Don’t let thieves ruin your Christmas

Homes packed full of festive goodies can mean rich pickings for opportunist thieves, warns Age Concern Insurance Services.

The average household plans to spend £677 on gifts this year and, with all the extra food and drink bought in December, homes across the country will be jam packed with expensive items – a proposition which can be all too tempting for would-be intruders.

The Christmas shopping bill for gifts, food and drink represents a large outlay of cash but, for older people on a limited income, this sum may be the result of months of hard saving. Therefore, it is vital to make sure that all those special purchases are protected.

Joe Young, from Age Concern Insurance Services says: “Every year thousands of people become victims of theft and burglary over the Christmas period. It’s therefore essential to ensure that your insurance policy covers not just your everyday possessions but all those festive extras. With so much money being spent, it is common sense to make sure that your goods are protected and at Age Concern we are pleased to be able to give this peace of mind to our customers – at no extra cost. Our home contents policy includes an automatic 10% increase for contents over the month of religious festivals to cover the extra gifts, food and drink stored in the home.”

Age Concern Insurance Services’ top tips for deterring thieves this Christmas:

Never leave a spare key under the door mat or a plant pot as these are the first places a burglar will look

Don’t leave presents and valuables on display through windows

Remember to double lock all windows and doors when you leave the house

Avoid throwing out any packaging which would allow people to identify the expensive items stored in your home

Photograph all your valuable possessions and gifts so you have proof in case you do need to make a claim

And finally, check with your home insurance company that your gifts, food and drink are covered in case the worst happens

Profits generated by Age Concern Insurance Services go directly to the Age Concern charity, raising additional funds for invaluable support services such as day centres, home visits and transportation as well as helping the charity campaign for the well-being and rights of older people.

Age Concern Insurance Services (ACIS) offers Home Insurance policies that are designed for customers over 50 years of age, it is also one of the few schemes to allow a very low minimum sum insured, allowing older people with fewer possessions to pay only for the cover they need. ACIS also offers the flexibility to spread the cost of insurance by paying in instalments at no extra cost. For more information, visit ageconcern.org.uk/homeinsurance