What you get with Direct Line Essential pet insurance
Direct Line Essential pet insurance is designed to help with unexpected injuries and short term illnesses. Our cover is there to make it easier to get the help you need if your pet gets ill or has an accident.
- Up to £4,000 vet fees per condition
Get up to £4,000 towards vet fees for each condition your pet has, for up to 12 months from the first date of treatment. We can also pay your vet directly. - Money back when you use Pet Drugs Online
Direct Line have partnered with Pet Drugs Online, so each time you use them to fill out your vet's prescription you can claim back up to £15 from us, while getting discounted medication and more.
Save with Pet Drugs Online - 24/7 free online vet access with PawSquad
Free access to PawSquad, offering live chat and video calls with UK vets who can answer your questions. Text chat with the option to upload images too. - 25% off in your first year when you buy online
Introductory discount applied over the first 12 months.
Why insure your pet with Direct Line?
We understand that your pet is part of the family and it can be very stressful if something happens to them. We'll help you look after them if they get sick or hurt, because an emergency trip to the vet can cost thousands of pounds. Not everyone has this money to hand.
Pet insurance from Direct Line can help with any unexpected vet bills. We offer Dog insurance as well as Cat insurance, which are designed to give you peace of mind and help keep your pet healthy and happy.
Summary of cover
What our pet insurance cover has to offer and the upper limits you can claim.
| Cover | Amount |
|---|---|
| Vet fee limit | Up to £4,000 for each new, eligible condition (injury or illness) |
| Time limit | 12 months from the first date of treatment for each new, eligible condition (injury or illness) |
| Complementary treatment | Included in the overall vet fee limit, with additional limits for hydrotherapy and physiotherapy |
| Hydrotherapy and physiotherapy limits | Up to 15 sessions each of physiotherapy and hydrotherapy (max £40 per session) |
| Consultation fee limit | Up to £75 towards consultation fees for each separate visit |
| Out of hours consultation fee limit | Up to £200 towards additional out of hours fees for each separate visit |
Multi-pet discount
Save 12.5% if you have more than one pet to insure on the same policy
Many people have more than one pet in their family. If you have multiple four-legged friends, our policy lets you insure them all together on one policy with a combined monthly premium and one renewal date.
If you're an existing customer, add new pets at any time by giving us a call on 0345 246 1892, and they'll be covered straight away.
Multi-pet discount is introductory and applies for the first 12 months of the policy.
Get a quote
Protect your pet round the clock with 24/7 online access to a qualified vet
Free access to PawSquad, offering live chat and video calls with UK vets who can answer your questions.
- 24/7 advice from a UK qualified vet wherever you are
- Video calls enabling vets to see your pet face-to-face
- Text chat with the option to upload images
Make your money go further with Pet Drugs Online and Direct Line
- Claim back up to £15 from us each time you fill out a prescription using our partner, Pet Drugs Online.
- Lower medication costs take the pressure off your vet fee limit, which can be especially helpful for ongoing treatments.
- Discounted pet food, toys and general health products.
Start saving with Pet Drugs Online
This partnership is not an endorsement of Pet Drugs Online. You should always talk to your vet about what your pet needs.
Make a claim
Claim online
It's quick and easy to make a claim online. Once we've got all the details, we'll contact your vet directly wherever possible.
Or if you prefer, you can send us a paper form or talk to us over the phone.
Make a claimHow do pet insurance claims work?
There are two main ways that you can claim, depending on what your vet and you decide.
We pay you. You pay the vet bill and then make your claim. We'll then refund you this cost minus the excess.
We pay the vet. After you make a claim, we'll pay the vet directly, minus any excess, which you must pay to the vet.
You can set the excess amount when you take out your policy. You'll then pay this each time you make an eligible claim.
Learn morePet insurance tips, FAQs and policy documents
Download pet insurance policy documents
-
Policy document
Updated 22nd June 2026 -
Your vet fee claim pack
Updated 22nd June 2026 -
Essential pet insurance IPID
Updated 22nd June 2026 -
Advanced pet insurance IPID
Updated 22nd June 2026
I can't find information on my pet's cover
At the moment we only offer Essential cover. Have a different Pet product with us? You can find what you need in your policy booklet. If you're still stuck, please visit our help page.
What can impact my premium?
- Pet age. The older your pet gets, the more expensive your cover is likely to be. This is because your pet is more prone to chronic medical conditions in its later years.
- Rising vet fees. Various things can make fees go up or down, but some factors can lead to a constant increase (e.g. advances in the technology your vet uses).
- Breed. Some breeds are more expensive to insure as they're more susceptible to certain medical conditions.
- Claims. If you make a claim it is likely to impact your premium the following year.
- IPT. If Insurance Premium Tax either increases or decreases, insurance premiums are impacted.
- Discounts. Our introductory discounts, for example online and multi-pet only apply for the first year of your policy, so your premium may increase after renewal.
Frequently asked questions
We don't provide 'lifetime' cover, but our Essential policy covers each new, eligible condition (illness or injury) up to £4,000, for a total of 12 months once treatment starts.
Pre-existing conditions include any illness or injury that started before your policy - anything your pet has already shown signs of, been diagnosed with or been treated for. Keep in mind that in some cases, the original condition may have gone unnoticed and untreated. Also, a 'new' health problem can sometimes be a new form of a past condition, even if it affects a different part of your pet's body.
If you were unaware of your pet's condition when you took out your policy, then hereditary and congenital conditions are covered. As with any illness or disease, your pet must not be exhibiting any signs or symptoms of the condition prior to or within 14 days of the cover starting.
When you get in touch, one of our Claims Advisors will let you know approximately how long your claim will take to process. As long as we have all the information required, and you claim within the terms of the policy, we will settle a claim as quickly as possible.
Direct Line has partnered with PawSquad to give customers access to their 24/7 vet advice line for maximum peace of mind that fits around you. Qualified vets are available to discuss any problem, anytime, by video appointment or text chat with images.
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