Before & After the Storm

AFSC offers two hail insurance options:

• Straight Hail Insurance
• Hail Endorsement and Auto-Elect Straight Hail Insurance (as part of Annual Crop Insurance)

Straight Hail Insurance policies are available for purchase until July 31 each year, while Hail Endorsement and Auto-Elect Straight Hail Insurance must by elected along with an annual crop policy by April 30. Hail damage for either product can be reported 24-7 through AFSC Connect.

Before the Storm

AFSC clients can create and save estimates, and purchase Straight Hail Insurance online through AFSC Connect up until July 31 on fields that have not had hail previous damage. Clients who purchase online will receive a two per cent discount on their premium.

Visit AFSC Connect to login or create your online account

Access to Straight Hail Insurance subscriptions in AFSC Connect

If you chose to Auto Elect Straight Hail with your Crop Insurance or purchase Straight Hail throughout the year, you can view your statement of coverage in AFSC Connect.

Authorized Reps for Hail 

You can appoint an authorized representative who can act on your behalf in your absence. This person has the same authority as you; your authorized representative can report damage in your absence, accept percent of loss, and authorize claim documents.  The authorized representative also has access to your AFSC subscriptions in AFSC Connect.

To appoint an authorized representative, you must complete a Third Party Authorized Representative Form

After the Storm

Email Notifications

AFSC will alert hail clients via email of storm activity that may have occurred in the vicinity of their insured fields. In order to receive storm notifications, you will need to sign up for AFSC Client Notifications. To sign up, please go to Sign up for AFSC Communications and select the AFSC information and news that interests you.

Report a Hail Claim online for Hail Endorsement, Straight Hail or both

If you have any type of AFSC hail insurance – Hail Endorsement, Straight Hail or both – you can file hail claims online via AFSC Connect. Online claim reporting provides you with an email confirmation and eliminates the need for you to phone in your hail claim.  It gives you the ability to do your business your way, at any time of the day or night.

AFSC team members can answer questions or help with forms related to your claim or working with AFSC Connect.  Log in to AFSC Connect and chat, call our Client Service Centre at 1.877.899.2372 or your AFSC branch office.

Assess your fields following a storm

A minimum of 10 per cent damage is required to initiate a claim, and there must be at least 10 per cent hail damage on each spot-loss area for those areas to quality for payment.

The hail claim report must be completed within 14 days of the storm to be accepted for inspection by AFSC.

If you plan to put your crop to an alternate use rather than waiting to harvest season (includes silaging, baling, pasturing or plowing down), we recommend giving five days’ notice prior to putting the crop to another use.  This detail can be entered within the online hail claim report or call your AFSC branch office.

On inspection day

• Plan to accompany the adjuster when they arrive or know exactly where to direct them
• Meet the adjuster in the field where the damage is and explain how to access the fields

What is required of AFSC during the inspection?

AFSC’s Adjusters perform inspections in accordance with the AFSC Adjusting Procedure Manual, the Contract of Insurance, AFSC’s Code of Conduct, Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy (FOIP) and directives issued by Inspection Services thus ensuring provincial consistency.

Our Claims Adjusters are committed to providing a fair assessment that compensates our clients for the insurable losses suffered, while maintaining the integrity of the program through:

• Professionalism: as described in AFSC Code of Conduct
• Transparency: clients are invited to accompany Adjusters during the inspection and hear the results and explanation of the assessment
• Openness: Adjusters will answer any questions about the process used to determine crop damage
• Fairness: Adjusters will select locations in the field that accurately represent the field
• Integrity: Adjusters will assess any loss using established methods based on scientific research as described in AFSC’s Adjusting Manual

I am ready to begin harvest but my crop has yet to be inspected

If your crop has not been inspected and you are ready to begin harvest, please contact your AFSC office to obtain approval to leave representative inspection strips. Adjusters will use these strips to assess your crop’s damage, while still allowing you to begin or continue to harvest or swath. These strips are your responsibility to maintain, and they must meet the following criteria:

• Leave a strip in from the field’s edge at a distance of one-third the width of that field.
• Each strip should be a minimum of 10 feet wide and span the full length of the field.
• Fields less than 100 acres require two strips.
• Fields over 100 acres require an additional strip, for a total of three strips.
• Fields that span multiple quarter sections require each quarter section to be treated as separate fields.

Additional information is available on the Inspection Strips Resource page.

Deferrals of your Claim

Indemnity payments can be deferred for up to one year. If you would like to defer payment, please tell your adjuster during the inspection process.

For area based programs, please ensure you have notified AFSC if you want your indemnity payments deferred prior to the payment window.  If your cheque has already been issued, Canada Revenue Agency rules state that your payment cannot be deferred.

When to expect a deferred indemnity

Deferred indemnities will not be issued before the deferral date. Outstanding amounts owed to AFSC will be deducted from your indemnity. Interest begins to accrue on September 1 on any outstanding amount until your deferral is issued.

After the inspection is completed 

Once the adjuster has completed the inspection, it is forwarded for processing and when once finalized, if eligible, an indemnity will be issued.