Household FAQsHousehold FAQs

Yes. Our site uses 256-bit encryption that disguises and protects your personal and payment details and prevents them from being accessed by or disclosed to third parties .

The contractor's call out charge, 2 hours labour and £100 (inclusive of VAT) parts and materials to a maximum per claim of £1,000. Any costs in excess of these will need to be paid for by you at the time of the visit.

No, the scheme is for home owner-occupiers only.

Buildings and contents insurance helps you deal with the aftermath of damage to your property, from a fire say, or a flood, when you need to repair your home or replace damaged items. Home Emergency Cover gives 24 hour assistance to deal with problems like broken down boilers or blocked drains. Things that may be part and parcel of owning a home, but always seem to crop up at the most inconvenient time.

No, the process in registering a claim is quick, simple and hassle free. You can contact UIA 24 hrs a day and register your claim over the phone. You will be provided your designated claim number on the initial call and our dedicated claims handlers will explain the claims process and what steps will be taken.

We will initially establish the claim is valid and covered by your policy. The claims process does not have a set timescale; it is all dependent on the type of claim. We will endeavour to deal with the claim as smoothly and as swiftly as possible until settlement.

Once the claim is ready for settlement we will at our option:

(a) pay the cost of repairing
(b) pay the cost of replacing as new
(c) replace as new or
(d) make a cash payment

Please note a deduction is made for wear, tear and depreciation on clothing and household linen.

Any claims on your policy may affect your premium at renewal. When you contact us we can discuss that with you dependent on the claim type, value etc.

No, we have a nationwide network of suppliers who can arrange replacement on a number of household items quickly and efficiently. If work needs to be carried out to the building we can appoint one of our preferred contractors who will contact you to arrange an appointment.

You must keep all damaged items as we may wish to view them. You should also collate any documentation that will support your claim, such as receipts, valuations, instruction booklets and guarantee cards. It may also be helpful to take photographs to support your claim.

When you become aware of a possible claim, you must tell us without delay. You should take any emergency action that may be necessary to protect your property from any further damage i.e. switch off water, gas, electricity, (if safe to do so) etc.

Should there be an occasion when you feel we haven't delivered the service you expect we will do everything possible to make sure your complaint is dealt with quickly and fairly. The simplest way to complain is to call us, if your complaint is relating to a claim please call 01438 761 777for all other complaints please contact Customer Services on 01438 761 764.

No, as the boiler hasn't broken down it's not an emergency.

No, but we can assist in providing a list of reputable companies who would be prepared to quote to replace your boiler.

No, once you have had the boiler serviced it will automatically be covered again, provided it is not over 15 years old.

Yes, if it is your sole toilet it would be covered, but it would not be covered if your house has another functioning toilet as this is not classed as an emergency.

No, we will arrange for all payments direct to the contractor as long as these fall within the policy limits.

No, there is not a policy excess.

Very rarely, in less than 5% of claims.

You should call the helpline shown in your policy document. The call operator will check you have the cover and assuming you do, the emergency will be checked against those covered under the policy. We will then appoint a contractor to attend your home and give you an estimated time of arrival. Assuming the costs fall within the limits of the policy you will not have to pay for anything.

The contractor's call out charge, 2 hours labour and £100 (inclusive of VAT) parts and materials to a maximum per claim of £1,000. Any costs in excess of these will need to be paid for by you at the time of the visit.

No, as the boiler hasn't broken down it's not an emergency.

No, but we can assist in providing a list of reputable companies who would be prepared to quote to replace your boiler.

No, once you have had the boiler serviced it will automatically be covered again, provided it is not over 15 years old.

Yes, if it is your sole toilet it would be covered, but it would not be covered if your house has another functioning toilet as this is not classed as an emergency.

No, the scheme is for home owner-occupiers only.

No, we will arrange for all payments direct to the contractor as long as these fall within the policy limits.

No, there is not a policy excess.

Very rarely, in less than 5% of claims.

Buildings and contents insurance helps you deal with the aftermath of damage to your property, from a fire say, or a flood, when you need to repair your home or replace damaged items. Home Emergency Cover gives 24 hour assistance to deal with problems like broken down boilers or blocked drains. Things that may be part and parcel of owning a home, but always seem to crop up at the most inconvenient time.

