This fact sheet is designed to help Tasmanian's with some of the issues you may face when your property has been damaged by flooding.
How we can help
Legal Aid Tasmania can give you free legal advice if you have been affected by flooding in Tasmania.
We can help if:
- Your home has been damaged.
- You are a tenant who has been affected by flooding.
- Your property including household contents or vehicles have been damaged.
- You have insurance or repair problems.
- Your employment has been affected.
- You need help with credit commitments due to loss of income.
Other assistance
Adults and children who have been adversely affected by a major disaster may be eligible for a one off non-means tested government payment. For details on whether this incident has been declared a disaster for the purposes of funding and to find out more information about relief payments see: Disaster Assist.
You may also be eligible for some assistance during an emergency from Centrelink, see: Help in an Emergency.
Insurance claims and what you should do
If you have an insurance policy be sure to claim, even if you are unsure about cover. You should also:
- Keep a record of the damage, take photos and videos where possible.
- Carefully check the wording of your insurance policy and if in doubt get legal advice before speaking to claims assessors.
- Make sure that the premiums are paid in full, or are up to date before lodging any claim, as premium shortfalls may affect the payment.
Your home insurance policy may cover the costs of your temporary accommodation if you can no longer live in your home. Check with your insurer as soon as possible.
If your insurer does not agree with you about your claim, ask them to put the refusal in writing to you with reasons. You should get legal advice if you are unsure about your cover.
If your claim is refused, you can ask for the decision to be reviewed internally or independently by the Financial Ombudsman Service, this right exists, even when your insurer doesn't agree with you.
Contact us
Legal Aid Tasmania can be contacted on 1300 366 611 or via any of our offices located in Hobart, Launceston, Devonport and Burnie, see: our website for further details.
More information
For more information see any of the following websites:
- Tasmania State Emergency Service.
- Disaster Assist.
- TasAlert.
- Our other fact sheets on Natural Disasters.