Insurance lottery' adding to hardship faced by displaced residents after fire

Perth residents and businesses displaced following last month’s fatal blaze in a city tenement are “receiving absolutely no help from their insurers” according to the Fair City’s MP.

- ALASTAIR MCNEILL

Approximately 50 households and 18 businesses have been displaced for a minimum of 16 weeks following the fire at 41 Scott Street which claimed the life of a man on June 14.

Perth and Kinross-shire MP Pete Wishart made the lack of assistance accusation following a meeting organised by him and Perthshire MSP John Swinney attended by Scott Street residents recently.

A number of those affected have advised Mr Wishart that their insurance claims were being rejected, leaving them in a precarious situation and facing financial hardship.

Mr Wishart said this week there were some reports of insurers providing support to customers who have been impacted, but not the majority.

Constituents called it an ‘insurance lottery,’ where those in the exact same situation are being treated differently depending on their insurer.

Others pointed to an underlying cultural issue in the industry, whereby the default response of many insurers seems to be to look for a reason not to assist their customers in times of need.