Family Violence Policy

Family and domestic violence is a serious issue that can happen to anyone. It is behaviour that is violent or threatening or controls another family member or causes that family member to be fearful. It can occur in current or past family or domestic relationships, including de facto, same-sex, parent-child, and other family relationships. Family and domestic violence is unacceptable in any relationship.

Family and domestic violence may include, but isn’t limited to:

• Physical or sexual abuse
• Emotional or psychological abuse
• Economic or financial abuse
• Threatening, intimidating or coercive behaviour
• Technological abuse
• Stalking

If you tell us, or we identify you’re experiencing family and domestic violence, we can (where appropriate):

• Provide you with a specialist case manager
• Protect your private information
• Provide sensitive claims handling
• Help you set up a new policy
• Provide financial hardship assistance
• Refer you to appropriate support agencies

Employees, agents, partners, distributors, and suppliers receive training relevant to their roles. This training includes how to:

• Identify the early signs that a customer may be experiencing family and domestic violence
• Respond to disclosures of family and domestic violence with dignity, respect and care
• Refer you internally to our specialist teams for more support
• Refer you to external community services to provide extra support

In addition, our specialist claims and distribution teams have a higher level of training to support customers experiencing family and domestic violence. Case managers can minimise the number of times you need to disclose your situation. They can provide additional confidentiality, sensitive claims handling, and financial hardship assistance. 

While our case managers are not social workers, they can refer you to community organisations to receive additional support.

We understand the risks of disclosing information in relation to customers experiencing family and domestic violence. In addition to our Privacy Policy, we’ll:

• Discuss safe ways to communicate with you and record this information
• Accommodate your communication preferences, including the option to communicate with your preferred gender where possible
• Make sure your contact information is secure and confidential
• Where possible, give you control over how your personal information is shared with third parties
• Inform you about what information needs to be shared with other policyholders, such as information about a claim, so you can make appropriate arrangements

In line with our Privacy Policy, there may be times when legislation requires us to disclose information. We’ll work with you wherever possible in the instances of disclosure.

We’ll support you throughout the claims process. This may include:

• Fast-tracking the claim
• Providing emergency payments or accommodation
• Reviewing decisions where there is disagreement about cover

If you let us know you’re experiencing family and domestic violence, we can better support you during the claims process. It won’t prejudice your claim.

If you hold a policy with another person, we’ll:

• Inform you of what each person’s rights are under the policy
• Help you take out your own policy – if needed
• Send information to two different email addresses
• Not need you to make direct contact with an alleged perpetrator
• Make sure we’re paying the appropriate beneficiaries under a policy given the claim and circumstances

Where a claim is made for a loss that is excluded as the result of the act of any person who is insured under the policy, we may consider certain factors that may have triggered the exclusion and we may make a discretionary decision to assist you in a way which is fair and reasonable in the circumstances. If we do, this we may make a payment to you or repair, reinstate or replace an item.

This will apply even though we are not legally required to pay the claim. Factors we will consider include:

• Mental illness
• An act of violence or intimidation; and/or
• When cover has been varied or terminated with malicious intent.

This clause does not apply to the liability section of the policy or form part of the terms and conditions of the policy and does not confer any contractual or other right. Any payment we may make is at our sole discretion only.

Always call 000 if you or your family are in immediate danger. 

If you’re in need of financial support, your bank may be able to help provide relief for your mortgage payments or support you in other ways. If you’re finding it tough to pay your bills, give your utility company a call. They may also be able to help.

Customers

Are person(s) that:

• have applied for (including obtaining a quote for) a Retail Insurance or Life Insurance product underwritten by Allianz or Allianz Life;
• have been issued with a Retail Insurance or Life Insurance product that is underwritten by Allianz or Allianz Life; or
• are Relevant Third Parties to a Retail Insurance or Life Insurance product that is underwritten by Allianz or Allianz Life.

Relevant Third Parties

Are person(s) that are:

• a. third party beneficiaries;
• b. a third party not of the type listed in a) who Allianz is recovering money from under a Retail Insurance product underwritten by Allianz; or
• c. a third party not of the type listed in a) who are seeking damages from customers of a Retail Insurance product underwritten by Allianz.

Retail Insurance

Retail Insurance is given the same definition as Part 16 of the General Insurance Code of Practice. Retail Insurance is underwritten by Allianz Australia Insurance Limited ABN 15 000 122 850 Australian Financial Services Licence No. 234708 (Allianz).

Life Insurance

Life Insurance is given the same definition as Life Insurance Policy in the Life Insurance Code of Practice. Life Insurance is underwritten by Allianz Australia Life Insurance Limited ABN 27 076 033 782, Australian Financial Services License No. 296559 (Allianz Life).

Third Party Beneficiaries

A third-party beneficiary is a person or business that benefits from the terms of an insurance contract made between two other parties.