Home insurance like other classes of insurance, comes with numerous supporting documents. All essential reading to understand the scope of the cover provided. This post looks at the main documents issued by providers, which should be set out in plain English so easy for a layperson to understand.

When you take out cover or change the risk address a proposal form is issued containing all the facts relating to the risk. These days proposal forms are usually electronically generated, so all the policyholder has to do is carefully check that the information is correct before signing and returning to the insurance provider. A statement of fact is similar to the proposal form and is perhaps more common these days. Again all the risk details are laid out for checking by the policyholder, the difference being a statement of fact doesn’t need to be signed and returned.

At new business, renewal and for mid-term adjustments a schedule is issued, which details the policyholder’s name, period of insurance, premium, risk address, sums insured, extent of cover options included, excesses and any endorsements applying extending or restricting the cover. A policy wording contains the small print of the cover, the schedule will pinpoint which sections of the wording apply. The schedule should be read in conjunction with the policy wording for full details of the cover applying. Finally a keyfacts policy summary document is a brief outline of the policy wording.