When making a pet insurance claim you'll be asked for:
- Your policy number
- A brief description of the problem
- The name and contact details of your vet
During the festive season
- Christmas Eve & New Year's Eve 8am - 4pm
- Christmas Day, Boxing Day & New Year's Day CLOSED
Otherwise it's business as usual, and our 24 hour advice line is still open 24 hours.
Claim online
The quickest and easiest way to make a claim.
Let's get startedOn paper
Download this form, fill it in and email it or post it back to us.
Download formOn the phone
Opening hours:
- Mon - Fri 8am - 6pm
- Sat 9am - 5pm
- Sun Closed
Calls may be recorded. Maximum call charge from a BT landline is 3p per minute. Calls from other networks may vary.
- Any ongoing claims will be covered up to the limit on your current pet insurance plan.
- Your pet is only covered if your policy remains in force. Vet bills for ongoing conditions are only covered if the treatment arises during a period of insurance where the premium has been paid.
- A pre-existing condition is any condition or symptoms, or signs of injury or illness, that happen or exist in any form before the pet was covered by this insurance.
- Before taking out insurance, make sure pre-existing conditions are covered. Remember, once a pet starts having treatment for an ongoing condition it will be classified as a pre‐existing condition if you take out a new policy or change insurer.
- Submit your claim
You’ll get an email to confirm we’ve received it. - We'll contact your vet
Your vet will provide the information needed for your claim. This typically takes 10 days or less. - Hear from us within 5 days
Once we get the information we need, we'll look at your claim and contact you within five working days.
- Connected with, or a recurrence of, a pre-existing condition, symptom or event unless fully declared and accepted as covered in writing.
- The condition’s time or monetary limit has been reached.
- Relating to any illness or disease arising during the first 14 days of cover.
- Connected to behavioural problems or traits.
- The cost of preventative, non-essential or routine treatment.
- Your pet is being used for, or claims arising from the use of your pet for commercial, guard, breeding, gun dog use, security or working purposes or for racing, unless agreed by us.
The above is only a summary of some of the exclusions. Please refer to the policy wording for the full policy terms and conditions.
Useful services to help you care for your pet
24/7 online access to a vet
Free access to PawSquad, offering live chat and video calls with qualified UK vets.
Go to PawSquadSave money on your pet's medication
Pet Drugs Online could save you money on medication, food and routine treatment.
Frequently asked questions
Any illness or disease that happens during the first 14 days of the policy or any condition that is present before the start date of the policy would not be covered. This includes recurrence of any illness, disease or injury that was present before cover started or that occurred during the first 14 days of your pet being covered.
It doesn’t cover any preventative, non‐essential or routine treatments or tests, such as flea treatment, neutering and vaccination, behavioural problems, pregnancy, food and any costs that, as a pet owner, you would normally expect to pay.
There is also no cover for any claim that results from an incident covered by other insurance, for example Third Party Liability.
Treatment for dental disease and Euthanasia are not covered under our Essential Policy.
Please refer to the policy wording for full details of what is and isn’t covered.
The excess is the part of the claim you must pay. For veterinary fees an excess applies once per condition and is currently £80 for cats and £95 for dogs. There is also an optional voluntary excess – currently £160 for cats and £190 for dogs. If you choose this optional excess, your premium will be lower.
There is an excess for material damage to property under section 7 - Third Party Liability. This is £250.
If you have any other excess applied to your policy this will be detailed in a separate endorsement letter or appear on your schedule.
At present we don’t increase the excess as your pet ages. The excess is taken once per condition and is deducted from the claims settlement.
We’re happy to send claim payments directly to your vet, as long as they’re happy for us to do so. You can tell us who should receive the claim payment on the claim form. If you would like us to pay your veterinary practice directly, you should pay the excess to the practice first.
There are three ways to start your claim:
- Use our secure online portal. Just complete the form and we’ll get back to you.
- Call us on 0345 246 8496
- Download the Pet Insurance claim form and email or post it to:
petclaimreturn@ukipartnerships.com
Or
Direct Line Pet Insurance
Pet Claims
Leeds Processing Centre
42 The Headrow
Leeds
LS1 8HZ.
We don’t offer a no claims discount on the premium for pet insurance. This is because we don’t want to discourage owners from taking their pet to see a vet and claiming for necessary treatment just to save money on their premium.