Update - February 2012
From 1 February, NZI will be working in:
- areas of Christchurch classified TC1
- north-west Canterbury
- green-zoned Port Hills areas (where there is no damage to the land or retaining walls), and
- Banks Peninsula.
Crombie Lockwood Personal Insurance/NZI chose these areas as this is where they have the most certainty around land condition, and believe there is a lower risk of any repairs or rebuilds being substantially damaged in any future earthquakes.
Work is underway in TC1 areas and some TC2 properties with no land damage. Once the TC1 properties have been assessed and their work is underway, the intention is to move onto the remaining TC2 properties.
For those of you with TC3 properties, NZI is waiting for land remediation plans before any detailed work programmes can be developed. As we expand our work zone further we will keep you informed on where we will be working.From 1 February, the target* is to:
- begin building 85 new homes per month
- complete 47 major repairs per month (repairs over $100,000)
- complete 470 non-EQC repairs (paths, driveways, swimming pools, patios etc) per month
We will write and let you know when your claim is in a position to proceed. At that time we will ask you to pay any EQC payments you've received and any excess(es) towards the repairs or rebuild.
When this is finalised you will be contacted by Hawkins, our project management office, to organise for the work to commence.
In the meantime, if you have any questions about our claim, please contact your claims case manager or broker.
*The target number is the combined target for Crombie Lockwood Personal Insurance and all IAG brands including NZI.
Alternative accommodation
Most of our policies provide an alternative accommodation entitlement for customers whose homes are uninhabitable.
Crombie Lockwood Personal Insurance defines uninhabitable as:
- structural damage to the house that makes it physically unsafe to stay in
- no functioning sewerage system on site, of any kind
- presenting a physical danger to an individual's circumstances, eg: needing electricity for medical equipment
If you have been out of your home for an extended period of time and using this entitlement, these payments may soon be coming to an end.
If your payment limit will be reached soon, your broker or claims case manager will write and let you know before it finishes.
If you still need accommodation assistance after your policy cover is finished, the Temporary Accommodation Service may be able to help. Just go to www.quakeaccommodation.govt.nz or call 0800 673 227 for details.
You can also use the accommodation entitlement when repairs being done to your home require you to move into temporary accommodation. It can be used to pay for moving and storage costs, rent and pet boarding.
For more information about alternative accommodation entitlements, please read your policy, or contact your Crombie Lockwood broker.
Urban myths debunked
We keep hearing a persistent rumour that our reinsurers have paid us out in full, and we're avoiding paying claims so we can earn interest on this money.
The truth is we want the rebuild to get underway as much as anyone!
In fact, we do not receive reinsurance money until after we have paid out on a claim, and we are definitely not holding back huge sums of money to earn interest.
Since September 2010 IAG has paid out over $900 million to its NZI, Lantern Insurance, State and Corporate Partnerships customers.
That's more than $1.7 million per day in earthquake claims and will continue to authorise and pay out on claims as they are finalised.