LV= General Insurance is forcing a family with three young children to live in a property with worsening subsidence damage because of prolonged delays and cost-cutting measures. The family submitted a claim for subsidence damage to their extension and conservatory in 2023, but LV= has spent years avoiding authorising proper repairs and instead proposing inadequate temporary fixes. The damage has significantly worsened, with interior cracking now so severe that a radiator has sheared away from the wall. This situation highlights concerns about insurance companies using delay tactics to manage subsidence claims whilst leaving policyholders in unsafe conditions.

Three years after lodging their initial claim, an independent surveyor commissioned in May concluded the damaged extension requires underpinning or complete rebuilding. LV= now acknowledges that full reconstruction is necessary but has blamed delays partly on a neighbour's eucalyptus tree that is causing the subsidence. The insurer obtained a quote for underpinning work in February but failed to proceed with repairs; it claims designs and council approvals are still pending. Adding to the family's distress, LV= has increased their annual premium from £400 to £2,500, and the company is currently reviewing this rise under its complaints procedure.