What is adapted home insurance and why do I need it?

Home adaptations for comfortable disabled living have made life much easier for thousands of people living with disabilities around the UK; the increased freedom and mobility granted by home adaptations can be invaluable to those who need them. Around 9% of households in England – which is around 1.9 million households – are home to one or more people with a long-term disability which requires home adaptations.

And yet, too often these adaptations are not sufficiently covered by standard home insurance policies, making people vulnerable to loss and damage. If your home has been adapted for disabled living, it’s important to consider tailored policies such as adapted home insurance to ensure that expensive and important adaptations are covered in the event of accident or damage.

What is adapted home insurance?

Adapted home insurance is a kind of home insurance which has been specifically designed for customers with adaptations to their home. These policies are for disabled people, elderly people, and other people with limited mobility who have adapted their home to accommodate these issues.

Home adaptations for disabilities and mobility problems can be expensive and all-important to those who need them. It’s always recommended that customers insure any items or facilities that they can’t do without, and since home adaptations almost always fall into this category, they should be a key consideration in any home insurance policy.

Adapted home insurance policies are tailored to your needs in the same way your home adaptations are; there isn’t a ‘one size fits all’ policy for all people with disabilities. Discuss your home adaptations with your insurer to ensure that all your home adaptations are covered, and the cost to replace them is accurately estimated. This way, all your important home adaptations are safe in the event of accidents.

What does adapted home insurance cover?

Adapted home insurance policies can be tailored to cover all sorts of home adaptations. Most commonly, adapted home insurance policies are used to cover mobility aids like hoists, bathing aids, ramps, handrails, and stairlifts. It’s worth speaking to your insurer about anything you think could be included in the cover, and don’t be tempted to under-insure: check your house from room to room and mention anything that’s both valuable and important to you.

Adapted home insurance is designed as a stand-alone insurance policy, which means you don’t need to take it out in addition to home insurance. Adapted home insurance should cover all of your specific home adaptations as well as offering the regular protection and cover you would get from a standard home insurance policy.

As with regular home insurance, it’s possible to take out different levels of cover with adapted home insurance. Standard cover offers protection in the case of fire or other disasters, as well as break-ins and malfunctions. However, you may need to take out additional accidental damage coverage to cover your home adaptations in the event of accidental damage in the home.

Why is adapted home insurance important?

Adapted home insurance is important for the same reason any kind of home insurance is important. Home insurance is designed to offer peace of mind and long-term security in case the worst ever happens. While none of us expects to have to make large claims on our insurance, everyday insurers in the UK pay out over £12.9 million on Buildings and Contents claims alone.

Home adaptations for people living with mobility issues are life-changing, and therefore vital to any good insurance policy. If the worst were to happen, could you afford to replace all your home adaptations without cover? If the answer is no, then it’s paramount that all home adaptations are included in your home insurance policy.

Adapted home insurance allows people around the UK living in adapted homes to enjoy the same peace of mind and security as anyone else. By taking out comprehensive adapted home insurance, you can sleep easy in the knowledge that your mobility adaptations will be safe no matter what.

How can we help?

Choosing the right insurer for your home insurance policy is important, particularly if you ever must make a claim.

Fish Insurance offers home insurance for standard & adapted homes and covers equipment that helps to make life at home easier and more comfortable.