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 complete our hardship application form and a member of our Bank team will get in touch to help you.

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 complete our hardship application form 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 complete our hardship application form and we’ll be in touch.

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

For our members who have insurance with us, we’ve already paused premiums from going up on renewals from 10th May 2020 for our motor vehicle insurance policy holders, and we’ve added further discounts to motor premiums from 21st April 2020*.  With less driving and fewer claims, we’re helping members save up to almost $5 million**. If you do have an accident or need to make an insurance claim, we will also work with you to ease the pressure of paying the excess, as we know that could add to the worry of an already stressful time.

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 3months 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’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 (please call us to discuss your circumstances). Additionally, 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, so you should check your Household PDS which can be found at racq.com.  If you would like to make a claim, please contact us on 13 72 02.

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

Recognising many people are currently using their vehicles less, we’ve paused any increases on renewing policies and have also introduced additional reductions that include both renewing and new policies*. It’s also important to remember that if you hold a comprehensive car insurance policy the premium covers your car for theft or damage while it’s parked on the street, your driveway and your garage. It will also cover you for the trips you are making to undertake activities, such as going to the doctor, the supermarket or the park for some exercise and these risks still exist in the current environment.

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?

We are not currently selling new Landlord policies. This means we are unable to issue any new insurance policies if your home is tenanted or if there is a change to existing insurance to tenanted occupancy until further notice. 
If you are a landlord with a current home insurance policy, with the occupancy listed as tenanted, then rest assured there is no impact to your cover.
If you need to help finding another insurance provider, you can contact the National Insurance Brokers Association (NIBA) online, or call them on (02) 9459 4300.

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.