If your policy started before 16 September 2024 and the policy number begins with H9 or H0, please contact us.
This following info is for customers who bought their policy after 18 September 2024.
Managing your policy
Give us a call and we’ll do our best to help.
If you have not received an email from us with instructions on how to register and view your insurance documents, email us at theteam@homeinsurance.virginmoney.com.
We’ll email these to you within 3 working days.
We can only send the documents to the email address you used when you purchased the insurance.
Give us a call if you need any help.
You can email theteam@homeinsurance.virginmoney.com with the policy number, policy holder name and email address and we’ll email them to you.
We can only send the documents to the email address you used when you purchased the insurance.
To cancel your policy, give us a call and we’ll get it sorted.
Or you can email theteam@homeinsurance.virginmoney.com. If you email, please provide your name, address, policy number and the date you wish to cancel.
We’ll give you a full refund if you cancel within 14 days of your policy starting, or when you received your policy documents whichever is later.
You can cancel at any other time and providing no claims have been made, and nothing has happened that could lead to a claim. You will be entitled to a partial refund of any premium based on the remaining time left on your policy.
You will not receive any refund if you've made a claim, or something has happened that could lead to a claim. There are no refunds for optional extras such as Home Emergency or Legal Protection after the first 14 days of your policy.
Making a claim
We want to make claims as easy as possible. Our claims lines are available 24 hours a day and every day of the year. Our highly trained Claims Specialists assist you from start to finish, providing you with clear communication and reassurance, as well as practical help.
You can see what your home insurance covers by checking your policy documents. They will also tell you what excess may be applicable, depending on the type of claim you make.
If you need to make a claim, please refer to your policy or contact the claims team. There are a few things which will help:
- Your policy number
- The date of the incident
- The cause of the loss or damage
- Details of the loss or damage together with claim value if known
- Police details where applicable
- Pictures and videos if possible
If a supplier is appointed to deal with your issue, you might not be required to provide the above as they will carry out those checks for you.
When you report a claim, the claims team will understand the level of damage and give you options. They may ask an approved contractor to contact you directly and make a plan for the repairs. If the damage is substantial, they may send out an expert to manage the claim.
We understand that some customers like to stay in their own homes where possible. We can provide facilities like temporary kitchens and bathrooms to enable you to do so.
If you have to leave the property, we’ll help you make those arrangements. This could be staying with relatives or checking in to suitable alternative accommodation.
If you need to take action to protect your property, we recommend that you do so. You’ll need to make sure that the temporary repairs can be easily removed for a full inspection if required.
If we decline your claim, we will not reimburse the cost of any temporary repairs.
It’s important you get in touch before you undertake any repairs or clean up, unless this is essential for protecting the building or your possessions.
You should contact us before your start any repairs or clean up. If they’re essential for keeping the building or your possessions safe, let us know as soon as possible.
Unfortunately, there are things we do not cover. It’s important to check your policy docs before reporting any claim. Your policy documents will also tell you what cover you have selected and what excess will apply, depending on the type of claim you wish to make.
Common examples of some areas not covered under your policy:
- damage to gates, hedges and fences caused by storms
- damage caused by wear and tear or gradual operating causes. For example fading or worn patches on furniture or carpets
- blockage or cracking of guttering causing damp walls
- deterioration of sealant in shower causing gradual seepage of water into a wall
- mechanical and electrical failure of appliances
Contents cover
Contents covers your personal belongings. For example, things you own that are not physically attached to your property like:
- furniture
- appliances
- carpets
- clothing
- valuables such as jewellery and entertainment systems
Some items such as carpets may seem like buildings but are considered contents.
If you’re unsure what your item falls under and need to make a claim, you can contact our claims team and they will be able to work this out for you.
In the first instance, we’ll look at repairing the damaged item. If this is not possible, we’ll consider replacement options.
We’ll look to replace your items as 'new for old'. This means that, if your item is available to buy, we’ll aim to replace it by giving you a new one through one of our suppliers. We may alternatively give you a cash settlement for the value of the item.
