The worst weather on record has left “Backlogged Britain” in a state of despair as 5,000 properties are damaged and insurance claims professionals are forced into working 80 hour weeks.
The Met Office has reported that the UK has had the wettest winter since national records began in 1910, causing homeowners to take desperate measures as they’re faced with incomprehensible damage to their properties from gale force winds, floods and sinkholes.
Homeowners are just starting to get their lives back on track as an extensive build up of insurance claims are stretching industry professionals past breaking point.
At least £24m has been spent on alternative accommodation such as hotels, bed & breakfasts and rented properties with the average estimated cost per household expected to be £16,500.
There have been more than 5,000 visits by Loss adjustors to assess damage to properties as the total payout is expected to reach £1billion.
A senior Loss adjustor based in Manchester, who has chosen to remain anonymous, has left her job because she feels she is not able to provide the service that homeowners need.
“I would not want to be making a claim right now, in fact I would dread to be going through what they are going through as homeowners,” she claimed.
“ I currently have 150 claims to deal with and I am working up to 80 hours a week. I was even sent to take up additional cases in the South of England which I can’t manage from an office in Manchester.”
Industry experts are claiming that some homeowners should expect to be out of their homes until at least Christmas, as fears amongst loss assessors show that inundated insurance companies could inevitably lead to a lack of quality restoration and protection against future damage.
Mrs O’Halloran, whose property in Staines-upon-Thames was flooded for the second time in 11 years, knows the difference it can make to seek professional help from a loss assessor, who work independently and free of charge for the homeowner.