Suncorp and its brands GIO, AAMI and Apia are offering flexible premium options, including discounts of up to 20% or three-month premium waivers, to home and car insurance customers experiencing financial difficulty caused by the COVID-19 crisis.

Policyholders who have lost their job or suffered significantly reduced income because of the pandemic can call the insurer to see if they qualify, Suncorp says.

Existing customers facing hardship who held their policy on or before April 2, including policy renewals, will be eligible for a limited time, Suncorp says. The announcement comes a day after QBE said it would contact its car insurance customers soon with details on how to access vouchers of up to $50, or around a quarter of the average value of premiums for three months.

“We know that thousands of Aussies … will be financially stretched for the next few months,” Suncorp’s AAMI website says. “If you’re among them, we may be able to help.”

Suncorp also says its AAMI brand is offering free roadside assistance to nurses, doctors, paramedics, firefighters and police officers across Australia for rest of the year, helping with flat tyres and batteries, lost or locked-in keys, towing, and 24-hour unlimited roadside callouts.

These frontline workers do not have to be a Suncorp customer.

“Nurses, doctors, paramedics, firefighters and police officers, are continuing to show up to support our communities every day and it’s important we fulfil our role to keep them safe on the roads,” Suncorp CEO Insurance Gary Dransfield said.

Mr Dransfield says Suncorp has been trialling the new “Peace of Mind” package - which also includes free counselling sessions for eligible customers and their families and no policy cancellation fees - for a few weeks and the feedback from policyholders has been “overwhelmingly positive”.

The “practical measures” would provide immediate financial and emotional relief, he said.

Suncorp says staff have helped thousands of customers over the past month who have been impacted by COVID-19.

“While everyone’s situation is unique, we know some short-term relief will go a long way to easing their worries while ensuring they remain insured,” Mr Dransfield said.

The measures do not apply to Landlord, Strata, and Compulsory Third Party (CTP) insurance customers, and Suncorp’s website for its GIO brand says travel, life, health and workers' compensation customers are not eligible.

“We know these are challenging times,” the GIO website says. “We can help you stay covered, with relief options for home, car and business insurance customers who are experiencing hardship.”

In another targeted relief measure, Suncorp’s over 50s brand Apia has partnered with in-home care provider Five Good Friends to offer its customers a complimentary welfare check and remote monitoring service for two months. It will inform family if vulnerable older customers need extra help.

Suncorp has previously announced measures to help small business as well as a $1 million donation to The Smith Family to help students stay digitally connected.

Last week, Youi announced a 15% premium relief for three months to motor customers who are driving less due to COVID-19 while New Zealand insurer Tower is also working out its own refund plan to reflect lower car use.

At IAG, motor customers can change upcoming premium payments from annual to pay-by-the-month, and cancellation fees have been waived.