Insurance co-op offers incentives for upkeep of premiums

An insurance cooperative on Monday encouraged homeowners to maintain their insurance policies, as it offers incentives to policyholders in a promotion to mark Tuesday’s start of the hurricane season.

Co-operators General Insurance’s Human Resources and Marketing Manager, Cheryl Forde, made the call at the launch of Co-operators General Hurricane Preparedness promotion, which runs from June 1 to November 30, the last official day of the cyclonic season.

During the launch of the promotion, which will see current and new policyholders gain entry forms for chances to win prizes from free groceries to free Multichoice TV channels for six months and others, Forde revealed it has been a testing time for policyholders to keep up with their premiums but said various forms of financial assistance have been offered to clients.

“You know because of the financial situation, persons were not able to really adequately pay for their premiums, so we have been trying to come up with a payment plan for those persons who were not able to make those payments,” said Forde. “We were able to help by increasing the payment months or even by working out a special plan for them.

“We know it has been hard, and we understand what is happening to a lot of persons, especially in the hotel [who] have lost their jobs. That is why we want to do this.”

In the face of the oncoming hurricane season, Forde said it was important for Barbadians to have insurance in the event of any damage to their property which would make their current situation worse.

Forde declared: “I want Barbadians to be prepared, we have been through a lot. Not that we are different than anyone else, but we have a little unique island here, and we want you to be prepared.

“Let’s start looking at cleaning up our surroundings, cutting down the trees, stocking up on supplies and water because we have had enough. We have had the COVID, we have had the ash fall, we don’t know what will happen, but it keeps being said that the [hurricane season] will be active.”

The Co-operators General Hurricane Preparedness promotion will give policyholders chances to win prizes from Carter’s General Store, EZ Pave, JG’s Wholesale, Trowel Plastics and MCTV. (SB)