Customers in financial hardship due to COVID-19
Customers that are currently experiencing financial hardship due to COVID-19 can call us to discuss the assistance options we have available to eligible customers. Our goal is to keep you covered during this difficult time while helping to reduce your financial burden.
Paying our small & medium sized suppliers faster
2020 is Budget Direct’s 20th Anniversary, so we remember very well what it was like to get a new business going. At this time, cashflow is critical to the small and medium businesses that work with us. We are therefore doing our part to help, by bringing forward the payment of their invoices as quickly as possible.
Accelerating our support of the Act For Kids Charity
Act For Kids (AFK) is Budget Direct’s #1 charity. Each year we donate hundreds of thousands of dollars to help support their vital work in protecting children at risk of abuse and neglect. With some of our fund-raising activities postponed due to COVID-19, in April we decided to immediately donate $500,000 to AFK to help them in their vital work at this time. This takes our total support of AFK from our fund-raising activities, this financial year, to over $800,000.
Employees Working From Home and our Safe Working Practices
Budget Direct is a modern and innovative insurance provider. From March 23rd our advanced technology capabilities allowed us to protect our amazing team, with the majority working from home, and those still attending our facilities strictly observing social distancing rules and regulations. During this time, across all of our facilities, we have increased our cleaning and sanitisation practices, in line with current enhanced expectations.
Supporting Lifeline During COVID-19
Lifeline is receiving an unprecedented number of calls during the lockdown and has launched an appeal to help fund the increased services they need to provide. Lifeline asked us to donate some TV media time to help them promote their appeal. We immediately donated a significant range of prime time and daytime TV media advert spots, in support of Lifeline’s important campaign.
Watch the appeal advert here.
New Contact Centre Hours
Due to the COVID-19 situation we have made some changes to our operating hours which are now as follows –
- Weekdays 8am-10.30pm AEST
- Saturday 8am-5pm AEST
- Sunday Closed.
We are at times experiencing high call volumes, so please be patient with us. Where possible we encourage our customers to use our online services that remain available 24/7.
$100,000 of grants awarded from Budget Direct’s Bushfire Recovery Fund
After the 2019/2020 Bushfires, Budget Direct created a community fund to support community groups repair or replace, damaged or destroyed facilities and/or equipment that wasn’t covered by insurance. To find out which groups received these grants click here
Upgraded Online Self Service System
Our recently upgraded Online Policy Manager system is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You might be surprised at how much you can do online.
- make a claim
- update your contact details
- change your payment preferences
- modify your policy
- request policy docs or certificate of currency
- review policy-renewal details
- use online chat
Frequently asked questions
Car insurance
I won’t be driving my car while I’m Self-Isolating at home — can I put my car insurance policy on hold?
Unfortunately, the current car insurance policy does not include an option to place the policy on hold.
Remember even when in Self-Isolation, and not driving the car, subject to the normal terms and conditions, your policy includes benefits for things that could happen to the car when its not being driven, such as damage from a storm or theft.
I’m working from home and may need to use my own car for work — will I be covered?
If your policy covers you for ‘Private and Commuting Use’ but you now have to use your car for business (e.g. site visits), please contact us.
We’ll help you update the use on your policy.
Please note that there are certain business uses we would not normally cover, namely:
- carrying passengers for payment, including taxis and/or ridesharing (e.g. Uber, Ola, Didi)
- carrying or delivering other people’s goods for payment, whether as a contractor or otherwise (e.g. parcel or food delivery)
- driving tuition for payment
- unpaid driving tuition of a person who is:
- excluded on the insurance certificate by name or age; or
- a household member that is not listed on the insurance certificate
- hiring the car to other people, including under peer to peer car sharing arrangements.
If your circumstances have changed, and are now looking to use your car for any of the above, please contact us as soon as possible to discuss the potential impact this may have on your car insurance cover.
My car is insured for business use but I’m no longer using it for business as I’m working from home — do I need to update my policy?
Yes — if your car is insured for ‘Private and Occasional Business Use’ or ‘Private and Business Use’ but you’re currently not using it for business, please contact us.
We’ll help you update the use on your policy, which may reduce your premium.
Roadside Assistance
Will roadside assistance be available during the COVID-19 pandemic?
Yes – we’re continuing to provide roadside assistance across Australia 24/7.
But we’re taking extra health and safety precautions to protect our roadside contractors and customers from the virus, namely:
- Customers whose vehicles need to be towed are no longer able to travel in the tow truck (we can help arrange alternative transport).
- Customers are being asked to please keep their distance from roadside contractors as they conduct work on the car.
- Due to the higher risk of infection, contractors who attend breakdowns within airports are using personal protective equipment.
- Roadside contractors are washing their hands and sanitising their equipment more frequently to protect themselves and customers.
Home Insurance
I’ve started working from home — do I need to make any changes to my insurance policy?
If you’re working from home temporarily and doing only administrative tasks using standard home-office equipment (e.g. a computer), you don’t need to make any changes to your policy.
If you’re performing non-administrative tasks, you must contact us. We’ll reassess the risk and determine the terms on which we’d agree to continue insuring your home.
I’m using my employer’s equipment while I work from home — is it covered?
If you’re working from home using your employer’s equipment and you’re legally responsible for it, the equipment is covered for our 10 insured events.
You can make a claim for up to $12,000 for home-office equipment. An excess will apply.
If you make a claim, we may ask you for proof (e.g. a signed agreement with your employer stating you’re legally responsible for the equipment while you’re working from home).
Computers and other equipment are only covered for accidental damage if you’ve added optional ‘Accidental Damage’ cover to your policy.
Do tenants working from home due to COVID-19 affect my landlord insurance?
If a tenant is temporarily working from your rental property and doing only administrative tasks using standard home-office equipment (e.g. a computer), you don’t need to make any changes to your landlord policy.
If the tenant is performing non-administrative tasks, you must contact us. We’ll reassess the risk and determine the terms on which we’d agree to continue insuring your rental property.
I can’t return home due to Self-Isolation — am I still covered if my home is unoccupied?
It’s important you tell us if your property is or is going to be unoccupied for more than 60 days, so we can continue to provide cover for your home and contents. You’ll need to agree to our conditions for the security and safekeeping of the home.
If we agree to cover your home during this time, we’ll tell you in writing. Additional excesses may apply. We may provide cover while the home is unoccupied for up to a maximum of 180 days.
COVID-19 Related financial hardship and assistance
I’m struggling to pay the bills, including insurance – what are my options?
Insurance is something most people consider a necessity, so we understand your dilemma.
If you’re experiencing financial hardship due to COVID-19 (e.g. you’ve lost your job or your household income has fallen sharply), please contact us.
We’ll help you as much as we can to find a solution.