Our standard service level is to get to customers within 2 hours in urban areas and 4 hours in rural areas.

All contractors are vigorously vetted before being approved. We also monitor service by way of customer service questionnaires and closely look at any complaints made.

You should call the helpline shown in your policy document. The call operator will check you have the cover and assuming you do, the emergency will be checked against those covered under the policy. We will then appoint a contractor to attend your home and give you an estimated time of arrival. Assuming the costs fall within the limits of the policy you will not have to pay for anything.

You can either contact the helpline or make this in writing to ARAG, the insurance provider. Full details are provided in the policy documentation.

Yes they are covered. There's no exclusion for these items under Unspecified; there is an exclusion for mobile telephones, laptop and notebook computers or satellite navigation equipment unless they are specified as personal possessions. Ipods and Mp3 Players are insured in the home for fire and theft but are not covered for accidental damage under Contents unless you have selected the accidental damage option.

Yes, provided you have selected unspecified personal possessions. They are not covered under the Contents section of the policy as there is an exclusion for any documents, other than title deeds.

These are covered under your contents insurance whilst they are in the home. We will consider providing cover for away from the home, please call us to discuss your individual requirements.
It is important to remember that we do not cover any liability arising from the use of motorised or electric wheelchairs use under any circumstances in the home or away from the home.

Satellite Navigation devices are essentially motor accessories; i.e. it's something you normally use with your car. Our home policy does not insure motor accessories.
However, if you have an outdoor satellite navigation device, designed to be more rugged (waterproof & shockproof) than those used in the car and used solely for say hill walking, then we can insure this as a specified item under personal possessions if you tell us about it.

Yes, they form part of your standard Contents whilst within the home, for a range of insured perils e.g. theft from the home, fire, escape of water. But they are not covered for Accidental damage under Contents, unless you have selected the accidental damage option.

If the wooden or laminate flooring is permanently fixed to the floor, e.g. glued, then it's a Buildings item. If it's click type flooring that isn't secured to the floor and could be lifted without damaging it, then it's a Contents item.

No, it is not covered automatically. We prefer to offer this as an option so you do not pay for what you do not need. Many people have this cover under separate policies.

No, it is not covered automatically. We prefer to offer this as an option so you do not pay for what you do not need. We do have a special arrangement with Endsleigh, a specialist insurance intermediary who can offer you a quote. Please contact us for further details or visit our Home from Home page.

Yes, standard desktop PC's and laptops are covered for accidental damage under standard cover as they are included within home computer equipment provided the lap top is being used within the home as a home PC.

Yes, provided it is for personal use and not used in connection with your job or business. You will need to specify it as a separate item under Personal Possessions. However, whilst it is away from the home, cover does not apply when the laptop has been left in an unattended vehicle or if it has been left unattended anywhere else and is not in a locked room or cupboard.

We believe that for most of our customers the limit of £75,000 will be adequate to meet their needs. However, we do recognise that the actual amount of contents insurance a customer may need, can vary greatly depending on what carpets, furniture and other items they have in their individual home. Therefore, only you can judge whether the limit of £75,000 is adequate for you. The best way to ensure that you are insured correctly is to systematically go through each room in your house (including garden sheds and other outbuildings) and list what it would cost to replace each item. It is important to remember that cover is based on new for old, (except for household linen and clothing) as this can make a lot of difference.
Unfortunately, our customer service advisers are unable to give you advice as replacement costs can vary from home to home. If you do need professional advice we suggest you contact a professional firm of valuers.

Your home is probably the most valuable thing you will own and you need to make sure that it's protected. Having buildings insurance gives you the peace of mind of knowing that, if the worst should happen and your home is damaged by say a fire or a flood, you'll be covered for the cost of the repairs. Buildings insurance covers the house itself (including internal fixtures and fittings, like bathroom suites and fitted kitchens) and also it's garages, outbuildings, patios, paths, boundary walls, fences and gates and underground pipes and cables.
If you have a mortgage, your mortgage company will generally insist on your having buildings insurance and will be able to advise you of the rebuild value.
UIA provides buildings insurance cover for up to a maximum of £1,000,000. This limit relates to the rebuilding cost of the property (i.e. the full cost of rebuilding your home, including fees and expenses). It's important to remember that you should be insuring your home for its rebuilding cost and not its market value. One way you can check whether this limit is adequate is by using the Association of British Insurers rebuilding calculator at http://abi.bcis.co.uk/index.cfm
Alternatively, you may wish to contact a local firm who are members of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors.

