Sizzling summer sees subsidence claims rise to ten year high
More than 10,000 households made claims worth a total of £64 million to deal with the impact of subsidence in just three months of this year, the Association of British Insurers.
The figures for July, August and September are the highest level of subsidence claims since the record-breaking heatwaves of 2006 and 2003. The hot weather of 2018 saw some UK regions experience the driest months on record, particularly in the South East which is also well-known for building on subsidence-prone clay soil.
From the previous quarter, the number of claims jumped from 2,500 to 10,000 – rising in value from £14 million to £64 million. This increase of 350% is the highest quarter-on-quarter jump since records began more than 25 years ago.
The ABI’s Senior Policy Adviser for Property, Laura Hughes, said:
“Thousands of people across the UK are now suffering because we experienced such an unprecedented period of dryness this summer. Insurers understand that this is a stressful time for affected homeowners and are providing widespread support to help with repairs.”