The short answer
Three documents decide everything: the Policy Schedule (your limits, excess and add-ons), the Policy Wording (what's covered and excluded) and the IPID (a one-page summary). Open all three side by side — coverage is the intersection of the schedule (what you bought) and the wording (what the insurer pays for).
Step 1 — Find the documents
Check three places in this order: your insurer's online portal or app (most complete), the renewal email from your broker or insurer (look for 'Policy documents' attachments), and physical post from the last renewal. If you bought through a comparison site, the documents are emailed by the underwriter, not the comparison site.
Step 2 — Read the Schedule first
The schedule lists your sums insured (e.g. buildings £400,000, contents £60,000), your excesses (compulsory + voluntary + peril-specific), the add-ons you actually paid for (accidental damage, home emergency, legal expenses, personal possessions away from home) and any endorsements (special conditions like alarm-set warranties or flat-roof restrictions).
Step 3 — Cross-check the Wording
Search the wording PDF for the peril you care about (e.g. 'escape of water', 'theft', 'storm'). Read the 'What is covered' paragraph, then the 'What is not covered' paragraph immediately below it — that's where 90% of rejected claims come from. Note any conditions ('provided that the property is occupied', 'subject to professional installation').
Step 4 — Confirm before you claim
Match your situation to the wording sentence by sentence. If a single condition fails (unoccupied >30 days, no forced entry on a theft, gradual damage on a leak), the claim will be rejected. When in doubt, upload the policy to PolicyPal — it reads the schedule and wording together and gives you a one-sentence verdict in 30 seconds.
Frequently asked
- What if I can't find my policy documents?
- Email your insurer or broker and ask for the current Policy Schedule and Policy Wording. They are legally required to provide them within 5 working days.
- Is the IPID enough on its own?
- No. The IPID is a regulatory summary — it won't list your specific limits, excesses or endorsements. Always read the schedule and wording too.
- What's the difference between exclusions and conditions?
- Exclusions are things never covered (wear and tear, war, nuclear). Conditions are things you must do for cover to apply (set the alarm, maintain the boiler, disclose claims). Breaking either lets the insurer refuse the claim.
- How often should I re-check my cover?
- At every renewal, after any home improvement or new high-value purchase, and before any major life event (renting out, going away >30 days, moving valuables).
Your policy is the only source of truth
Stop guessing. Check your actual policy.
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