Financial support and information if you have been affected by Coronavirus
(COVID-19)
FAQs
If you've been, or are expecting to be, financially affected due to Coronavirus, we're here to help.
We're enabling our Policyholders to apply for a Payment Deferral (also known as a “payment holiday”) of your premium payment. We've set out below all the relevant information in relation to our COVID-19 financial assistance initiatives, so please check to see if you're eligible to apply.
To make your application you can contact us by telephone on 0345 200 3465.
We'll update this section regularly with any further financial assistance information as the COVID-19 situation develops and in line with any further requirements for insurers from the Financial Conduct Authority (“FCA”).
How will the new FCA guidance to insurers help me?
We're enabling Policyholders to apply for a Payment Deferral for those who are or who expect to be in temporary financial difficulty as a result of COVID-19.
If you're going to miss, or have missed a payment, you can apply for a payment deferral. If eligible, all of the deferred premium payments will be collected at the end of the agreed deferral period. This means that we'll collect from your account all deferred premium payments in one go, in addition to the next scheduled premium payment for that month. So, you should ensure that your future financial situation will enable you to make these future, increased, premium payments.
Make a claim
Need to make a claim on your pet insurance? Get all the information you need to make it simple and stress-free – and help us process it as quickly as possible.
collapsed How to make a claim: a step by step guide
Veterinary Treatment
If your pet’s received veterinary treatment and you need to make a claim, don't worry - we’re here to help. Here’s what to do:
Step 1
Claiming is easy - login to your My Pet Portal and go to the make a claim section. You’ll need your vet's email address and you will need to answer a few easy questions. We’ll take over the rest.
Once you submit your vet fees claim in My Pet Portal a secure link will be sent to your vet.
Don’t worry if you haven’t registered for the My Pet Portal yet. It only takes a few minutes and we’ll help if you need any support. Register for My Pet Portal.
Step 2
Over to your vet - your vet will now have the online "My Pet Portal" request.
Your vet will provide details about the claim, invoice and medical history and send this back to us on your behalf.
Step 3
Once we have your new claim you’ll get an SMS (if you opted in) to let you know we've received the claim.
Our Claims team will process your claim within 3 to 5 working days.
What can cause delays?
Sometimes we get incomplete information back or no invoice and this might hold up your claim.
For your first new claim we'll want to see your pet's medical history. If this isn’t included, this may cause delays.
Don't worry - if we're missing anything we need we’ll be on the case straight away – and send out a request for the missing information.
And remember - our experienced Claims team are here to help with any problems.
Step 4
Claims decision made - If your claim is accepted we'll notify you via the portal and you'll receive funds within 5 working days, which can be paid to the vet or to you, your choice. If you've asked us to pay your vet, we'll contact you and your vet to confirm a payment has been made.
Sometimes we do not cover all the costs. Things like your excess (if applicable) will be deducted. If you’ve asked us to pay your vet, we’ll contact you and your vet to confirm a payment has been made.
For third party claims
For example if your dog has bitten someone, please call us as soon as possible and we’ll help you get the support you need.
For all other types of claims
Please follow the instructions in your policy booklet. These include holiday cancellations, loss, theft and straying or hospitalisation etc.
We recommend you log in to My Pet Portal and download the relevant claim form from the ‘Claims’ section.
No printer? No problem. Simply log in to My Pet Portal and go to the ‘Need help?’ section. Send us a message and we’ll post you the claim form you need.
collapsed What happens once I make a claim?
Once we’ve received your completed claim form and any supporting documents, we’ll aim to process your claim within seven working days. If we need any more information to process your claim, we’ll be in touch.
Once we’ve assessed your claim, we’ll let you know how much we’ll pay and how much you need to pay towards the cost of treatment.
If we can’t help you with all or part of your claim, we’ll explain why.
If you want us to pay your vet , that shouldn’t be a problem. We can pay most vet practices directly – letting you focus on helping your pet get better.
Payment Deferral
collapsed What is a Payment Deferral?