The answer depends on a number of factors. For example, where you live, the value and type of your contents, whether you have previously suffered a theft loss and how valuable peace of mind is to you.
No home is ever going to be burglar proof, however you can deter the opportunist thief by ensuring you have a minimum basic security, which is the first line of defence, no alarm is a substitute for good quality door and window locks.
Alarms should always be installed and maintained by a reputable company. It is advisable that you select a company that is approved by one of the national recognised bodies, for example, NACOSS, Security Systems and Alarms Inspection Board (SSAIB), AISC or National Security Inspectorate (NSI).

We aim to try and provide a competitive quote for insuring your home, in any part of the country.  If your home has been affected by flooding or subsidence in the past, or is located in an area with a known history of flooding or subsidence, we'll need to take some details from you to assess what cover we are able to offer.  Please contact us so we can discuss the details with you.

Buildings Insurance covers the structure of your private dwelling, its domestic outbuildings including aerials, wind turbines, garages, service tanks, tennis courts, swimming pools, permanently plumbed in hot tubs, terraces, patios, drives, footpaths, walls, gates, fences, hedges and fixtures and fittings all contained within the premises and all belonging to you or for which you are legally liable. In fact it covers everything that would remain if you moved home.

Contents Insurance covers household goods, valuables and personal belongings for your own family or for which you/they are legally responsible. In this case everything that you would take with you if you moved home.

New for old means that in the event of a valid claim, provided you are adequately insured, we will replace the item with a brand new one of the same or similar make and specification. This applies to all contents claims apart from any clothing or household linen where we will make a deduction for wear and tear.

Valuables are items of gold, silver, silver plated or other precious metals, jewellery, furs, pictures, curios or other works of art or antiques. The single article limit for valuables is £2,500 and any item over this value needs to be specified.

Personal Possessions insures the items that you wear, or carry around with you in your everyday life. Things like spectacles, jewellery, handbags or clothes, for example. The cover applies both within your home and elsewhere in the United Kingdom or the European Union. We also cover your possessions anywhere else in the world, for up to 30 days in any one year. If you have an individual item valued at more than this covers' single item limit (£1,000 if you choose £2,000 of Personal Possessions cover, or £2,500 if you choose £5,000 of cover), then you'll need to tell us about it so we can insure it as a 'specified item'.

Yes, your bike is covered as part of your Contents while it's in your home or any of it's outbuildings. If you'd like cover away from the home or while the bike is in the open, you should add our extended Pedal Cycles cover. If you choose to add this section, you should insure your bike for what it would cost to replace, not forgetting the cost of any accessories you normally have on it.

Buildings Insurance already includes accidental damage to underground pipes and cables, fixed glass and bathroom fixtures and fittings. For an additional cost your cover can be increased by taking out our extra accidental damage option which will cover you for accidental damage to the rest of the buildings.

Under the Contents Insurance - it already covers you for accidental damage to radios, televisions including digital and satellite receivers, computers, audio equipment, mirrors and fitted glass in furniture. This cover can be increased for an additional cost by taking out our extra accidental damage option which will provide cover for all contents and soft furnishings.

Legal cover is not compulsory on your home insurance, however our Domestic Legal Protection extension of cover includes Identity Theft cover and can give you £50,000 worth of legal assistance for personal injury, boundary and consumer disputes. You'll also have access to Helplines giving you advice on European law, tax and health matters plus offers a confidential counselling service.

Yes, if you take out our personal possessions cover we'll cover you for fraudulent use against your cards up to £1,000. We'll also cover you for theft of personal money up to £500 away from home.

Yes, up to £500 within the home under your contents policy. If you require cover for money away from the home you need to take out personal possessions cover (unspecified items) which automatically includes cover for up to £500 away from home.

