The General Insurance Code of Practice (the Code) requires insurers, and other industry participants, who have adopted the Code to provide services to their customers in an open, fair and honest way.
The Code’s standards apply to many features of a customer’s relationship with their insurer including when buying insurance, what to expect when making a claim, including timeframes for making a claim decision, and processes for making complaints.
The Code also requires insurers to provide assistance to individuals who are in financial hardship and having difficulty meeting their financial obligations to an insurer. This includes:
In such cases, the Code sets out hardship and debt collection standards for general insurers and their agents to follow.
The Code is owned and published by the Insurance Council of Australia and forms an important part of the broader financial services consumer protection framework.
The latest version of the Code is effective from 1 July 2021.
The General Insurance Code of Practice covers many aspects of a customer's relationship with their insurer, from buying insurance to making a claim, to providing assistance to those experiencing financial difficulty including uninsured third parties.
General insurance products covered by the Code include:
Personal Classes
Commercial Classes