Hastings Direct’s failures forced my family out of our home
A reader in Croydon reported that Hastings Direct's mishandling of a home insurance claim, following a leak beneath their fridge-freezer last winter, has left their family unable to return home eight months later. Poor communication, unlogged calls and delayed contractor work meant repairs did not begin for more than five months, and the family, including a two-year-old, has now spent nearly three months in temporary accommodation with no functioning kitchen. The case highlights ongoing concerns about how some insurers manage claims and support policyholders during prolonged disputes.
Contractors removed all the kitchen units despite most being undamaged, and Hastings then asked the family to pay £8,000 towards replacing them, a charge it later admitted was issued "prematurely" and agreed to cover as a "goodwill gesture". The family also incurred extra costs for nursery care, a cattery for their cats, and takeaway meals, while accommodation was only authorised in uncertain two-week blocks. After the Guardian's Consumer Champions intervened, Hastings agreed a repair timetable, extended accommodation by a month, and pledged as-yet-unspecified compensation along with reimbursement of the extra expenses.
- Hastings Direct delays left a family homeless for eight months
- Insurer wrongly billed £8,000 for unneeded kitchen unit removal
- After Guardian pressure, Hastings agreed repairs and compensation
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Hastings Direct is a UK insurance company that also sells home insurance policies. When a policyholder makes a claim, such as for water damage, the insurer is responsible for assessing the problem, arranging repair work and, where a home is uninhabitable, covering the cost of temporary accommodation until the family can return.
This case involves a family in Croydon whose kitchen was damaged by a leak, triggering a home insurance claim with Hastings Direct. Delays in the claims process, disputes over contractor work and confusion about costs meant the repair dragged on for months, leaving the family reliant on temporary housing.
The story matters because it touches on a wider issue: how insurers handle claims and support customers when things go wrong, and what recourse policyholders have when repairs are delayed or costs are disputed. Such disputes can also involve independent intervention, such as consumer advocacy journalism, to help resolve matters between insurer and customer.