EQC explained

Who are they?

The Earthquake Commission – Toka Tū Ake EQC is a government body that help cover insurance claims for residential homes and land in the wake of certain types of natural disasters. They were established in 1945 and began as the Earthquake and War Damage Commission. Their mission is to provide insurance relief to help communities recover after certain types of natural disasters, like:

• Earthquakes
• Landslips
• Volcanoes
• Tsunamis
• Hydrothermal activity

So if your home is damaged by any of these natural disasters, the EQC will help towards the cost of rebuilding – and other insurers, like Tower, look after the rest.

How does it work?

A portion of your house and landlord insurance premium goes towards the EQC. This money is collected in a levy. Every insurer collects this levy and passes it on to the EQC. As a government insurance, it’s all about Kiwis helping Kiwis. And makes sure we’re prepared in case of some natural disasters.

Changes are coming

There are some changes happening to the amount of the EQC cap and levy that will make a difference to everyone who’s a homeowner. So watch the video below or read on for more information.

From 1 October 2022, the EQC are increasing the amount they’ll pay out in cases of certain types of natural disasters to $300K per household – double what it used to be. So we all need to make a bigger contribution to make it work.

This means you may see your house insurance premiums going up. This is something that’s happening for all New Zealanders, no matter who your insurer is.

To find out more about the change, visit tower.co.nz/eqc or the EQC’s website for information on what they do for all of us in times of need.