Insurers Welcome New Zealand Claims Resolution Service

Insurers welcome the announcement of the New Zealand Claims Resolution Service (NZCRS) for property owners with house insurance as part of the response to natural disasters including the growing number of climate-driven extreme weather events that are leading to an unprecedented number of insurance claims.

"People must still make their insurer their first point of contact when making a claim. Even after major events, the vast majority of claims are settled smoothly," said Insurance Council of New Zealand Te Kāhui Inihua o Aotearoa (ICNZ) Chief Executive, Tim Grafton. "The NZCRS is an invaluable service that will provide free and independent insurance related advice to people at what is often a very stressful time for them."

Insurers have worked successfully with predecessor organisations, the Greater Christchurch Claims Resolution Service (GCCRS) and the Residential Advisory Service (RAS), which insurers helped to establish, and look forward to building on this with the NZCRS.

"Where services such as the NZCRS come into their own is their ability to offer truly independent, free advice and their ability to talk people through the claims process. This is particularly important where there is a complex claim. Having this understanding can often head off misunderstandings and delays in settling claims."

Where necessary, and particularly where there may be disagreements between around the value of a loss, such a service can help avoid protracted disputes and support recovery.

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