Lloyds TSB waives excess for people affected by crime

Friday, June 18, 2010

Insurance giants Lloyds TSB have issued a statement announcing that they will be waiving the excess payment charged on their Home Solutions policy for claims which arise as a result of criminal activity. Events such as burglary, theft, riot, arson or malicious damage will not now be subjected to excess charges.

The benefit will be applied to all Home Solutions policyholders and is set to be implemented until May 31st, 2011. It will be supplied at no extra cost to policyholders. In order to benefit from the revised package, policyholders will need to have reported the event to the police to obtain a crime reference number before they can make an excess-waived claim. The new benefit will not apply to accidental damage which is caused by the policyholder in their home, nor will it cover incidents caused by family members, tenants or any guest invited to the household.

Lloyds TSB Insurance spokeswoman, Paula Llewellyn, says: “Victims of crime have enough on their plate without having to worry about the additional financial burden of paying an excess. Our customers can rest assured that they will not have to pay an excess and we’ll also help them get their lives back together after being affected by crime.”

This change to the policy will benefit many people who have been subjected to criminal acts, at a time when they need assistance to claim on their insurance. Victim Support, the UK charity dedicated to helping people who are adversely affected by crime, are supporting more people than ever in the aftermath of events. In the last year alone, the charity made almost 74,000 visits to see victims at home, and made more than 1,167,700 phone calls to talk to victims of crime. The Lloyds TSB move to reduce the impact of malicious crime on its victims will be welcomed by many.