The flood events in southern Germany in early June 2024 have reignited the discussion about a possible mandatory insurance against natural disasters.

German consumers generally expect their insurance to be reachable by phone in the event of a claim, as shown by the YouGov report “Environmental Damage Claims”: 50 percent of respondents expressed this expectation. A personal contact on-site is preferred by 37 percent. About one-third expect information on the timeline and the current status of the claims processing (34 percent) as well as information on how and where to report the claim (33 percent).

Different Priorities Among Affected and Unaffected Individuals

People who are currently affected by an environmental damage claim (e.g., due to floods, landslides, wildfires, or storm damage) or have been in recent years, are less likely (44 percent) than unaffected individuals (53 percent) to expect their insurance to be reachable by phone. However, a personal contact on-site is considered more important by affected individuals (41 percent of affected vs. 38 percent of unaffected). Affected individuals also more frequently expect contact options via messaging services (22 percent vs. 10 percent) and information through social media (21 percent of affected vs. 4 percent of unaffected).

These findings are from the current YouGov report “Environmental Damage Claims”. The report analyzes the expectations of consumers and affected individuals in the event of a claim, as well as desired additional services and support from insurers.