Supporting Customers Affected by the Mid North Coast & Hunter Region Catastrophe
Published May 29, 2025
Last Updated May 30, 2025
At Youi, we’re actively supporting customers affected by the severe weather in the Mid North Coast and Hunter regions. Our hearts are with everyone affected by these events and our top priority is to help get our customers back on their feet.
We’ve scaled up our claims and customer support teams for emergency response, ensuring we can help customers as quickly as possible. We encourage customers to lodge claims online or by calling us on 13 YOUI (13 9684).
Severe weather event
NSW Floods
If you've been affected by recent severe weather in NSW, please stay safe and follow emergency alerts. For on-the-ground support to help you make a claim and recover faster, you can see us in-person:
Youi Chief Operations Officer, Bert Bakker issued the following message:
"Australians should take safety precautions and tackle challenges one at a time, all while reminding themselves that the most important thing is to remain safe."
Bert Bakker - Youi Chief Operations Officer
BB
If you need to make a claim, take detailed notes and photos for your insurance claim. Make a list of everything that has been damaged. Be thorough – where you can do so safely, check all your land and property, right from your fences to your gutters. Be careful when walking around your property and ensure you wear protective clothing, such as durable boots.
The Insurance Council of Australia has declared this to be a catastrophe event, and the effects were being felt across the region through widespread power outages, flooding and heavy rain.
Our priority is to help our customers get back on their feet as soon as possible. The fastest and easiest way to make a claim right now is via our online Claims Lodgement portal, which is available 24/7.”
Right now, our key focus is helping Youi customers who've been affected, keeping them updated as we continue processing claims as quickly and efficiently as we can.
For steps on how to assess damage and lodge a claim, look at the tips below.
What to do if you’ve been impacted by the flooding and storms in the Mid North Coast and Hunter regions
1. Assess the damage and record details - safely
Once the immediate dangers have been addressed, assess the damage to your property – whether it’s your home, land, car, boat or something else insured. Where you can do so safely, look for obvious signs of damage such as missing roof tiles, broken windows or structural damage. Take detailed notes and photos for your insurance claim.
2. Seek support from welfare organisations
Recovering from a major storm is not just about physical damage – it can also take a toll emotionally. Feelings of anxiety, frustration or sadness are common after a disaster. If you or a loved one are feeling the emotional impacts of severe weather, reach out for support. Our support services are here to make the tough times easier. For emergency relief and recovery services to help your community rebuild, refer to the relevant Government department. Queensland and New South Wales both have a reconstruction authority.
3. Lodge a claim (if needed)
If you need to make a claim with your insurer, it can help to be aware of the steps that are generally involved in the claims process. These can include:
Lodging your claim
The first step is to contact your insurance provider – you can do this even if you don’t know the extent of the damage. Most insurance providers have a 24/7 help hotline and can support you during this process.
Most insurers offer the ability to lodge a claim either online or over the phone, but keep in mind there may be call centre delays due to high demand during severe weather events.
Make sure you’re an authorised person and try to have your policy number on hand with details on when, where and how the incident occurred.
This is where a checklist of the damage will come in handy.
Assessing the damage
An insurance assessor will visit and inspect the damage. It’s important to remember that insurers will normally triage and prioritise attending the hardest hit properties first, which may mean a delay in attending less affected properties.
Claim decision
Your insurer will confirm what you’re covered for. The nature of the claim will determine how long it takes to make a claim decision. In most cases, you can track the status of your claim online – if you’re with Youi, you can track your claim through our app.
Once the assessment is complete – and if your claim is accepted – your insurer will talk you through settlement options.
