Maximum benefit pet insurance offers cover for veterinary fees for a maximum amount per condition. Once this limit has been reached the condition is classed as pre-existing and will need to be self-funded. In this article, we take a look at maximum benefit pet insurance including how it works, how much it costs and how it compares to other pet insurance policies.
What is maximum benefit pet insurance?
Maximum benefit pet insurance is a pet insurance policy that provides cover for veterinary fees up to a set amount per condition. There is no time limit on when you can claim for the condition like time-limited pet insurance so you can continue to claim for treatment until the limit has been reached. After this point, the condition is deemed as pre-existing and will no longer be covered by your pet insurance provider. It is also unlikely to be covered by any other insurance provider once you have already claimed for a condition.
Maximum benefit pet insurance is fairly comprehensive and sits somewhere between a time-limited pet insurance policy and the most comprehensive type of pet insurance, lifetime pet insurance. It provides more cover than time-limited pet insurance in that it offers cover for veterinary fees for a longer period of time but it is not as comprehensive as a lifetime policy as the policy limit does not renew each year for the lifetime of the pet.
How does maximum benefit pet insurance work?
With a maximum benefit pet insurance policy you pay an annual or monthly insurance premium to cover your pet for any veterinary treatment it needs due to illness or injury. If you need to claim for an illness or injury that your pet has sustained you can do so up to a set limit for each condition. With a maximum benefit pet insurance policy, you are not restricted to time scales but you are restricted to a limit per condition that you claim for. It is worth bearing in mind that some policies include bi-lateral conditions under the same vet fee limit so if your pet has cataracts in one eye and then develops cataracts in the other eye this could be classed as the same condition and could be under the same vet fee limit.
Maximum benefit pet insurance policies typically cover you for the following:
Veterinary fees for illness or injury
Death and euthanasia (some policies have this as an optional extra)
Third-party liability (some policies have this as an optional extra)
Loss or theft of your pet
Dental cover (some policies have this as an optional extra)
Maximum benefit pet insurance will not typically cover you for the following:
Routine vaccinations
Pregnancy complications
Pre-existing conditions
Long term illnesses
How much does maximum benefit pet insurance cost?
How much maximum benefit pet insurance costs will vary depending on the breed, type and age of your pet as well as the level of cover you wish to insure your pet for and where you live. For more information read our article, '
In the below table, we have compared the cost of maximum benefit pet insurance policies for a 1-year-old mixed breed dog and cat from three maximum benefit pet insurance providers. For more information on the cost of pet insurance and for a wider comparison of pet insurance policies, check out our articles 'How much does pet insurance cost?' and 'The best pet insurance in the UK'.
Another way to compare the cost of maximum benefit pet insurance is via a comparison site such as MoneySuperMarket*. Comparison sites allow you to compare more than one insurance policy to find the best cover and price for your pet. One thing to consider is not all pet insurance providers are featured on a comparison site so you may be able to get a better deal elsewhere.
Maximum benefit pet insurance policy cost comparison
The following quotes are designed to give you an understanding of the monthly cost of a maximum benefit policy. Each policy offers a different level of cover so you will need to check what your policy covers (e.g. third-party liability or the death of a pet) before taking out a policy. Our article 'Compare the best maximum benefit pet insurance' provides a more detailed look at the best providers on the market.
| Direct Line | Animal Friends | Scratch & Patch | |
| Excess | £95 per condition for dogs £80 per condition for cats |
£99 per condition | £125 per condition |
| Cover amount per condition | £8,000 | £4,000 | £4,000 |
| 1-year-old mixed breed dog - monthly cost | £28.43¹ | £18.16 | £8.84 |
| 1-year-old mixed breed cat - monthly cost | £19.87¹ | £17.12 | £8.93 |
| More information | Direct Line pet insurance review | Animal Friends pet insurance review | Scratch & Patch pet insurance review |
(Quotes correct as of 12/01/26) ¹includes introductory discount
How much should I insure my pet for?
