The number of claims from the Victorian bushfires has risen to more than 1380 and insurers say they are in place to support customers.

Insurance Council of Australia representatives and insurer members are at the Castlemaine Recovery Centre from today to help with the lodgement process.

“The almost 1400 claims include property, commercial, motor and business interruption ... with early indications suggesting 30% of all current property claims are total losses,” the council said.

“Insurers are already processing these claims.”

The fires are the worst to hit Victoria since the 2019-20 Black Summer and millions of dollars in state and federal aid has been promised.

Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan says emergency re-establishment assistance payments will be available from Friday for uninsured people whose homes have been affected.

Insurers’ disaster response teams are on the ground and brokers say they are “getting on the front foot” to help clients with claims.

Ausure Insurance Services has been working with insurer partners such as CGU, Allstate Underwriting, QBE and Allianz.

“We have a significant client presence in some of the affected bushfire areas, specifically the Longwood bushfire, where we have both a Seymour and Euroa office and staff located in those areas,” operations manager Greg Cahill told insuranceNEWS.com.au.

He says a team led by senior broker Teish Kemp has been contacting clients in the area since last Wednesday and worked all weekend offering help and getting claims lodged.

“We’re not waiting for clients to contact us – we’re getting on the front foot, trying to make the insurance side of this devastating event one less thing for them to worry about,” Mr Cahill said.

“The bushfires have left some of our clients devastated, with their family homes and farming businesses destroyed, pets and livestock perished, and sadly a local cattle farmer who passed away in the fires.”

He says Ausure’s insurer partners “have been tremendous in working with our staff to ensure claims are lodged and emergency assistance and temporary accommodation are provided to clients”.

Macedon Ranges Insurance director Kate Fairley told insuranceNEWS.com.au: “We’ve lodged claims with CGU and Allianz. It’s great to have access to online lodgement tools so we don’t have to wait on hold, as wait times have already started to escalate with the influx of claims.”

The Australian Financial Complaints Authority says its significant event response plan has been activated.

“It provides for early communication with relevant stakeholders and a more streamlined, expedited process for the resolution of related complaints,” AFCA said.

The activation comes after ICA declared the fires a significant event.