A Payment Deferral is an arrangement that will allow you to make no payments of premium for your policy for an agreed period. During this time your policy will not be considered to be in arrears or trigger any cancellation of your policy due to non-payment of the premium.
Payment Deferral requests are subject to a suitability check; this is to ensure that this will not worsen your financial situation, based on your individual circumstances.
Please read below for more information on what happens when you apply.
collapsed Is a Payment Deferral right for me?
If you are experiencing or expect to experience temporary financial difficulty as a result of COVID-19 you may wish to consider using the Payment Deferral option. However, please note that this is a temporary break to regular premium collections in order to support you.
We will still need to collect all the deferred premium payments at the end of the agreed deferral period. This means that we will collect from your account all deferred premium payments in one go, in addition to the next scheduled premium payment for that month. So, you should ensure that your future financial situation will enable you to make these future, increased, premium payments.
If you are less than 3 months from the end of your policy term, a Payment Deferral may not be best option for you. We will discuss your situation with you when you contact us.
If you are currently not seeing an impact on your finances and can continue to make your premium payments as normal, we recommend that you do so. This does not prevent you from contacting us in the future to request a Payment Deferral while this assistance remains available.
collapsed How do I qualify and apply for a Payment Deferral?
Payment Deferrals are for our Policyholders who are finding or expect to find themselves in temporary financial difficulty specifically due to COVID-19 and unable to pay their monthly premium payment.
When you contact us on 0345 200 3465 we will ask you to confirm all of the criteria below:
- You want to continue your policy; and
- You are up to date with your premium payments; and
- You are now experiencing or you expect to experience temporary financial difficulty as a result of COVID-19; and
- You understand that you remain liable to pay your full premium.
Following this eligibility check, we will stop your next premium payment from coming out of your account. We may ask you further questions to check that deferring your premium payments to a later date will not worsen your financial situation, based on your individual circumstances, and discuss other options with you, where appropriate.
collapsed When will my Payment Deferral start?
After you have requested a payment deferral we will stop your next direct debit payment.
collapsed I have contacted you regarding a Payment Deferral and I wasn’t offered one, do I need to get back in touch with you?
If your financial situation changed during the COVID-19 period or you are expecting it to do so as a result of COVID-19, please get back in touch with us to discuss your circumstances and to confirm that you now meet the eligibility criteria set out above.
If you have already made an application to us but have not yet heard back, we ask you to please be patient as we will be dealing with extremely high volumes.
collapsed Will this affect my credit rating?
Any premium payments that are deferred will not be considered as in arrears.
collapsed Do I need to cancel my direct debit?
No, please leave this in place so we can restart your payments easily at the end of your payment deferral.
collapsed How long can I defer my payments?
We are offering a month by month Payment Deferral process to our Policyholders, as long as you continue to meet the eligibility criteria. For each monthly deferral period that you require, we will ask you to contact us to make your application.
You will be able to defer your premium payments for a maximum of 3 months.
Please note that you will still be liable to bring your premium payments up to date in one go at the end of the agreed deferral period, so you should take into account your current and your likely future financial situation when making your application for Payment Deferral.
collapsed What happens when my Payment Deferral period ends?
If a payment deferral is deemed suitable, we will be in contact to confirm how this will change your future monthly payments once the agreed deferral period has ended.
After your payment deferral period has finished we will automatically start collecting your monthly payment again, so please do not cancel your direct debit as this may cause your policy to be cancelled.
Your premium payments will need to ‘catch up’ with the premium payments that have been deferred. We will collect from your account all deferred premium payments in one go, in addition to the next scheduled premium payment for that month.
collapsed Can I just cancel my direct debit and take a payment deferral that way?
No, it’s important that you don’t cancel your direct debit payment so that there is no danger of any imminent payments failing (with a possible impact on your policy); and to allow us to recommence as normal after the deferral period.
collapsed Will my future monthly premium payments increase?
You are still liable to pay your full premium, so the payments delayed during the payment deferral period will need to be paid by ‘catching up’ the payments at the end of the deferral period. We will collect from your account all deferred premium payments in one go, in addition to the next scheduled premium payment for that month.
collapsed Additional FAQ's
If you have a regular enquiry about your insurance policy with us, please return to our Home Page where you can find further information including our contact details for other types of enquiries, claims and complaints.
Manage your pet insurance
Need to make a claim on your pet insurance? Or get support with your policy? Our online servicing portal makes managing your pet insurance easier than ever. While if you have a question about your pet’s health, our 24/7 Vet Assistance means advice is on hand whenever you need it.
collapsed Update your contact details
If you’ve recently changed your email address or phone number, you can quickly update your details on our online servicing portal, My Pet Portal.
Need to make changes to your personal information or payment details? Get in touch with our customer services team using the contact details below.
collapsed Renew your policy
We’ll send you a renewal notice at least three weeks before your current policy is due to end. This will detail your new policy terms and conditions as well as the cost of your premium for next year.
If you’ve given us your consent, your policy will automatically renew and your monthly or annual payment will be taken from your bank account – unless you tell us otherwise.
If you haven’t received your renewal documents within two weeks of your renewal date please give us a call using the contact details below.
collapsed Get in touch
Can’t find the information you need online and want to get in touch? Give our team a call on 0344 543 1032.
We’re open Monday to Friday 8am to 6pm, Saturday from 9am to 1pm and closed Sunday. Calls are charged at local rates from landlines and mobiles and may be monitored and recorded.
Or if you’d prefer to write to us, you can find the details below.
Customer services
If you've any questions or need to amend your address or payment details, please get in touch with our customer services team.
Write to us at:
Customer Service Department
Sainsbury’s Bank Pet Insurance
Pinnacle House
A1 Barnet Way
Borehamwood
Hertfordshire
WD6 2XX
Claims
You can make a claim online in My Pet Portal. But if you need to speak to us, you can get in touch with the claims team using the following details.
Write to us at:
Claims Department
Sainsbury’s Bank Pet Insurance
Pinnacle House
A1 Barnet Way
Borehamwood
Hertfordshire
WD6 2XX
Complaints
We really hope you never need to. But if you have a complaint about our products or services, you can get in touch using the following contact details.
We'll deal with any concerns you may have as quickly as we can. Wherever possible, we’ll aim to do this within eight weeks of receiving your complaint.
Write to us at:
Customer Relations Department
Sainsbury’s Bank Pet Insurance
Pinnacle House
A1 Barnet Way
Borehamwood
Hertfordshire
WD6 2XX
If you’re unhappy with our decision...
If you’re unhappy with our decision, you can take your complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service. This must be done within 6 months of the date of our summary resolution communication or final decision letter. Visit financial-ombudsman.org.uk or write to:
Financial Ombudsman Service
Exchange Tower
London
E14 9SR
If you’ve already contacted us and we haven’t resolved your complaint to your satisfaction, you could use the European Commission's Online Dispute Resolution service. This is an online portal designed to help consumers who’ve bought goods or services online to conduct dispute resolution.
collapsed My Pet Portal – how to register
Watch our quick online Pet Portal guide so that you can access your pet insurance details whenever you need to. This easy guide will show you how to view your pet insurance documents, edit your details, make a claim or get support from veterinary nurses 24 hours a day.
Registering for My Pet Portal
Any questions?
Got a question about your Sainsbury’s Bank Pet Insurance? We have the answers to some of the most common questions we hear from our customers.
Go to all FAQsImportant information
Sainsbury's Bank plc, Registered Office, 33 Holborn, London EC1N 2HT (registered in England and Wales, no. 3279730) is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority (register no. 184514). Sainsbury's Supermarkets Ltd is an appointed representative of Sainsbury's Bank plc.
Sainsbury's Bank plc acts as an introducer to Pinnacle Insurance plc who is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority (register number 110866). Registered Office: Pinnacle House, A1 Barnet Way, Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, WD6 2XX. Sainsbury’s Bank plc and Pinnacle Insurance plc are not part of the same corporate group.