Yes, contents in outbuildings are covered up to a maximum of £3,000 in total.

UIA cover the Contents (up to a maximum of £3,000 in total) where the garage forms part of the insured home, even if it is physically removed from the house, in some circumstances. For example, if you own a flat that includes a garage in a block over the road provided the garage appears in the property deeds it is part of the flat and therefore part of the insured home thus we would cover the Contents in that situation.
However, if you have a separate garage that doesn't appear on the deeds and doesn't form part of the risk address; then we do not cover the Contents of that. The garage must be a constituent part of the risk address for the Contents to be covered.

Excess is the first amount of each claim we will not pay. The standard excess is £100, the subsidence excess is £1,000 and the escape of water excess is £250. In addition to the standard excess you may choose to have a voluntary excess or we may impose a compulsory excess. These excess's will also appear on your policy schedule.

We are happy to insure your home and its contents if the business use is confined to routine paperwork, telephone calls and computer work. If any other types of business activities are carried out from home such as beauty and massage where clients visit your home, please contact us to discuss your requirements.

If we insure your main residence, please contact us as we may be able to provide a quote for a second property in the UK.

If we insure your main residence, please contact us as we may be able to provide a quote for a second property in the UK.

If the property is likely to be unoccupied for a period in excess of 60 days then please contact us discuss the circumstances.

Yes, we are also able to provide buildings cover for your new home between exchange and completion dates, so please call us to arrange a quote.

No. We offer the very best price we can to customers who have not made any claims. We think it is fairer to charge a supplement to those policyholders who have made claims.

Normally within 3 working days as they will be sent by 2nd class post.

Certainly, we can offer you the option to spread your payments at no extra cost over 10 months by direct debit.

Please contact us, even if you are unsure if it is relevant, as undisclosed information may affect your policy cover and invalidate any claim you may make.

You may cancel your policy in writing, or by telephoning one of our Customer Advisors on 01438 761 776. Please remember to quote your policy number.

If you pay by direct debit your policy will renew automatically, unless you tell us otherwise. You may choose to renew your policy by direct debit, credit or debit card, by telephoning our Customer Relationship Department on 01438 761 776 or by completing the payment form enclosed within your renewal. Alternatively, you can send a cheque.

Unfortunately, you are unable to renew your policy until the premium has been generated and you are in receipt of your renewal documentation.

Yes, we do offer home insurance in Northern Ireland.

The contractor's call out charge, 2 hours labour and £100 (inclusive of VAT) parts and materials to a maximum per claim of £1,000. Any costs in excess of these will need to be paid for by you at the time of the visit.

No, as the boiler hasn't broken down it's not an emergency.

No, but we can assist in providing a list of reputable companies who would be prepared to quote to replace your boiler.

No, once you have had the boiler serviced it will automatically be covered again, provided it is not over 15 years old.

Yes, if it is your sole toilet it would be covered, but it would not be covered if your house has another functioning toilet as this is not classed as an emergency.

No, the scheme is for home owner-occupiers only.

No, we will arrange for all payments direct to the contractor as long as these fall within the policy limits.

No, there is not a policy excess.

Very rarely, in less than 5% of claims.

Buildings and contents insurance helps you deal with the aftermath of damage to your property, from a fire say, or a flood, when you need to repair your home or replace damaged items. Home Emergency Cover gives 24 hour assistance to deal with problems like broken down boilers or blocked drains. Things that may be part and parcel of owning a home, but always seem to crop up at the most inconvenient time.

Our standard service level is to get to customers within 2 hours in urban areas and 4 hours in rural areas.

All contractors are vigorously vetted before being approved. We also monitor service by way of customer service questionnaires and closely look at any complaints made.

You should call the helpline shown in your policy document. The call operator will check you have the cover and assuming you do, the emergency will be checked against those covered under the policy. We will then appoint a contractor to attend your home and give you an estimated time of arrival. Assuming the costs fall within the limits of the policy you will not have to pay for anything.

You can either contact the helpline or make this in writing to ARAG, the insurance provider. Full details are provided in the policy documentation.