Can you now make and insurance claim for Covid-19?
Following a ruling in the Supreme Court, many small businesses could now receive payments from business interruption policies from insurance claims for Covid.
This could provide a lifeline for many SMEs that were forced to close or suffered significant loss of trade due to the pandemic.
The decision, which could cost the insurance sector hundreds of millions of pounds, came after a test case was taken on by City watchdog, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), with eight insurers agreeing to take part in proceedings.
Many insurers had initially refused to make payments against insurance claims for Covid, but now a selection of policy wordings have set the parameters of could constitute a valid claim.
This is a complex ruling which covers a wide range of issues, so making a claim will still be a tricky process, and not every situation will be covered. In addition, many policies for new and renewing customers may have been amended to specifically exclude Covid-related claims.
But for many businesses this could be the difference between closing and staying afloat, so if you had previously made a claim which was tuned down by the insurance company, now would be the time to contact them again.