that they are covered for the following:
House fires
The number of household fires increases during this time of year along with the risk of injury or death. It is a serious reminder that many of the things people enjoy about Christmas – such as the fairy lights, candles, paper hats and decorations – can all be fire hazards when proper care is not taken. A policy for building and content sold by a broker will include cover for fire claims.
Burglary
The number of incidents tend to increase in December and January. Police believe that this could well be because burglars know that there are richer pickings at this time of year, with more cash and gift items in circulation, coupled with the fact that darker days make it more obvious when houses are unoccupied. The 2010/2011 British Crime Survey (BCS) estimated 745,000 domestic burglaries in England and Wales, which represents a 14 per cent statistically significant increase compared with 2009/2010 BCS (651,000).
Holidays
Many people travel abroad at Christmas without adequate travel insurance, either for a holiday or to go shopping. Even if you have some insurance, it may not cover acts of terrorism, or winter sports. The Foreign Office estimates that if you aren’t adequately prepared for you holiday it could end up costing you:
- £600 for two days in a general ward – Mediterranean
- £400-600 for Gastro-enteritis – Mediterranean
- £10,000 for a broken leg – USA
- £20,000-30,000 for a heart attack – USA
- £15,000 for bronchitis requiring seven days inpatient treatment, Far East
- £20,000 for bronchitis requiring seven days in-patient treatment, USA
- And the cost of repatriation to the UK if you don’t have the correct travel insurance:
- £30-35,000 Air ambulance (Jet) – East coast of USA
- £12-16,000 Air ambulance (Jet) – Canaries
- £10-12,000 Air ambulance (turbo-prop) – Balearics
- £1,200-3,000 Air taxi (propeller driven light aircraft) – Northern France
- £15-20,000 Scheduled flight, stretcher and Doctor escort – Australia
- £9-12,000 Scheduled flight, seated club, with a nurse escort – West coast of USA
- £1,800-4,000 Scheduled flight, seated economy with a Doctor escort – Mediterranean
- £100-£800 Scheduled flight, seated economy without an escort – Mediterranean
- £3,000-£6,000 Scheduled flight, stretcher and Doctor escort – Mediterranean
BIBA members can arrange a competitive travel policy including terrorism cover, as standard for as little as £14 a week, therefore with cover available at such a low price and claims costs so high it is highly advisable to arrange travel insurance through your broker.