We’ll replace it with something similar or give you a cash payment for the amount that the item is worth.
Contents cover only protects things inside your home. Add Personal Belongings cover to your policy to cover things like gadgets and jewellery when you’re out and about. If you have items worth over £2,500 you’ll need to add 'High Value Items' cover' too.
Buildings cover
Buildings cover includes the structure of your home including outbuildings - like garages and sheds. It also includes fixtures such as kitchen units and bathrooms.
Unless otherwise agreed, outbuildings do not include:
- any building which is not on a permanent foundation or base
- tree houses
- inflatable buildings - whether over swimming pools or not
- any structure made of canvas, PVC or any other non-rigid material
- carpets - they are covered under contents insurance
General info
Policy excess
A policy excess is the amount you’ve to pay towards the cost of your claim. There are different excesses that may apply.
There’s a standard policy excess which applies to all claims. The amount you need to pay may increase depending on the type of claim you want to make. For example, the standard excess on your policy may be £250 but some types of claims have a different excess. These are:
- leaking or freezing of water and leaking oil £350
- buildings excess for subsidence, landslip and heave £1,000
Details of all your policy excesses can be found on your policy docs.
Wear and tear
Almost everything in your home will suffer from general wear and tear over time. Extend the lifetime of your property and the possessions through general maintenance and upkeep. So, for example, from time to time it would be worth having your roof checked for missing or cracked tiles.
Wear and tear is a common reason for declined claims, especially in weather like a storm. It's difficult for rain or wind to damage a well-maintained property unless it’s extreme weather. But a poorly maintained roof could let rain in that could also damage your contents.
If you look after your property and something unexpected happens, that's when your insurance is there to help.
Accidental damage
Accidental damage can cover the cost of repair to damage that was sudden and not done on purpose. There needs to be a one off, single event that caused the damage to your home or belongings.
There’s some accidental damage cover included in the policy as standard. Check your policy documents for what’s covered.
If you’ve chosen buildings cover then you’ll have cover for damage to fixed glass, toilets, baths, sinks and built-in hobs. If you have chosen contents cover, you’ll have cover for damage to televisions and home entertainment equipment.
You can also add optional accidental damage which covers you for accidents like:
- putting your foot through the ceiling if you add buildings accidental damage
- spilling red wine over your new sofa if you add contents accidental damage.
Home emergency
Home emergency is an optional extra cover which you can add to your policy for an additional cost. It provides 24/7 home emergency assistance to cover the cost of:
- repairs, parts and call out charges for loss of heating
- failure of all electricity
- removal of vermin
- securing your home
If you have a flood or a fire this is different and you should call us on our emergency number.
Your ‘home emergency cover’ is provided by our partner ARC Legal Group. Give them a call to make a claim.
Legal expenses
This provides cover up to £150,000 per claim and gives you access to legal expertise covering a range of situations. Examples include:
- tax
- employment
- residential disputes
- personal injury claims
- consumer protection issues
Your ‘legal expenses cover’ is provided by ARC Legal Group. Give them a call and they’ll do their best to help.
Storm damage
Storm damage occurs when a property has been damaged due to extreme weather. This usually includes very high winds, extreme rain, hail, or snow.
Depending on your policy, your building would be covered if damage occurred under the following circumstances:
- wind speeds are recorded over 55mph
- rainfall reaches more than 25mm/1 inch of rain within a 1-hour period
- hailstones that are extreme enough to cause damage to hard surfaces
- there was 30cm/12 inches or more of snowfall within a 24-hour period
We’ll determine if these conditions are met by checking local weather records.
This will depend on the cover you have.
If you have buildings cover any part of your building which has been damaged will be covered.
If you have contents cover then any damaged contents will be covered.
Fences, gates, trees and hedges are not covered in the event of storm damage under buildings cover.
Full policy limits and exclusions are shown in your policy documentation.
