Bushfire support

If we accept your claim, we’ll cover the reasonable and necessary costs of demolishing and removing damaged parts of your home. This includes fallen trees or branches if they’ve damaged your home (and the damage is covered by your policy) and removal is required in order to do the repairs.

You can find more info about this coverage including limits, conditions and exclusions in the PDS or talk to our dedicated claims team if you have questions.

If you can't live in your home after an incident covered by your policy, you may be entitled to reasonable temporary accommodation costs until your home is repaired or rebuilt. If you’re not sure whether this applies to you, or you want more information on limits and exclusions, check your policy documents or get in touch with us to discuss. 

A home claim assessment determines the outcome of your claim after loss or damage to your home and/or contents. 

Once you’ve lodged your claim, we’ll organise an assessment and contact you to arrange a time to attend your property and inspect the damage or loss. 

We’ll let you know the outcome of your claim as soon as we can. If we require additional information, we’ll let you know. If your claim is covered, we can then discuss repairs or settlement depending on the circumstances of your claim. 

You can track your claim online to see an estimated time of completion, though this depends on the nature of the repairs or replacements. 

A scope of work is a detailed summary of the work that will be undertaken to repair or rebuild your home. This includes the repairs that will be made in each room and the materials used. The scope of work will be updated as needed.

Your assessor, builder or claims manager will explain your scope of work and provide you with a copy for your consideration. Remember, your repairs or rebuild cannot commence until you have signed your scope of work.

During major events, third parties may door knock or letter drop offering to manage your insurance claim. Please be aware that: 

• these services are not provided by us

• we’ll never send an assessor or builder to your home without first notifying you, and 

• we won’t demand payment on top of your excess for the work being undertaken. 

If you’re approached by a third party, you may be asked to pay for these services using a percentage of your insurance settlement. You should always carefully consider the use of these services as your insurance policy doesn’t cover this cost. 

If you decide to engage a third party, you should always ask for their:

• Australian Financial Services Licence (AFSL) number to check it against ASIC’s database

• Financial Services Guide

• Required fees

• Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA) credentials.

Remember: Never sign a contract/authorisation to act on your behalf (physically or electronically) until you’ve received the information you’ve requested.

• Read more about third-parties that offer claim services

GIO will never send an SMS message requesting an excess payment to progress your home claim. If you receive such a message, please delete it immediately.