Cold weather insurance payouts hit £650m

INSURERS paid out £650 million in claims arising from damage caused by the UK's coldest winter in years, the Association of British Insurers has revealed. Its members paid out on 335,000 claims made between 18 December and 13 January, when temperatures were lowest.

Motorists accounted for the bulk of claims following a sharp rise in cars being abandoned in bad weather and minor accidents caused by slippery roads. Insurers paid out on 268,400 motor insurance claims worth 395m.

Another 255m was paid out to homeowners and businesses for property damage, with the 66,000 claims twice as many as insurers normally receive in relation to weather damage. The vast majority of property claims were from homeowners, with 194m of payouts resulting from roof damage caused by snow.