After the flood

What you need to know if your home has been affected by extreme weather events

- JEN JONES

We've been dealt some tough blows in 2023 so far. Floods, cyclone damage, rising interest rates, pressure on the renovation sector. If you've been impacted by the floods and cyclone or both - then you might be navigating an insurance claim at the moment. Here's what you can expect, plus tips to make sure you get the best outcome.

The difference between EQC and EQCover

Toka Tu Ake EQC stands for Earthquake Commission, which provides insurance called 'EQCover' for natural disasters via private home insurance companies. It can do this because when you take out private house insurance, part of the cost includes a levy that is paid into the Natural Disaster Fund, which is what's used to pay out EQCover claims.

What that means is, if you're impacted by a natural disaster, your claim still goes through your house insurance provider, but EQCover contributes towards the cost of your claim less a small excess.

How are claims assessed?