Pet Insurance

Does my pet need to be vaccinated?

We advise that your pet receives vaccinations and boosters as recommended by your veterinary surgeon. However if your pet isn't vaccinated for whatever reason, your helpucover Pet Insurance cover is still valid except for those conditions vaccination would have prevented.

If my pet becomes very old or very ill, will you still offer
to insure him or her?

Dogs can be accepted up to the age of 8, cats up to 10 and rabbits up to 5. Once insured you may continue your pet's cover for life with annual renewals so that no matter how ill your pet becomes or however many claims you make, your maximum benefit will be fully reinstated when you renew your policy.

If I insure more than one pet is there a discount?

If you insure two or more pets you will receive one month's free premium per policy every year! You will need to apply for each pet separately, but make a note of the policy number you are given for the first policy as you will be prompted to quote this for the following applications.

How long do claims take to be paid?

Provided your claim form is completed correctly and accompanied by any necessary supporting documentation, your claim will be processed on the day we receive it and paid within a further three working days - ideally directly into your or your vet's bank account.

Why do premiums vary according to species, breed,
location and age?

Different pets in different parts of the country represent different risks for an insurer. helpucover Pet Insurance is committed to charging the right price for the right risk - so you would not be subsidising the premiums of owners with higher risk pets in more expensive areas.

Is there an excess to pay when I claim?

Yes, there is an excess payable for each condition claimed each policy year. This amount forms part of your quote and as with your premium, is also based on your pet's species, breed, age and where they live.

Could I ever run out of cover?

Depending on the level of cover you choose we will pay up to £6,000, £4,000 or £2,000 veterinary fees for dogs or cats and up to £2,000 for rabbits in a policy year. When you renew your policy your veterinary fees benefit level will be fully reinstated - so you will never permanently run out of cover.

Do you cover diet food?

helpucover Pet Insurance will contribute 25% of the cost of a clinical diet recommended by your vet, for a maximum period of six months. We will not pay for diet food for weight loss though.

My dog was free, is his insurance cheaper?

Most of your premium goes towards providing your veterinary fees benefit and the factors influencing the cost here are the age of your pet, where you live and the breed - not necessarily whether he or she was free, a gift or a Crufts Supreme champion!

Is proof of purchase price always needed?

We would need to know how much you paid for your pet if you unfortunately have to claim loss or death benefits. Without a purchase receipt we would only pay you the market value of your pet. This is the price generally paid for an animal of the same age, breed and pedigree at the time you obtained your pet. Proof of purchase is especially important where you may have paid more for your pet than would be expected for the breed.

Would previous problems be covered?

We cannot cover conditions that have been treated or are manifest before you take out your policy. Some conditions, however, may have completely resolved. If you feel we have excluded a pre-existing condition unfairly you may contact us to discuss the matter.

Would you insure a deaf and / or blind animal?

Yes, although if the deafness or blindness meant ongoing treatment we could not cover the cost of that. Any new illnesses or accidents would be covered, as long as they are not as a result of their existing condition.

Do you pay for dental treatment?

If your pet requires dental treatment we would pay as long as your pet has been insured under the policy for at least 2 years and no dental treatment has been recommended during this time and your pet's teeth are regularly checked at annual intervals. We will not pay for routine checkups however or elective or cosmetic dentistry.

Would milk teeth be covered if they don't come out naturally?

Yes, provided your pet is insured before they are 16 weeks old and your vet recommends that they should be removed.

Would you pay for neutering?

If your vet recommends your pet is neutered for medical or behavioural problems your insurance will cover the cost. We do not cover elective castration or spaying.

Do you cover phantom pregnancies?

Yes. If these are persistent and your vet recommends spaying, we would also cover the cost of neutering in this instance.

Would a flea infestation be covered?

We would expect you to take the necessary preventative measures to prevent problems with fleas. Your insurance would not cover this.

Do you cover epilepsy?

Yes. As long as the first episode doesn't predate the start of your helpucover Pet Insurance policy or occur within the first 28 days.

Am I covered for veterinary fees as soon as I take out cover?

Cover for accidental injury is immediate. However illness, including poisoning is covered after the first 14 days of the policy.

Am I covered if my pet has behavioural problems?

Yes, providing the first episode doesn't predate the start of your helpucover Pet Healthcare policy and the treatment is carried out by a qualified veterinary surgeon or an approved professional organisation following a vet's instruction.

Our Customer Service

We take great pride in the quality of service that we deliver but things can go wrong. It is important that you contact us if you are unhappy with any aspect of your experience with helpucover in order that we can look into it for you.

Once you have we will try to respond and resolve your concerns within 24 hours. Where that is not possible then we will write to you acknowledging your complaint. That letter will contain

We will always ensure that you receive an explanation for our actions and that any solution we suggest is a fair one, taking account of all of the circumstances. Occasionally this will mean our investigations will take longer than we would like.

If that is the case we will

The Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) are an independent organisation that can consider your complaint if you are unhappy with our final response. Once you receive our final decision letter or the letter advising you that you can approach FOS you can contact them at

Telephone 0800 0 234 567 (free if calling from a fixed line) or 0300 123 9 123 (free for mobile phone users paying a monthly charge for calls to 01 or 02 numbers).

A leaflet setting out full details of the Financial Ombudsman Service will be provided to you at the appropriate time.

Contacting Us

We want our customers to be happy with our policies and will welcome any feedback you have. To ensure everybody can contact us in the way that they feel most comfortable you can raise your complaint in the following ways

Whatever way you decide to contact us, we would ask that you have a policy or claim number available in order that we can locate your details as quickly as possible.

When writing could you also please ensure you include a description of your concerns, copies of any relevant documents and tell us what you feel is needed to put things right. If you would like one of our Customer Relations team to call you please mention this in your letter/e-mail.

The parties to this contract are free to choose the law applicable to it. If you live in Scotland, Northern Ireland, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man you may choose to commence legal proceedings in your local courts. In any other cases unless there is agreement to the contrary English law will apply.

The helpucover plan is underwritten by Pinnacle Insurance plc.