Direct Line offers pet insurance for dogs and cats. The insurer says that as no two pets are the same, its Essential and Advanced cover options can both be customised to suit each animal. What’s more, it also offers a 12.5% discount for insuring more than one pet under a pet policy. Here’s what else we think you should know.
Direct Line began in 1985 and sold car insurance. Since then, it has branched out to pet, van, travel, landlord and home insurance.
This award-winning company’s Advanced cover is 5-star Defaqto-rated when purchased with all the optional extras on offer.
| Cover benefits | Essential cover | Advanced cover |
|---|---|---|
| Veterinary fees for each condition | Up to £4,000 | Up to £8,000 |
| Time limit for each condition | 12 months from the date of the initial treatment | No time limits applied |
| Accidents, injuries and disease cover (including dental accidents) | ✓ | ✓ |
| Dental disease cover | X | Up to £1,000 |
| Complementary treatments | ✓ | ✓ |
| Euthanasia | X | Up to £100 |
| Online chat and video services with vets 24/7 | ✓ | ✓ |
| Legal advice and helpline for bereaved pet owners | ✓ | ✓ |
Direct Line has several general exclusions that could result in you being unable to make a claim. Some of these include:
Your excess is the amount of money you’re expected to pay if you have to make a claim on insurance.
For example, to cover veterinary fees, you may need to pay an amount towards the cost of treatment for each illness or injury.
Check your own policy document to see if any excess applies.
To make a claim, there are three ways to get in touch with Direct Line. To make a claim over the phone, call 0345 246 8496. Lines are open 8am-6pm every week day and 9am-5pm on Saturdays. To claim online, visit the Direct Line website and complete the online claims form. You can also download and print the claims form, complete it and post it back to:
Pet Claims
Leeds Processing Centre,
42 The Headrow
Leeds,
LS1 8HZ
Alternatively, you can scan the form and email it back to petclaimreturn@ukipartnerships.com
It’s vital that you let your insurer know about a claim as soon as possible. Failure to do this could result in a delay or a rejected claim later on.
Finder scores, in blue, are based on our expert analysis. We also show reviews from users, where we've received more than 10, with a score in yellow. We gather more reviews from customers every year in Finder's customer satisfaction survey.
To find out more, read our full methodology.
See the full results of our independent customer satisfaction survey of 750 pet insurance customers – who’s the top dog?
In need of pet insurance? Read our review of LV= and find out what options it offers.
Compare and review Argos’ pet insurance policies. Find out if it has the right cover for you and your pet, and how to save on your policy.
A list of popular pet insurers, A to Z.
Review and compare Sainsbury’s pet insurance and find the right cover for your cat or dog.
Compare dog insurance policies from a range of insurers and find cover for your pup today.