Flood cover catch 22

Getting insurance is becoming increasingly difficult if you live on or near a floodplain, with thousands of home owners being caught in a Catch 22, says consumer champion Which?

Before an insurer agrees to protect a property, it will require the owner to reveal, to the best of their knowledge, whether they live in a flood risk area. If they do disclose information on flooding in their area, the insurer may not offer cover. But if the owner doesn't pass on any information, any claim they make on their insurance could be dismissed.

To beat this trap, it makes sense to only approach insurers that consider a home's specific risk rather than basing quotes on the area. Aviva and Stroud & Swindon Building Society pinpoint an individual property's flood risk. Some other insurers, including Northern Rock and LV=, assess flood-risk at postcode level, with reference to claims history and the Environment Agency map.

Martyn Hocking, Editor of Which? says: "It really pays to shop around for buildings and contents insurance - particularly if you live in a flood-risk area."