BDI Claims Procedures

Claims

The process of making a claim is simple; if you suspect your bees are infected by a notifiable disease contact your local bee inspector who will inspect your bees and confirm the presence or absence of the symptoms of a notifiable disease. Details of your local inspector can be found by entering your postcode in the search facility on the National Bee Unit's website

If a notifiable disease is confirmed the bee inspector will create a claim form on the BDI system, confirming the existence of the infection of EFB or AFB and the action taken for destruction, shook swarm or treatment of the infected colonies and confirming the equipment destroyed. The bee inspector also makes an assessment, in conjunction with the beekeeper, to determine the condition of the equipment destroyed.  This will be emailed to you as an online form; you must complete the online form and submit it to BDI within 30 days of the bee inspector's visit in order for your claim to be considered. 

Upon receipt, the claim is registered and checked to ensure that it is fully completed and when the subscription was paid; if paid after 31 March, then the 40 day rule applies. Payment of some claims is delayed because the claim form has not been fully completed and has had to be returned the beekeeper. Late payment of the spring and autumn return to BDI by the member association treasurer can also result in a delay to the claim being paid.

All colonies on a communal site have to be covered by BDI for the claim to be valid.

The BDI compensation rates are updated each year and are based on the prices in one of the major suppliers’ catalogue. 

The maximum compensation payable to an individual is £3,000 in any one year.

For the protection of all beekeepers, there have to be some terms and conditions in the scheme, but effort is made to accept and pay claims when there is a genuine reason for the late notification or insufficient cover.  

Every effort is made to pay claims within 14 days subject to any necessary enquiries needed with the beekeeper or bee inspector and subject to holiday commitment. The scheme is run on a voluntary basis by beekeepers and has no salaried employees. It is also dependant on the support of the Member Association Treasurers who collect the subscriptions and to the Fera Bee Inspectors who quantify the losses.

Claims are rarely declined or repudiated, except when: