Aviva will underwrite its own pet insurance from 1 August, in a move that recognises the value many of the UK’s 15 million cat and dog owners place on protecting their pets.
- Three tiers of cover for cats and dogs
Aviva will underwrite its own pet insurance from 1 August, in a move that recognises the value many of the UK’s 15 million cat and dog owners1 place on protecting their pets.
Simon Warsop, business development director at Aviva, said: “For many of us, our pets are ‘one of the family’. However, in the current climate, affording medical treatment for your pet is an extra worry that most of us could do without. Pet insurance offers peace of mind to those who are concerned about the welfare of their pet and want to ensure that should their cat or dog need medical treatment, they can do what’s best for them.
“Aviva has been selling pet insurance for years. And with 14 million customers in the UK who trust us with their car, home and life insurance, we felt it was right to underwrite pet insurance ourselves, recognising the concern millions of pet owners have over medical costs for their pet.
“We know that pet owners worry about finding policies that will cover recurring medical conditions. So, for existing customers with Aviva and new customers from their first renewal, their cat or dog will continue to be insured for the cost of vet's fees for treatment of illness and injury for as long as the policy is renewed - no matter what age he or she reaches.”
Pet insurance from Aviva offers three levels of cover to choose from so customers can select the cover limits that best suit their needs. Cover starts from as little as £5.50 a month2 and there is no upper age limit for vet fees.
Pet owners can get up to 10% off when buying online at www.aviva.co.uk/pet-insurance. Aviva also offers an additional 10% discount for insuring more than one pet.
Existing customers will be advised that on renewal, they have the option to continue their cover with Aviva as the underwriter.
Breakdown of cover elements for Silver, Gold and Platinum pet insurance3
The Silver policy offers cover against:
- Veterinary fees**
- Pets taken ill abroad
- Third party liability***
- Cremation/burial costs
- Behavioural problems
In addition to the Silver cover, the Gold policy offers:
- The cost to recover stolen or straying pets – including local advertising and the cost of a suitable reward
- Kennel fees should the policy holder be hospitalised
- £1,000 holiday cancellation should they have to cancel or cut short a holiday due to a pet-related illness
- Death from illness or accident
The Platinum policy is Aviva’s premium pet insurance policy, which provides increased limits to those of the Gold policy for death from illness, death from accident, recovery costs and theft. In addition, there are increased limits for holiday cancellation and veterinary fees:
- Up to £2,000 for holiday cancellation
- Up to £6,500 per year on veterinary fees
All policies also provide support helplines* to assist with; 24-hour bereavement counselling, 24-hour pet legal advice and healthcare away from home. Additionally, policy holders can access a pet minder service, enabling them to locate a nationally registered dog minder who can look after their dog for a few hours or even a few weeks if they go away.
To find out more about pet insurance direct from Aviva visit: www.aviva.co.uk
-ends-
If you are a journalist and would like further information, please contact:
Sally Richards - Aviva Press Office
Telephone: +44 (0)1603 684225 / +44 (0)7789 270677
Email: sally.richards@aviva.co.uk
Notes to editors:
1 According to Datamonitor report UK Pet Insurance 2011
2 Quote based on: female medium mongrel aged less than one, based in Norwich
3 For full policy information detailing the levels of cover and conditions please visit: www.aviva.co.uk
* Support helplines
Healthcare away from home: 0845 850 0268
Bereavement counselling: 0870 162 8153
Pet legal: 0870 162 8153
Pet minders: 0845 850 0268
** Veterinary fees:
Aviva will pay up to £1,500 per period of insurance under Aviva pet insurance - Silver, £3,500 per period of insurance under Aviva pet insurance - Gold and £6,500 per period of insurance under Aviva pet insurance – Platinum, for the costs for the necessary treatment of your pet by a vet for any accident, injury, illness or disease covered by this insurance. (Preventative and elective treatment, routine examination, vaccination. No cover for illness or disease in the first 10 days, or for pre-existing conditions, dentistry exclusions apply)
*** Third party liability
All policies offer legal liability up to 1,000,000 if someone is accidentally injured or killed or their property is accidentally damaged as a result of an incident involving your dog.
Conditions
Policy holders of Aviva pet insurance must ensure that pets receive regular annual check-ups and the required annual vaccinations.
The Aviva pet insurance Silver, Gold and Platinum insurance policies are underwritten by Aviva Insurance Services UK Limited. Registered Office 8 Surrey Street, Norwich, Norfolk NR1 3NG.
Policies continue to be arranged and administered by BDML Connect Limited. (Registered No 2785540) registered in England, at The Connect Centre, Kingston Crescent, Portsmouth PO2 8QL
About Aviva
Aviva is the world’s sixth largest* insurance group. We provide more than 53 million customers with insurance, savings and investment products with total worldwide sales in 2010 of £47.1 billion**.
We are the UK’s largest insurer with 19 million customers and one in three households has a relationship with us. Our combination of life, health and general insurance is unique in its scale and breadth in the UK market. Customers can choose to buy our products through intermediaries, our corporate partners or from Aviva direct and we have become the partner of choice for many of the UK’s biggest organisations.
We are ranked as one of the UK’s top 10 most valuable brands and Aviva plc are in the top 10% of socially responsible companies globally in the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index. In 2010 we invested £4.3 million into our communities in the UK, which included 1,500 Aviva volunteers giving 24,000 hours for good causes. In addition, our employees gave £600,000 through fundraising and donating. Read our corporate responsibility report at www.aviva.com/2010cr.
Aviva is working in partnership with Railway Children through the Aviva Street to School programme to get children living or working on UK streets back into everyday life. Find out more at www.aviva.co.uk/street-to-school.
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*based on gross worldwide premiums at 31 December 2010.
**at 31 December 2010.