UK insurance firm Saga has revealed that it will offer a mainstream policy that includes evacuation cover to its building insurance customers.
The cover will aim to provide a ‘standard level of protection’ and will include any costs incurred by evacuation on the advice of the emergency services, whether it be alternative accommodation or rent owed or paid out. It also covers any extra expenses to re-house pets.
The new cover comes a month after a tornado ripped through the city of Birmingham, forcing many residents to take shelter in emergency accommodation as their homes are assessed for damage.
According to research carried out by Saga, three quarters of those surveyed worry about a lack of privacy if they had to stay in communal emergency accommodation. The company says that its new cover will provide some compensation if customers find themselves in such a situation, and will help reduce the inconvenience of evacuation.