The parliamentary committee inquiring into the insurance industry’s response to natural disasters has extended the date for submissions and online survey responses to August 12.

The extension from July 15 for people from the eastern states will assist claimants who are awaiting responses from their insurers and may not therefore be in a position to make a submission quickly, House of Representatives Standing Committee on Social Policy and Legal Affairs Chairman Graham Perrett said.

However, submissions from WA will have to be received by Friday to allow for the committee visiting that state early next month.

The inquiry is examining the processing of insurance claims from extreme weather events.

Areas of focus include the information provided to consumers about claims processing arrangements; the timeliness of claims processing; the impact of third-party consultants such as lawyers; and external and internal dispute resolution processes.

So far four submissions from individuals have been published on the committee’s website, and one confidential submission is noted. It could be some weeks before more submissions are published as the committee is in recess until next month.

It is also running an online survey for people to comment on their claims experience, policy coverage and information provided by their insurance company.