The events of recent months have shown that insurance is the most effective way to help people who have suffered damage through accidents and extreme weather conditions.
The events of recent months have shown that insurance is the most effective way to help people who have suffered damage through accidents and extreme weather conditions. Aviva has made over 24,000 payments from life insurance policies and 19,000 from property insurance. Our policy holders have reported around 4,500 cases of damage caused by the elements.
In the first half of 2010, Aviva Life Insurance Society paid out to customers close to PLN 102 million in insurance payments, which is PLN 20 million higher than in the same period in the previous year. In total, over 24,000 pay outs were made on individual and group insurance policies. Among these were payments to the relatives of the many victims of the Smolensk catastrophe. The highest payment due to death in this period was PLN 665,000, while PLN 510,000 was paid out for a disability resulting from an accident.
“As a result of the streamlining of the payment process, the average time for reviewing insurance claims was shortened to nine calendar days,” says Maciej Jankowski, Aviva president in Poland.
Gross contributions rose by 5% compared to the first half year 2009.
“We collected more contributions both for individual and group insurance. We also observed a gradual increase in interest in single-contribution investment policies. Assets invested by our customers are also increasing,” underlines Maciej Jankowski.
In the first half of the year Aviva introduced the Be Healthy medical package, which provides access to specialist doctors and modern diagnosis in private clinics throughout Poland. It is available both as a separate product and as an addition to New Perspective individual life insurance and group insurance policies.
Aviva Towarzystwa Ubezpieczeń na Życie SA results:
| Position | 1st half year 2009 (‘000 PLN) | 1st half year 2010 (‘000 PLN) |
| Gross contributions | 818,744 | 861,917 |
| Revenue from deposits | 305,109 | 268,908 |
| Insurance activity costs | 162,636 | 184,575 |
| Technical result | 233,616 | 218,237 |
| Gross financial result | 341,959 | 349,470 |
| Net financial result | 294,793 | 306,902 |
| Deposits | 12,206,434 | 12,657,874 |
In the first half of 2010 Aviva Towarzystwo Ubezpieczeń Ogólnych SA paid out over PLN 61m in damages and benefits to policy holders. The company made over 19,000 payments compared to 10,000 in the first half of 2009.
“The increase comes from the increasing scale of operations, particularly in car insurance and an increasing number of severe weather events. Our policy holders have reported around 4500 cases of damage caused by the elements. In order to service them we have employed additional staff and assessors. Our staff, insurance advisors and the company itself have provided direct material help to those affected, for example by purchasing special dryers,” underlines Maciej Jankowski.
Aviva is consistently increasing its share in the property insurance market, which is confirmed by both a growth in contributions and the number of customers. The number of active policies at the end of the first half of the year was in excess of 237,000, compared to 160,000 the year before. Growth occurred in all main business lines – the number of individual customer policies (not including car insurance) grew from 78,000 to 94,000, car insurance policies grew from 79,000 to 138,000, while corporate insurance grew from just under 4,000 to over 5,000.
Contributions from car insurance in the first half of 2010 stood at PLN 64 compared to PLN 40.7 million for the same period in the previous year.
“We fully achieved the planned level of gross contributions from the direct channel. The group of customers is also growing who, besides buying obligatory third-party insurance, also buy other insurance, in particular fully comprehensive. In the first half of 2010, this group accounted for 43% of customers compared to 33% the year before. Our customers are increasingly aware that fully comprehensive insurance with assistance offers them an expected level of protection,” says Maciej Jankowski.
"Aviva is continuing the development of its sales channels and customer service, testimony to which are the new services for customers introduced in the first half of 2010: Autocasco Economic mini comprehensive insurance and W podróży short-term travel insurance. We are working consistently on the further development of our range of products available by telephone and internet,” says Maciej Jankowski.
The negative technical and financial result stems from the investment in the development of property insurance sales, including through the direct platform.
Aviva Towarzystwa Ubezpieczeń na Życie SA results:
| Position | 1st half year 2009 (‘000 PLN) | 1st half year 2010 (‘000 PLN) |
| Gross contributions | 98,817 | 122,389 |
| Revenue from deposits | 5,025 | 7,682 |
| Insurance activity costs | 43,668 | 55,759 |
| Technical result | 27,757 | 46,970 |
| Gross financial result | - 21,864 | - 39,788 |
| Net financial result | - 21,864 | - 39,681 |
| Deposits | 181,474 | 230,250 |
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For further information please contact:
Bohdan Białorucki, press officer
Telephone: (22) 557 43 41 / 501 781 140
E-mail: bohdan.bialorucki@aviva.pl
Grzegorz Mathea
Telephone: (22) 557 43 70
E-mail: grzegorz.mathea@aviva.pl
Notes to editors:
Aviva is the sixth largest insurance group in the world and the market leader in the United Kingdom. The group operates in 28 countries in Europe, North America and Asia, serving 53 million customers, achieving annual revenues of £50 billion and managing assets worth £380 billion.
Aviva has been operating in Poland since 1992 (up to May 2009 as Commercial Union) The company is one of the pioneers of modern life insurance and is a pension fund leader in terms of assets The company also offers investment products, property insurance for companies, group life insurance and employee retirement programs It serves 3.5 million customers and manages assets worth PLN 60 billion.
Additional information: www.aviva.pl, www.avivainvestors.pl, www.aviva.com