Oscar Cruz and his mother Sandra Vanegas sustained roof damage to their home during a storm on January 5 this year.

Rain poured "like a waterfall" down the walls and through light fixtures.

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The family contacted CommInsure, which sent out a restorer to help prevent mould forming where the house had been drenched. They ripped up large sections of carpet in the two bedrooms and removed sections of the walls.

They said although the damage was "extensive" there is no guarantee the insurer would reimburse them, and Oscar and Sandra signed a form acknowledging that.

After months of silence, Oscar called the insurer last week only to be told that their claim would be denied. The insurer said this was due to a poorly maintained roof.

"I found out by calling the insurance [company] that our claim had been denied, they didn't even tell us. It could have gone on several more months without telling us what happened," Oscar said.

Oscar, 26, has Duchenne muscular dystrophy and he requires daily care, with his house specifically tailored to his needs. The ripped carpet now makes using the hoist to get him in and out of bed dangerous for him and his carer.

While he agrees that his policy says the house must be maintained, he feels hard done by. "How are you supposed to know you have to fix the roof?" he said.

Oscar and Sandra have since filed a complaint with the insurer, but the single income family face a hefty $10,000 refurbishment bill. This has filled Sandra with "anxiety and stress".

"I have a lot of worry, because my budget is not great at the best of times," she said. "I'm not going to fix the roof, I can't afford it."

The family had recently redecorated the house after years of saving, Sandra said, and the ripped carpet is only four years old.

Oscar thinks CommInsure is doing everything it can to avoid paying his family.

"$9750 for an insurance company is a very light change for them, they're a billion-dollar corporation," he said.

Oscar is "raging at the injustice of it all" and angry at the way their claim was handled.

"In the end, it's a warning for people to check your policy," Oscar said.

A CommInsure spokesperson agreed that there was a "gap in service" when communicating with Oscar and Sandra.

They said CommInsure "remain committed to working with" the family "to help resolve their concerns".

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