Claim lodgement

We are here to help you through all stages of your claim. Chat with one of our agents online from 7 am to 9 pm Monday to Friday AEST.

Alternatively, call us on 1800 069 336 to speak to someone from our claims team 24/7.

Please upload the supporting documents via your online policy manager by selecting 'Upload Documents'. Alternatively, please email the documents 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.

Please upload the supporting documents via your online policy manager by selecting 'Upload Documents'. Alternatively, please email the documents 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.

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.

For more details please contact the ATO, consult your accountant, tax officer or financial advisor.

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

If you are registered for GST and entitled to claim an Input Tax Credit (ITC) on your premium, you need to give us this ITC entitlement each time you make a claim. A full GST entitlement would be a 100% ITC entitlement. 

For more details please contact the ATO, consult your accountant, tax officer or financial advisor.

When you submit an insurance claim, there are a few possible outcomes:

• Your claim may be approved in full
• Your claim may be partially approved (meaning we can only approve part of the claim)
• Your claim may be declined

Once you submit a claim, we will review all relevant information to determine what is covered under your specific policy.

Here are some common reasons why a claim may be partially approved or declined:

• Your insurance policy was not current at the time of the loss.
• The damage was pre-existing and not caused by an insured event.
• The damage or its cause is subject to one or more policy exclusions.

If we have accepted a claim for loss or damage to your home, we will aim to repair or rebuild using builders or suppliers in our network. We will cover repair and rebuilding costs up to the limits stated in your Insurance Certificate and PDS. In some circumstances, we may be unable to repair or rebuild all or part of the home, and this can impact how we settle the claim.

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.