Riot, Civil Commotion & Compensation

The recent distressing outbreaks of rioting across the country have clearly caused significant damage to property, alongside the psychological impact and human distress caused by this senseless violence.

We’re aware that some clients may be affected by damage and disruption as a result of this violence, and have created the below information to help you access our support and understand the next steps should your business be impacted.

Reporting Disruption

As soon as it is practical and safe to do so, notify us (or your broker/insurer if you’re not a Club Insure client). If you have appropriate cover in place, we will then work to submit the claim on your behalf in line with your policy.

It’s important to report any damage or disruption to the police as soon as possible, and you should have a crime reference number to hand when coming to report your claim to us.

Riot Compensation Act (RCA)

Some insurance policies have specific exclusions and may not cover ‘riot’ or ‘civil commotion’. Where this is the case, a claim can be made under the Riot Compensation Act. This is a government scheme which compensates victims of this type of event, to minimise the impact on your business and reimburse you for damage which occurs.

You can find out more about the Riot Compensation Act and how to submit a claim here.

Timely Reporting of an Incident

It should be noted that claims submitted under the RCA must be received by the claims authority within 43 days of the riot in question. For disturbances lasting more than one day, the 43 days start from the day on which the riot ends, known as the ‘riot reference date’.

Should I take out a Terrorism Insurance Policy?

At the time of writing (Wednesday 7th August 2024), the government has not yet declared any of the incidents in question as specific terrorist incidents, meaning a terrorism policy would not provide cover to you in this particular situation.

If this were to change, we will provide further updates however it is likely that any policies taken out last minute where there is foreseeable harm would not provide cover for a predictable, upcoming incident.

Disruption without damage

If your business operations are impacted by the protests and you lose revenue, but you don’t receive any physical damage, this could be classed as ‘non-damage denial of access’ business interruption. If you have a Business Interruption policy which covers ‘non-damage denial of access’, then you may be able to make a claim against this. If you are a Club Insure client and believe you might be affected by this, talk to our team who can understand your specific case and how it applies to your insurance policy.

In Summary

First and foremost, we hope you, your team and your business remains safe and unaffected by this mindless violence. We encourage you to take steps to minimise the risk to yourself and your staff, but if you are unfortunate enough to be affected, please don’t hesitate to talk to our team who will work to support you however we can.

You can contact our team by calling 0344 488 9204 or by getting in touch with your usual point of contact.