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What is maximum benefit pet insurance?
Maximum benefit pet insurance policies allow you to claim for illness and injuries up to a pre-set limit. It’s typically seen as a mid-range option. Unlike time limited policies, you’ll be able to claim for the same condition more than once. However, once you’ve reached the policy limit, you’ll have to pay for further treatment yourself.
Top Rated Providers
Our comparison table is ordered by review score. The review score is the average weighted score based on product quality and user reviews from the last 12 months. Find out more about how our review score is calculated.
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1st
Review Score8.9/10
Based on 4,139 reviews
Maximum Vet Fees£7kper conditionGet a Quote Read moreExcess£105|£85Dog|Cat -
2nd
Review Score8.8/10
Based on 3,253 reviews
Maximum Vet Fees£3kper conditionGet a Quote Read moreExcess£95|£75dog | cat -
3rd
Review Score8.8/10
Based on 34,956 reviews
Maximum Vet Fees£4klifetime condition limitGet a Quote Read moreExcess£99dog | cat -
4th
Review Score8.7/10
Based on 4,050 reviews
Maximum Vet Fees£6kper conditionGet a Quote Read moreExcess£100dog | cat -
5th
Review Score8.6/10
Based on 4,242 reviews
Maximum Vet Fees£7.5kper conditionGet a Quote Read moreExcess£99dog | cat -
6th
Review Score8.4/10
Based on 12,450 reviews
Maximum Vet Fees£3,000per conditionGet a Quote Read moreExcess£50dog | cat -
7th
Review Score8.3/10
Based on 1,431 reviews
Maximum Vet Fees£5kper conditionGet a Quote Read moreExcess£99dog | cat -
8th
Review Score8.1/10
Based on 7,876 reviews
Maximum Vet Fees£8,000per conditionGet a Quote Read moreExcess£95|£80dog | cat -
9th
Review Score8.0/10
Based on 5,603 reviews
Maximum Vet Fees£4,000per conditionGet a Quote Read moreExcess£90dog | cat -
10th
Review Score7.7/10
Based on 1,069 reviews
Maximum Vet Fees£5kper conditionGet a Quote Read moreExcess£125dog | cat -
11th
Review Score7.6/10
Based on 15,274 reviews
Maximum Vet Fees£8kper conditionGet a Quote Read moreExcess£100dog | cat -
12th
Review Score6.9/10
Based on 662 reviews
Maximum Vet Fees£4kper conditionGet a Quote Read moreExcess£75dog | cat -
13th
Review Score6.3/10
Based on 1,804 reviews
Maximum Vet Fees£6kper conditionGet a Quote Read moreExcess£99dog | cat -
14th
Review Score5.6/10
Based on 207 reviews
Maximum Vet Fees£7.5kper conditionGet a Quote Read moreExcess£120dog | cat
Most maximum benefit pet insurance quotes are provided via Quotezone, who are FCA regulated.
Please note that some of the providers included within our table are not currently offering new policies.
In this Guide
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What are the pros and cons of maximum benefit pet insurance?
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What does maximum benefit pet insurance cover?
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Is maximum benefit pet insurance right for me?
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Can I claim for the same condition more than once?
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What other types of pet insurance can I get?
What are the pros and cons of maximum benefit pet insurance?
Pros:
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No time constraints if you renew your policy.
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When you’ve reached the limit for one condition, other conditions can still be covered.
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Perfect for covering costs if your pet needs ‘maintaining’ medication for their whole life.
Cons:
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Only covers new illnesses and injuries, not pre-existing conditions.
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When you’ve reached the limit for a particular condition, you won’t be able to claim for that condition again.
- If your pet needs an operation, you could reach the limit very quickly.
- The maximum amount isn’t reset every year, if you use 50% of the maximum benefit in one year, you’ll only have 50% left for the remaining years.
What does maximum benefit pet insurance cover?
Maximum benefit pet insurance policies cover each new medical condition up to the policy limit, for as long as the policy remains in place. Once you reach the policy limit for a condition, it will be classed as a pre-existing condition and will be excluded from future claims. Most providers offer multiple maximum benefit policies with different policy limits so that you can find a policy that’s within your budget. The lower the policy limit, the lower the premium will be.
Is maximum benefit pet insurance right for me?
Maximum benefit pet insurance is more comprehensive than time limited or accident only pet insurance. Because of this, premiums are slightly more expensive. The main downside to maximum benefit pet insurance is that once you’ve reached the policy limit for a condition, you can no longer claim for that particular condition again in the future, even if you change insurer or take out a lifetime policy. This can be risky as your pet could develop an ongoing condition that needs treatment for life but with a maximum benefit policy, you’ll only be able to claim up to the policy limit or until the policy term ends. If you opt for a lifetime pet insurance policy instead, you can claim up to a fixed amount per condition, which resets each year you renew your policy. Lifetime policies are slightly more expensive than maximum benefit policies but they do offer you and your pet more security in the long run.
Can I claim for the same condition more than once?
Yes, if you have a maximum benefit pet insurance policy it's possible for you to claim for the same condition more than once. However, once you've reached the maximum limit for that particular condition, it will be excluded from cover and you won't be able to make a claim for it again. For example, if your policy has a limit of £7,000 and your pet develops arthritis, you can claim up to £7,000 for that condition for as long as you renew the policy. Once you've hit the £7,000 limit, claims for arthritis will no longer be covered and it will be classed as a pre-existing condition. Even if you were to change insurer, you would have to declare the condition and it would be excluded from cover, unless you took out a policy with a specialist pet insurance provider.
What other types of pet insurance can I get?
There are three other types of pet insurance policies available:
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Time limited pet insurance – covers vet fees for a year, once the year’s up, you’ll have to pay for further treatment.
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Lifetime pet insurance – covers vet fees for the whole of your pet’s life provided you renew the policy each year.
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Accident only pet insurance – provides cover for accidents only.
Frequently asked Questions
No. You aren’t legally required to have pet insurance in the UK.
This depends on the type of pet you have. Microchipping your dog is a legal requirement and has been since 2016, so you won’t be able to get insurance for your dog if they haven’t been microchipped. However, cats and other animals don’t have to be microch
This varies depending on the provider. Generally, you can insure pets that are at least 4 – 8 weeks old.
You should claim on your pet insurance as soon as your pet has an accident or is diagnosed with an illness. Most providers will give you the option of paying the vet directly so you aren’t left out of pocket. If you’ve already paid the vet fees, most prov
It’s more than likely that your premium will increase if you’ve made a claim. This is because providers see you as being more at risk of needing to claim again in the future.
If your pet insurance claim is rejected, you should follow your provider’s complaints procedure in the first instance. If your claim is still not settled, you can contact the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) on 0300 123 9123.
