IAG Policy on Supporting Customers affected by Family and Domestic Violence

What is Family and Domestic Violence?

1. Family and Domestic Violence (FDV) does not have a universal definition and can vary across different countries, states and territories. The core characteristic however is controlling behaviour, whether criminal or non-criminal, that is aimed to cause fear within another person or their family.
2. FDV can include violence, abuse or threatening behaviour in domestic or family settings, as set out below:
1. Acts of violence that occur in domestic settings between two people who are, or were, in an intimate relationship. It includes physical, sexual, emotional, psychological and financial abuse.
2. Any violent, threatening or other behaviour by a person that coerces or controls a member of their family or household or makes the family or household member fearful.
3. It may be a pattern of behaviour designed to make a person dependent by:
1. Isolating them from sources of support,
2. Exploiting their resources and abilities for personal gain,
3. Depriving them of means needed for independence, resistance and escape,
4. Regulating their everyday behaviour.

Why this is important

3. This Policy sets out how IAG supports our customers who are affected by Family and Domestic Violence. It is important because we believe in doing the right thing by our customers, respecting who they are and their individual circumstances. This Policy supports IAG’s purpose and strategy by helping to make our customers safer and reducing the risk of harm from FDV.
4. This Policy is designed to produce these outcomes:
1. Our customers have visibility of how we will support them if they are affected by FDV,
2. Minimising the risk of harm to customers affected by FDV,
3. Supporting our customers with empathetic, consistent and timely responses in their dealings with IAG.

Support for our Customers

5. Our customers’ safety is paramount. If a customer tells us, or we suspect they are affected by FDV, we can discuss options on how they can get support.

Internal Support

6. If there is an immediate threat of harm, we may contact emergency services to provide our customers with support. We may refer them to a specialist team at IAG if appropriate as these team members have undertaken additional training regarding FDV.
7. If a customer tells us, or we suspect, they are affected by FDV, we will help keep information they give us about their situation confidential. We will explore the most appropriate options for insurance customer’s policy or claim with flexibility and care, including if the customer has a joint policy.
8. We will ensure claims handling processes are managed sensitively and recognise the complexities in these situations for customers experiencing FDV. If customers tell us, or we suspect, they are affected by FDV we may refer them to specialist claims teams.

External Support

9. If appropriate we may refer customers to a trusted external support provider such as these listed below: