COVID-19 FAQs

Last updated Tuesday 07/04/2020

How can I access my money if branches close?

Our banking app, internet, phone banking and ATM* services will be available if branches close and our staff will be able to assist you over the phone if you’re having difficulty using these platforms.

Australia Post Bank@Post services are also available to members and a full list of branches with Bank@Post services can be found here.

^*Individual ATMs may be inaccessible due to other closures.

I’ve lost my job, have been stood down or lost hours, and can’t meet my loan repayments; how can you help me?

We’re supporting our members through a variety of ways to ensure their loan repayments and other financial obligations are manageable during this time – please call 13 1905.

I’m a small business owner and I’ve had to shut my business or lost income because of COVID-19; is there anything you can do to help?

We’re sorry to hear about the impact this has had on your business, please call 13 1905 and we’ll do what we can to help. There’s a variety of ways we can assist, including low interest loans and deferring repayments – but it’s best to talk directly to you about your individual situation.

What happens to my repayments during and after the deferral period?

If you are eligible, you do not have to make principle and interest repayments during the deferral period. Interest will still accrue and will be added to the outstanding balance of your loan. This means that your repayments will increase at the end of the support period. We will, however, extend the term of the loan by the period of the deferral, to minimise the increase in the repayments.

Can I access my funds within my Term Deposit early?

Yes, you’re able to redeem your Term Deposits early but you may not receive the full interest payment that was originally offered if you access your funds early. Please lodge an online application and a member of our team will talk to you about your options.

Will your team still complete online transactions if branches shut because of COVID-19?

Yes our teams will continue to complete online banking as per usual.

I’m really worried about my financial future; can you help me?

Our team is ready to help talk you through how we can ensure you still meet your financial goals during this challenging time. Please call 13 1905

If I defer my mortgage or loan repayments, will it impact my credit rating? 

If you defer your mortgage or loan repayments as a result of COVID-19-related financial hardship, this deferral will not affect your credit rating. If you’re considering doing this, please contact our team to talk about your individual circumstances, repayment history and other credit factors to ensure you make a decision that’s in your best financial interest. During the deferral period, we won’t report any non-COVID-19-related repayment history but it’s important we discuss how this may be reported after the COVID-19 deferral period. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to us and talk through your situation – we’ll provide advice on what your best way forward is to protect your credit rating and your financial wellbeing. If you’re in need of assistance, or feel that you may soon need assistance, contact us as soon as possible via our website or by calling 13 1905.

I want to avoid touching EFTPOS machines – has there been any change to contactless card limits?

The Australian Payments Network announced on 3 April 2020 that the PIN limit for contactless card payments will be increased from $100 to $200 in a gradual rollout across cards and retailers. This has been done to reduce the need to physically touch EFTPOS machines, and we've supported this by authorising the increase on our cards. However, the increased limit for RACQ Bank cards only works if the retailer you're shopping with has also authorised the increase. Over the next few weeks, more retailers will start to allow the increased limit – with major supermarkets being the first retailers to adopt this change. If you’re unsure whether a retailer is allowing the new limit, please ‘tap’ your contactless card and follow the PIN pad prompts on the machine. This change is expected to apply for a three-month period but may be extended.

Last updated Friday 15/05/2020

I’ve lost my job and can’t afford to meet my monthly repayments; can I cancel my policy or what can I do to make sure I’m still protected?

It’s important right now that our members don’t become uninsured as they’ll be in a worse-off position if anything happens to them. Please call 13 1905 and our team will be in touch about how we can help.

An assessor was due to come out to our home; will they still come out?

Your assessor will call you before attending your home to ask a few questions about your health. If appropriate, we will conduct a virtual assessment to make sure there are no unnecessary delays to your claim.

The builder conducting work on our home has just said they won’t be able to continue as they can’t access supplies anymore. What do we do?

Please contact our team on 13 7202 and they’ll discuss what we can do to help

I want to make a claim, but am worried I won’t be able to pay my excess, what should I do?

RACQ’s teams are here to help and can discuss your circumstances and options available to you.  We can assist you by conducting a financial hardship assessment and where appropriate offer 14-day extensions or deferrals of up to 3 months on the payment of your excess . We will work with you individually to determine the best possible outcome. Call us on 13 72 02.

I’m struggling to pay my insurance premium after changes to my personal circumstances due to COVID-19, what is RACQ doing to help me?

RACQ has a range of measures to assist people experiencing financial hardship. If your circumstances has changed due to Covid-19 please call us on 13 1905 to discuss your circumstances and options available to you.

My financial circumstances haven’t changed, but I am driving my car less, how does my premium reflect that?

At the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, we recognized that many people were using their vehicles less. In response, we stopped any increases on our renewing policies and introduced additional reductions to our motor insurance policies. As Queensland’s restrictions have eased, more people are back on the road and using their cars. Because of this, the premium reductions for new policies and renewals has now ceased.

In these uncertain times we want to reassure our members that we are here to help; so, we have introduced our Motor Vehicle Insurance Premium Rebate Promise¹. We will be reviewing the performance of our motor vehicle insurance product every six-months to understand any impacts that COVID-19 has had on driving and claims for our members. Our first review will be for the period 1 July 2020 through to 31 December 2020 and our second review from 1 January 2021 through to 30 June 2021². This is a promise to all our motor vehicle insurance policyholders that if we make an unexpected surplus during our review period, we will return any additional premium to our motor policyholders or their communities.

If you have an accident or need to make an insurance claim and are experiencing financial hardship, we are here to help and can discuss options available to you. Please give us a call on 13 1905 for more information.

I’ve recently been made redundant, is there anything else RACQ can offer me?

Yes, RACQ has a range of measures to assist people experiencing financial hardship. Members who have home or contents insurance policies with us can access the additional benefit “Redundancy premium waiver” cover that is a part of your policy. Policyholders who have remained unemployed for up to 3 months after ceasing permanent full-time employment due to redundancy, can get up to 9 months premium back from the time they were made genuinely redundant^. There are some conditions that apply to obtain this waiver or refund. For policies with an effective date on or after 1 August 2020, a general exclusion for ‘Disease’ will apply. This means if you have been made redundant due to the impact of COVID-19 (disease), then you would not be able to make a claim for your redundancy under this extra benefit. This exclusion has been introduced in response to changing and emerging insurance risks that are currently unable to be quantified or priced, and unfortunately, we have not been able to secure protection for this from our own insurers. By making this change to our policy it allows us to continue to offer insurance to our members in a sustainable way.

The ‘Disease’ exclusion can be found in the Supplementary Product Disclosure Statement (SPDS) that is available on the RACQ website. Please read the PDS, applicable SPDS and Key Facts Sheet to ensure you are aware of what you are covered for and any changes.

If you have a current home insurance policy, the most recent SPDS will apply to your cover from renewal.

If you are not sure if you should make an insurance claim, give us a call on 13 7202 and one for our friendly claims staff will be able to assist you.

I can’t return home due to Covid19 impacts, am I still covered if my home is unoccupied?

We understand that not everyone is able to get back home during this time and therefore have extended the usual limits on unoccupancy.  If you have your home or contents insured with us and are impacted by Covid19 travel or isolation restrictions, we will extend the usual unoccupancy limit beyond 60 days for you, free of charge. Remember that it is still a good idea to take precautions such as having your mail redirected, organising for your yard to be mowed and having someone, who lives close by, check on your home.

I am now working from home, am I covered for my office equipment?

If you are now working from a home office your contents insurance automatically covers your equipment up to $10K.  In addition, if you are using office equipment owned by your employer, we will extend cover for those items if they are damaged or stolen, while we are in this situation.  Please check your Household Insurance PDS for details on this coverage.  If you are doing other types of work from home, please contact us on 13 1905 to discuss.

I'm using my home for work purposes; how do I get a tax invoice?

Your RACQ Insurance policy document is also a tax invoice.  The easiest way for you to get a copy is by logging into your My RACQ profile, type in your email address and password. Once logged in you will be shown all your existing RACQ products and insurance policies with us. Then just click on “View policy document” and this will show your tax invoice for you to print or download.  If online isn’t an option for you, please contact us and for a copy of your invoice to be sent to you.
If you don’t have an online RACQ account you can register here. You will need your RACQ membership card number to register.

Are you still covering Landlords for home insurance?

Yes, our Household Insurance policy offers cover for tenanted properties. For policies with an effective date on or after 1 August 2020, a general exclusion for ‘Disease’ will apply. This exclusion is in response to changing and emerging insurance risks that are currently unable to be quantified or priced, and unfortunately, we have not been able to secure protection for this from our own insurers. By making this change to our policy it allows us to continue to offer insurance to our members in a sustainable way.

The ‘Disease’ exclusion can be found in the Supplementary Product Disclosure Statement (SPDS) that is available on the RACQ website. Please read the PDS, applicable SPDS and Key Facts Sheet to ensure you are aware of what you are covered for and any changes.

If you have a current home insurance policy, the most recent SPDS will apply to your cover from renewal.

Does RACQ Household Insurance cover me for loss of rent?

Yes, our Household Insurance policy offers cover for loss of rent on tenanted properties. For policies with an effective date on or after 1 August 2020, a general exclusion for ‘Disease’ will apply. This means if you have a tenanted property insured with us, and your tenant is unable to pay their rent due to impacts from COVID-19, you will not be covered for loss of rent.

This exclusion has been introduced in response to changing and emerging insurance risks that are currently unable to be quantified or priced, and unfortunately, we have not been able to secure protection for this from our own insurers. By making this change to our policy it allows us to continue to offer insurance to our members in a sustainable way.

The ‘Disease’ exclusion can be found in the Supplementary Product Disclosure Statement (SPDS) that is available on the RACQ website. Please read the PDS, applicable SPDS and Key Facts Sheet to ensure you are aware of what you are covered for and any changes.

If you have a current home insurance policy, the most recent SPDS will apply to your cover from renewal.

If you are not sure if you should make an insurance claim, give us a call on 13 7202 and one for our friendly claims staff will be able to assist you.

Does RACQ Household Insurance cover me if I am made redundant?

If you have home or contents insurance with us, we have a “Redundancy premium waiver” cover that is a part of your policy. Policyholders who have remained unemployed for up to 3 months after ceasing permanent full-time employment due to redundancy, can get up to 9 months premium back from the time they were made genuinely redundant^. There are some conditions that apply to obtain this waiver or refund.

For policies with an effective date on or after 1 August 2020, a general exclusion for ‘Disease’ will apply. This means if you have been made redundant due to the impact of COVID-19 (a disease), then you would not be able to make a claim for your redundancy under this extra benefit. This exclusion has been introduced in response to changing and emerging insurance risks that are currently unable to be quantified or priced, and unfortunately, we have not been able to secure protection for this from our own insurers. By making this change to our policy it allows us to continue to offer insurance to our members in a sustainable way.

The ‘Disease’ exclusion can be found in the Supplementary Product Disclosure Statement (SPDS) that is available on the RACQ website. Please read the PDS, applicable SPDS and Key Facts Sheet to ensure you are aware of what you are covered for and any changes.

If you have a current home insurance policy, the most recent SPDS will apply to your cover from renewal.

If you are not sure if you should make an insurance claim, give us a call on 13 7202 and one for our friendly claims staff will be able to assist you.

Is there an exclusion for pandemics or disease in my General Insurance policies?

All Household, Motor Vehicle, Boat & Body Corporate Insurance policies, issued after 1 August 2020, will contain an exclusion for ‘Disease’. The ‘Disease’ exclusion provides that you are not covered under your policy for loss or damage or legal liability which is caused by or arises in connection with -

Any disease, or fear or threat of any disease, that can be transmitted between living things:

• by any substance or agent, including any virus, bacteria, parasite, or other organism, and
• by any method, including by air or bodily fluid, or from or to any thing, whether solid object, liquid, or gas.

This exclusion has been introduced in response to changing and emerging insurance risks that are currently unable to be quantified or priced, and unfortunately, we have not been able to secure protection for this from our own insurers. By making this change to our policy it allows us to continue to offer insurance to our members in a sustainable way.

Please read the PDS, applicable SPDS and Key Facts Sheet to ensure you are aware of what you are covered for and any changes.

If you have a current insurance policy, the most recent SPDS will apply to your cover from renewal.

What impact has Covid-19 had on my General Insurance policies with RACQ?

For most circumstances that will result in a claim COVID-19 will not have an impact. In some limited circumstances for Household, Motor Vehicle, Boat & Body Corporate Insurance policies, issued after 1 August 2020, an exclusion for ‘Disease’ will apply. The ‘Disease’ exclusion can be found in your SPDS. The ‘Disease’ exclusion may have some impact on your claim.

This exclusion has been introduced in response to changing and emerging insurance risks that are currently unable to be quantified or priced, and unfortunately, we have not been able to secure protection for this from our own insurers. By making this change to our policy it allows us to continue to offer insurance to our members in a sustainable way.

Please read the PDS, applicable SPDS and Key Facts Sheet to ensure you are aware of what you are covered for and any changes.

If you have a current insurance policy, the most recent SPDS will apply to your cover from renewal.

How might the General Exclusion for pandemics and disease impact my Motor Insurance policy?

For most circumstances that might result in a claim this general exclusion is expected to have minimal impact. Some examples of how you would not be able to claim on your motor policy are:

• You have a passenger in your vehicle who is later confirmed as having a disease e.g. Coronavirus. You want to have your vehicle cleaned to insure it is not contaminated. You are not able to claim for this cleaning.
• Your vehicle is parked at a hospital that goes into lock down due to a pandemic spread, you are not able to claim for a hire car while your vehicle is unable to be driven.
• You have had a passenger in your vehicle, and it is later confirmed that you have had the Coronavirus. Your passenger also then contracts the virus from being in the car with you. The passenger is not able to claim under the Section of ‘Third Party Liability Cover’.

How might the General Exclusion for pandemics and disease impact my Boat Insurance policy?

For most circumstances that might result in a claim this general exclusion is expected to have minimal impact. Some examples of how you would not be able to claim on your boat policy are:

• You have a passenger in your boat who is later confirmed as having a disease e.g. Coronavirus. You want to have your boat cleaned to insure it is not contaminated. You are not able to claim for this cleaning.
• You hit a third party’s boat and during the incident you contracted Coronavirus from the other person and will now have to go into mandatory hotel quarantine. You are not able to claim under the Section ‘Temporary accommodation’.
• You have had a passenger in your boat, and it is later confirmed that you have had the Coronavirus. Your passenger also then contracts the virus from being in the boat with you. The passenger is not able to claim under the Section of ‘Third Party Liability Cover’.

Last updated Monday 30/03/2020

Is there an exclusion for pandemics in my Life or Income Insurance policy?

There are no pandemic exclusions on your policy. If you need to make a claim related to a pandemic as with any other claim, you will need to meet the eligibility requirements for your type of cover.

What impact does COVID-19 have on my Life and/or Income Insurance policy?

RACQ Life and Income Protection customers are covered through the pandemic. COVID-19 has no impact on your existing Life and/or Income Insurance cover with us.

I need to make an Income Insurance claim due to COVID-19

To make a claim, your medical practitioner will need to have advised you that you cannot work due to a sickness or injury. Please check your waiting period and the terms and conditions of your Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) for more information.

When you can’t claim on your Income Insurance policy due to COVID-19

If you cannot work due to self-isolation following a request or guidance from your employer, or your work has shut down/closed but your medical practitioner has not advised that you cannot work due to a sickness or injury, you will not be able to make a claim on your policy.

If I haven’t paid my Roadside Assistance policy but my car breaks down, will you still come and help me?

We don’t want any Queenslander to feel stranded on the road during this time; please call our team on 13 11 11 and we’ll discuss how we can help.

What are your patrols doing to stop themselves from getting sick or spreading COVID-19?

Our patrols have implemented additional cleaning and sanitisation processes for their vehicles and are also practicing social distancing. This means that our patrols will wear gloves when interacting with you, won’t shake hands or come within 1.5m of you, and will ask you to place your keys on a safe surface before they collect them from you.

I’m in isolation/have been overseas in the last 14 days/have tested positive for COVID-19, but I need emergency Roadside Assistance. Will you still come and help me at home?

If you’re considered at risk of carrying, or have tested positive to, COVID-19, we will need to take extra precautions before coming to your aid. Please call our team on 13 11 11 and chat through your individual circumstances. We appreciate your honesty and patience during this time.

If I miss paying my Roadside renewal will I lose my status?

We’re allowing temporary lapses of membership without any loss of status. Call our team on 13 1905 to discuss what this means for your individual situation.

Last updated Wednesday 01/04/2020

I have booked a holiday with RACQ Travel, how do I cancel or postpone my travel arrangements?

Our Travel Consultants are addressing each journey in departure date order. If you do not have travel in the next 72 hours, we ask that you delay calling in so we can better support travellers with more imminent needs. If you are travelling from May onwards, we will be in touch with you when more information is available.

I’m currently overseas and require emergency medical assistance; can you help me?

If you hold an RACQ Travel Insurance policy and are currently overseas requiring emergency medical assistance, contact the RACQ Travel Insurance emergency assistance team 24 hours a day on +61 2 8055 1696 (reverse charges accepted from the overseas operator).

I need to lodge a claim on my RACQ Travel Insurance policy, but I can’t get through on the phone?

Our call centre is currently experiencing a high volume of calls. If you need to lodge a claim, the quickest way to start the process is to use the online claim lodgement form. If you have any questions, we recommend you review our FAQs to potentially avoid wait time on the phone.

Last updated Friday 03/04/2020

Has RACQ seen a decline in business?

Our call centres are operating as normal, as are our bank and insurance company, apart from some restrictions on our insurance assessors. Our roadside patrols are still helping our members on the side of the road, however, we have noticed a 25% drop in demand due to so many Queenslanders isolating at home. Unfortunately, Members Travel Group, our joint venture with Hunter Travel Group, has been devastated by the health crisis and a subsequent decline in bookings, leading to the standing down of most of our travel staff until the end of May. However, if you do need to get in touch regarding your travel plans please call 13 1905 to speak to our team.