The amount of cover you choose is completely up to you, however, it is worth remembering that veterinary treatment cover does not renew annually with a time-limited policy, so once the vet fee cover or time limit has been reached on a condition, any costs incurred over this amount for that condition will need to be self-funded.
The pet insurance provider Animal Friends has highlighted the cost of some of the most common treatments for cats and dogs from data compiled in 2024 based on successful claims from its customers. The cost of veterinary treatment can vary based on each veterinary practice and the condition your pet is suffering from but an example of some of the costs you could expect to incur can be found in the tables below.
Average veterinary fee costs for cats
A table demonstrating the average cost of some of the most common closed claims on cat insurance in 2024 with the insurance provider Animal Friends.
| Condition | Average cost |
| Urinary Blockage | £1,887.00 |
| Diabetes | £1,258.00 |
| Tumour | £1,101.00 |
| Kidney Disease | £931.00 |
| Lameness | £908.00 |
| Vomiting and Diarrhoea | £895.00 |
| Weight loss | £861.00 |
| Osteoarthritis | £800.00 |
| Teeth/Dental | £631.00 |
| Wound | £671.00 |
| Abscess | £504.00 |
Data compiled by AnimalFriends.co.uk
Average veterinary fee costs for dogs
A table demonstrating the average cost of the most common closed claims on insurance for medium dogs in 2024 with the insurance provider Animal Friends.
| Condition | Average cost |
| Cruciate ligament damage | £2,821.00 |
| Lameness | £1,309.00 |
| Seizures | £1,091.00 |
| Tumour | £1,159.00 |
| Gastroenteritis | £1,135.00 |
| Foreign Body | £1,106.00 |
| Allergies | £946.00 |
| Vomiting and Diarrhoea | £928.00 |
| Osteoarthritis | £900.00 |
| Skin Disease | £897.00 |
| Wound | £755.00 |
| Toxic Ingestion | £623.00 |
Data compiled by AnimalFriends.co.uk
Pros and cons of maximum benefit pet insurance
Pros of maximum benefit pet insurance
- Covers your pet if it needs ongoing treatment or medication
- No time limit
- Cover for multiple illnesses/injuries
- Extensive cover but cheaper than a lifetime policy
Cons of maximum benefit pet insurance
- Doesn't cover pre-existing conditions
- Only covers conditions up to the maximum limit (after this the condition is deemed pre-existing and will need to be self-funded)
- Not suitable for long-term illnesses
- Could meet the limit quickly if your pet requires expensive treatment
Alternatives to maximum benefit pet insurance
There are 3 other types of pet insurance and we summarise the key differences in the table below. Some providers also offer a public liability-only pet insurance policy which helps with legal proceedings in the event that your dog damages property or bites someone. Public liability-only insurance does not offer cover for any illnesses or injuries.
What are the different types of pet insurance?
The below comparison table summarises the different types of pet insurance policies available.
| Lifetime pet insurance | Maximum benefit pet insurance | Time-limited pet insurance |
Accident-only pet insurance
|
|
| Vet fee cover for illness | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Vet fee cover for injury | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Vet fee cover amount renews annually | Yes | No | No | No¹ |
| Vet fee cover per condition | No¹ | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Vet fee cover for a set time period (usually 12 months) | No | No | Yes | No¹ |
¹policy dependent
Lifetime pet insurance
Lifetime pet insurance is the most comprehensive type of pet insurance policy and covers your pet for the duration of its life. There are two types of lifetime pet insurance, annual limit where the pet is covered for a set amount for all treatment over the course of its life or annual condition limit where the pet is covered for a set amount per condition over the course of its life. For more information on lifetime pet insurance read our article 'Lifetime pet insurance explained'.
Time-limited pet insurance
Time-limited pet insurance covers your pet for a set amount per condition for a period of 12 months. After this point, the condition is no longer covered and needs to be self-funded. For more information on time-limited pet insurance read our article, 'Time-limited pet insurance explained'.
Accident-only pet insurance
Accident-only pet insurance covers your pet for any injuries sustained from an accident. It does not offer cover for any illnesses. For more information on accident-only pet insurance read our article, 'Accident-only pet insurance explained'.
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