In many declined claims it is not the weather event which caused the damage. It’s an existing underlying problem, which the recent weather event highlighted.
Wear and tear is a common reason why storm claims are declined. This is especially the case with flat roofs that are over 10 years old or old tiled roofs.
It's difficult for a weather event to damage well-maintained properties unless it’s extreme.
Leaking water damage
‘Escape of water' describes a water leak that can come from multiple sources in the home.
For example:
- leaking pipes for example boiler, water tank, radiators, or heating system
- burst pipes caused by water freezing inside them
- appliances like washing machines and dishwashers
What is not considered an 'escape or leakage of water' includes but is not limited to:
- if you experience water escaping through the failure, wear and tear or lack of grouting or sealant around baths and showers
- overflow of water from blocked guttering
If you experience water entering your property due to weather events like a storm, please refer to 'Storm damage and claims'
A £350 policy excess is applied to this cover.
Info on what is and isn't covered is detailed in your policy docs. You should be covered for loss or damage caused by water leaking from things such as heating, washing machine or dishwasher.
Your policy will also cover you for the cost of locating and gaining access to the leak if required. Please see your policy wording for full terms and conditions apply.
‘Trace and access’ applies when you are unable to find the source of a leak, for example from hidden pipework.
If your building has been damaged by the water leak, we’ll pay reasonable costs to find the source of the leak. For us to do this, you must contact us first. We will cover the cost to repair walls, floors, or ceilings, up to the limit shown in your policy schedule.
You must get our agreement before work starts to receive this benefit. For more information, please refer to your policy wording.
Fridge/freezer damage
Cover is provided for fridge or freezer food that is damaged due to a rise or fall in temperature or contamination by the chemicals inside them.
Limits apply and they will be shown in your policy schedule.
Depending on the reason that the fridge/freezer has stopped working, you may or may not be covered.
For example, if the fridge/freezer has stopped working due to its age (mechanical failure or breakdown), this will not be covered under any section of your policy.
For more information, please read the contents section of your policy wording.
You are not expected to keep ruined food, however it’s recommended that you take photographs of all items before disposing of them. We may ask you to send these before a cash settlement can be agreed.
We would ask that you contact the claims team first, where possible. However, if you do replace the items please keep hold of receipts, as you may be asked to send these before a cash settlement can be agreed.
Making a complaint
If you want to make a complaint, we’ll address it as quickly and fairly as possible.
If we can’t, then we’ll:
- write to you to acknowledge your complaint
- let you know when you can expect a full response
- let you know who is dealing with it
In most instances, we’ll be able to resolve it within the first few days. Sometimes, further investigation may be necessary, but we’ll provide you with a full written response within eight weeks of notification.
If you need to make a complaint about how your claim has been handled, then please call the team. They will put you in touch with the company that is dealing with your claim. When you call, please be ready to tell us:
- your full name and address
- your contact details
- your policy or claim number
- details of your complaint and if you’ve had any losses
- if you’ve already spoken to someone about your complaint - let us know their name and the date you got in touch
If you are not happy with your home emergency assistance, then you can contact ARC Legal Group in the following ways:
Email: customerrelations@arclegal.co.uk
Phone: 01206 615000 (lines are open Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm).
Write to: Customer Service Department at Arc Legal Assistance Ltd, PO Box 8921, Colchester, CO4 5YD.
If you're not happy with how your complaint has been handled or it has not been resolved within 8 weeks, you can take it up with the Financial Ombudsman Service.
This needs to be within 6 months from the date of your final response. Using this service will not affect your legal rights.
As a free, independent body set up by the government, it's the Financial Ombudsman's job to resolve disputes between customers and companies in the UK. You can find out more on the Financial Ombudsman website Link opens in a new window.
Yes you can. They'll likely want you to give us a chance to fix the problem first.
If, you're not happy with how we have handled your complaint or we haven't resolved it within 8 weeks, the Financial Ombudsman will investigate your case.