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The scale and intensity of the disaster remain front of mind for townspeople in northern NSW and South-East Queensland.
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Flood victims lodge nearly 1,000 complaints with AFCA
12 September 2022
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Almost 1,000 complaints about claim denials, handling delays or claim amounts are being processed by the Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA) in the wake of floods in South-East Queensland and northern NSW earlier this year.
Six months after towns on both sides of the state borders were overwhelmed by water, the impact of the disaster is still being felt, the AFCA said.
“The scale and intensity of this natural disaster means it continues to have a significant impact on people,” the AFCA’s lead ombudsman for insurance, Emma Curtis, said.
“Everyone’s wish is for those affected to be able to get back on their feet and on with their lives.
“People should always talk to their insurers first about any concerns they have, but AFCA is here to help consumers and insurers resolve complaints when they can’t find a way through on their own.”
In response to the unusually high number of complaints, about 950 so far, the AFCA had expanded its general insurance team and had activated its “significant event” response plan after the flooding began in February, which gave priority to urgent issues related to the inundation.
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Ms Curtis advised consumers to:
- Talk to their insurer first if they had any concerns or questions
- Make a complaint to the insurer if their concerns were left unaddressed
- Contact AFCA if they remained unhappy at the end of that internal complaint process.
She said consumers could come directly to the AFCA and there was no requirement to pay for a legal representative.
“AFCA was designed to be a free and accessible alternative to a court or tribunal,” Ms Curtis said. “Of course, you can appoint someone like a financial counsellor, family member or someone else to assist you, if you’d prefer.”
She said an AFCA representative would be attending Insurance Council of Australia in-person meetings in northern NSW this month.
Anyone can call AFCA’s significant event hotline on 1800 337 444 or visit afca.org.au for more information.
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