Time and place
OPINION: First on the scene after the recent devastating storms in parts of the North Island were emergency services and selfless members of the public.
Insurance & Financial Services Ombudsman, Karen Stevens, says this will be a stressful and confusing time for many.
She says consumers should expect some wait times while the full impact of the weather is assessed.
“Contacting insurers online is the quickest way to make a claim, helping people avoid long phone queues, which are common after major weather events," Stevens says.
“Insurers will prioritise the most urgent and cases first, such as those with unliveable homes or those in vulnerable situations,” she says.
Delays often result from the sheer volume of claims, limited access for assessors, and the need for specialist trades. While these steps take time, they help ensure that insurers can make fair and accurate decisions. Similar pressures were seen after Cyclone Gabrielle and the 2023 Auckland floods, where insurers faced unavoidable bottlenecks due to the scale of the damage.
Stevens says insurers are now drawing on lessons learned from those events, including improved triage systems and clearer communication with customers about expected timeframes.
“Under the Fair Insurance Code, insurers must give clear information about claim progress, usually with updates every 20 business days or at another agreed interval,” she says.
Stevens encourages anyone experiencing vulnerable circumstances—such as serious illness, disability, major financial pressure, or other circumstances affecting their ability to cope—to tell their insurer so extra support can be arranged.
