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Why your home insurance could leave you out in the cold this winter
Claims for storm-related damage are on the rise, but most are rejected. What's going wrong?
When Storm Éowyn tore through the UK in January 2025, record-breaking winds of more than 100 miles an hour ripped off roofs, crippled transport networks and left tens of thousands of people without power for days.
This winter, many of us will be bracing ourselves for more extreme weather. So far this autumn, we've seen three named storms batter Britain, with a major incident declared in South Wales last week after Storm Claudia led to severe flooding.
You’d expect a comprehensive home insurance policy to help those in the path of destruction, yet figures from the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) show that only 32% of storm-related claims made in 2024 resulted in a payout. So what's going wrong?
When is a storm not a storm?
Clues as to why so many providers appear to be side-stepping payouts for storm and flood damage claims are buried in the small print.
Many insurers say they use the definition of a storm set out by the Association of British Insurers (ABI) when deciding whether to accept a claim or not. The industry body classifies a storm as ‘violent weather’ that includes any of the following:
- Wind speeds with gusts of at least 55mph
- Torrential rainfall at a rate of at least 25mm an hour
- Snow to a depth of at least 30cm in 24 hours
- Hail of such intensity that it causes damage to hard surfaces or breaks glass
But when we scrutinised the terms and conditions of 133 policy documents from 67 insurers at the beginning of this year, we found that 20% contained a storm definition that we believe is potentially unfair.
For example, around half of these only cover damage caused by rain, hail or snow where high winds were involved, meaning that a claim for damage caused by hail, snow or torrential rain could be rejected.
'Water was running down the walls'
After storms battered the Norfolk village of Shipdham last autumn, Stephen Kite and his wife noticed a leak coming into the upstairs hallway.
‘The water wasn’t just dripping, it was running down the walls,’ the 73-year-old explained. ‘An expert came to look at the roof and told us that a problem with the roof gully had been exacerbated by the storm, and the tiles also needed replacing.’
The work was expected to cost an eye-watering £16,000, so Stephen called his insurer for help. However, he was told he wouldn’t be eligible to make a claim on his Post Office Gold Plus Buildings & Contents Policy – the most comprehensive cover it offers – because the wind speed in his area at the time of the damage didn’t meet its storm criteria.
Ageas, which underwrites the policy, explained: ‘Our definition of storm winds is strong winds over 55mph. From a review of the weather conditions [in Shipdham], the highest wind speed recorded on this date was 45mph, this being confirmed using Weathernet and a Met Office report.’
Although the Post Office sets out its definition of a storm in its policy documents, Stephen still feels let down by his insurer: ‘When you’re insuring your property, these are exactly the sort of things that you would expect to be covered for.’
He ended up having to take out a loan to cover the cost of the repairs.
Flood damage is often excluded
One of the most common types of exclusion is for floods. Our latest analysis of 76 home insurance policies from 35 providers – conducted in the summer – found that 83% of buildings policies include a definition for storms, but only 36% have one for floods.
For the policies where there isn’t a written definition, some insurers have applied their own definitions but don’t state these in their policy wordings.
Others simply default to industry-standard definitions, such as those agreed by the ABI, stating that water must enter a building with a ‘volume, weight or force which is substantial and abnormal’ and can come from any external source.
The lack of flood definitions is particularly worrying, considering the devastation caused by recent deluges. Storms Bert and Conall in November 2024, for example, led to more than 680 properties in England being flooded.
Flood resilience campaigner, Mary Long-Dhonau, believes that home insurance terms and conditions are too open to interpretation, making it difficult to predict how an insurer will respond. She believes that many insurers are wriggling out of covering certain types of flood damage, arguing that policies need to be made simpler.
Our policy analysis found that 74% of buildings policies won’t cover groundwater flooding if it happens gradually as opposed to rapidly.
Long-Dhonau says:
'There are so many sections and clauses, and most people don’t read through them. You can easily miss something important. Groundwater flooding, for instance, is a very serious problem and it doesn’t always happen quickly. Yet many people aren’t covered for it.’
- Find out more: does your home insurance cover flooding?
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Get a quoteOther small print surprises
Our analysis found an extensive list of other exclusions hidden in the small print. For example, we found that only 1% of buildings policies will pay out for storm damage to fences, gates and hedges.
There are also plenty of caveats when it comes to ‘contents in the open’ cover. This refers to personal, movable items deliberately left outside your home but within your property boundaries, such as garden furniture, plant pots and barbecues. If a storm rolls in and these items aren’t properly secured, then you may find that any damage or loss won’t be covered.
If you keep valuable items outside, you can also get garden cover as a policy extra. But if bad weather is on the way, it’s worth bringing any valuable items indoors.
Another reason you might not be covered by a standard home insurance policy is if the damage is a result of general wear and tear. One example would be if water enters your home through a poorly maintained roof.
- Find out more: best home insurance 2025
'The way our insurer treated us was appalling'
In February 2021, high winds ripped off the roof of an outbuilding belonging to Joan and her late husband Dennis, sending it on a collision course with their house and breaking the flue of their oil-fired Aga.
The damage meant there was a risk of fumes entering their home every time they used the cooker. Joan says that despite multiple phone calls and dozens of emails to their insurer, Home Protect, they were left hanging for weeks.
Joan and Dennis had no choice but to arrange for repairs themselves. Home Protect paid out an initial £4,800 in May 2021, but the couple had to wait until July 2022 to get the other £5,934 that was owed.
The Financial Ombudsman Service upheld a complaint about their treatment, and Axa – which underwrites Home Protect – was ordered to pay £500 compensation.
‘The way we were treated was absolutely appalling,’ the 84-year-old said. ‘There was no consideration towards the fact that we were very elderly.’
HomeProtect said: ‘We sincerely apologise for any distress caused… In the last three years, we have focused on improving many areas of our customer service and claims handling processes… with enhanced processes to better support vulnerable customers.’
How to handle a claim
If you need to make a claim following damage to your property, get in touch with your insurer as soon as possible. Most insurers have 24-hour emergency helplines.
Provided you’re covered, your insurer should be able to make any emergency payments needed, arrange any temporary emergency accommodation and organise the necessary repairs.
The time it takes for your insurer to process your claim – and for you to return to your property – can vary depending on the scale of the damage and size of the area affected.
Our July 2025 survey of Which? members found that, of the 234 respondents whose claim was accepted or partially accepted, 18% waited fewer than two weeks to receive a payout, but 22% waited between one and three months.
If you have to arrange emergency repairs yourself, tell your insurer and keep any receipts, as this will form part of your claim. Don’t throw away damaged items, unless they are a danger to health, as it may be possible to repair or restore them.
If you’re unhappy with how your insurer has handled a claim for storm or flood damage, then your first step should be to raise an official complaint directly. If you still can’t resolve the issue or don’t feel you have been treated fairly, you should contact the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS), which is free to use.
The FOS says it saw a 7% year-on-year increase in complaints about buildings insurance in 2024-25. It told Which? that disputes relating to storm and flood claims include arguments over policy terms and conditions, as well as whether a flood occurred suddenly or was a gradual, long-term problem.
- Find out more: how to complain about your insurance company
