Subsidence claims soar by more than 200% as 104F heatwave puts Britain's homes at risk, with properties from the 1920s or 1930s vulnerable

  • There are fears demand may outstrip 2018, when payments cost £145 million
  • Properties affected are particularly common in the Midlands and south England
  • Some experts expect the rise in claims to peak at 400% within a few weeks

By SAM MERRIMAN FOR THE MAIL ON SUNDAY

Published: | Updated:

The summer heatwave has led to a surge in subsidence claims as scorching temperatures caused cracks to appear in homes.

Britain's largest home insurance firms, which have seen claims rise by more than 200 per cent, say they fear this year may be even worse than 2018, when more than 20,000 properties were affected, costing £145 million.

London and the South East are the worst affected areas after record temperatures of more than 40C (104F) last month.

Victorian houses, or homes built in the 1920s or 1930s, are particularly at risk because their foundations are generally shallow, along with properties built on clay-rich soils. This includes a vast swathe of England, particularly in the South East, but also parts of the Midlands, the North East, and the South West.

Temperatures broke 40C for the first time on record in the UK last month in areas of the south east including London

Temperatures broke 40C for the first time on record in the UK last month in areas of the south east including London

Subsistence applications have dramatically risen as the driest summer since the 1970s has led to parts of Britain becoming unrecognisable (Picture: Dried out grass in Blackheath, London)

Subsistence applications have dramatically risen as the driest summer since the 1970s has led to parts of Britain becoming unrecognisable (Picture: Dried out grass in Blackheath, London)

LV, which insures more than two million homes, said it had seen a rise in subsidence claims of more than 200 per cent in the first two weeks of August.

Sarah Smith, LV's head of home underwriting, said: 'We're starting to see the effects of climate change and the impact this is having on homes – whether that be storm, flood, fire or subsidence claims – which have all risen in recent years depending on the season.

'This summer we've really seen the effects of extreme heat. As a country we're going to need to adapt and ensure existing houses are better protected, as well as really consider the locations planned for new houses.'

Aviva, which insures almost three million households, said it had also received more enquiries about subsidence following the hot weather.

But it added that it was 'still too early' to say whether this year will see more claims and that wet weather would mitigate the risk.

Loss adjuster Sedgwick registered a 'surge event' last week after the subsidence claims it received from insurers were well above normal levels for two weeks.

It expects claims to reach 400 per cent above ordinary levels in the coming weeks.

'Pretty much all the moisture has gone from the soil,' the company's technical director, James Preston, told the Financial Times.

He warned that 'we could stay at a higher level of desiccation in the soil for a longer period' than in 2018.

In 2018, wetter weather following extreme heat softened the blow for many homeowners.

But despite rainfall in recent days, it is feared that the long-term weather forecast could make for drier, riskier conditions this year.

A spokesman for the Association of British Insurers said it understood that the 'threat of subsidence can be very stressful for homeowners' but advised people not to panic if they spot a crack as it could have been caused by something else.

London

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