Claim lodgement

We are here to help you through all stages of your claim. Claim online with one of our agents from 8 am to 4 pm Monday to Friday AEST.

Or call us on 1800 069 336 to speak to someone from our new claims team 24/7 or the existing claims team from 6 am to 6 pm Monday to Friday and 6 am - 2 pm Saturday and Sunday AEST.

Please email the documents supporting your home and/or contents insurance claim to [email protected], with only your claim number in the subject line.

Allowing us to assess the damage or loss is usually all that’s required to prove it. We may ask you for photos of the damage to your home in instances where we are not appointing an assessor. 

If an item has been lost, stolen, or contaminated (for example due to floods) and can’t be assessed, we may ask you to provide evidence of ownership and value.

This evidence could include:

• purchase receipts
• valuations
• credit-card statements
• serial numbers
• owner’s manuals
• guarantee or warranty certificates
• photos or videos of your item
• product packaging.

If evidence is required to support your claim, please email it to [email protected], with only your claim number in the subject line.

We will ask you to provide copies of the following documents when you lodge your claim:

• A tenancy agreement
• A real estate management contract
• A tenancy ledger

In certain circumstances, we may ask for other documents to further support your claim.

We will ask you to provide copies of the following documents when you lodge your claim:

• A tenancy agreement
• A real estate management contract
• A tenancy ledger

In certain circumstances, we may ask for other documents to further support your claim.

A police report is needed for claims lodged under:

• Theft
• Malicious Damage
• Tenant Malicious Damage

Depending on the type of claim we may ask for other reports from the police, fire brigade, or emergency services.

Home claims are not completed in a set timeframe and instead can vary based on the customer's individual circumstances. When speaking to your claims consultant they may be able to give you an indication of the timeframe surrounding your specific claim.

We are required by the Australian Tax Office (ATO) to collect details from those who are registered for GST. The reason why we collect this information is that it impacts the settlement of any claims made on your insurance policy.

This is only relevant if you claim the GST on your insurance premiums. For more details please contact the ATO or consult your accountant or tax officer or financial advisor.

We do not need your ABN, just information around your claiming status.

You’ll need to let us know whether you are registered for GST and if you are entitled to claim for an Input Tax Credit (ITC) on your premium. Keep in mind that each time you make a claim you’ll need to give us this entitlement with a full GST entitlement equalling 100% of an ITC entitlement.

When you submit an insurance claim several things can happen:

• Your claim may be approved in full
• Your claim may be partially approved
• Your claim may be declined

Once a claim is submitted we will review all of the relevant information to determine what is covered under your specific policy.

In some instances, we may only be able to approve part of the claim and usually, this decision is made after receiving all relevant information.

For example, here are some reasons why a claim may be partially approved  or declined:

• An insurance policy was not current at the time of the loss occurring
• A policy only covers damage from insured events, while pre-existing damage is not covered
• The damages or cause of damage are subject to one or more policy exclusions

If you’re unhappy with any of your home insurer’s decisions or actions — including a declined claim — you may make a complaint.

Budget Direct’s complaints process is as follows:

Step 1: Speak to us

We want to resolve any complaint or dispute for you as quickly as possible. The best place to start is to contact our customer service team.

Step 2: Our team will help you

We will acknowledge your complaint within 24 hours of receiving it or as soon as practicable.

Our team will try to resolve your complaint immediately and will provide you with a unique reference number.

If we are unable to resolve your complaint to your satisfaction within 5 business days, we will escalate it to our Customer Disputes Resolution Team for review.

Step 3: If we can't agree, you can seek an independent review

If you are dissatisfied with our final decision, you can complain to the Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA). What to do before you complain to AFCA.

Find out more about how to complain to Budget Direct.