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Max Benefit Pet Insurance

Compare pet insurance with cover limits

Pet carrier

Compare quotes from 38 leading pet insurance brands1

When it comes to protecting your furry friend, it’s important for pet owners to shop around for the right cover that suits what you both need. We work with over 30 leading pet insurance companies, to bring you our best deals.

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1Accurate as of September 2023

What is maximum benefit pet insurance?

Also known as condition capped pet insurance, maximum benefit pet insurance is a policy that offers a limited cover for each condition you seek treatment for. It can cover vet fees for both injury and illness, third-party liability, theft or loss of your pet, and some policies may even cover pet dental treatments.

With max benefit policies, you are given a spending limit for each health condition you claim treatment for. So, your insurance will continue to cover treatments and medications for conditions until you reach the benefit limit. Once that limit is reached, your cover for that particular condition will end, but you will still be covered for any new health problems.

Pet feeding bowl illustration

Is a per-condition policy right for me?

If you are looking for a good value, medium cover pet insurance, maximum benefit pet insurance may be right for you. Max benefit is a good policy type to cover conditions that may require lengthy treatments or medications because there is no time limit to claim. If you have a young pet in good health, you should be able to find a good value policy.

However, this pet insurance type does have its drawbacks. Max benefit policies aren't prepared to cover expensive treatments or conditions that are likely to reoccur. This can leave you lacking in cover if, for example, your pet's breed is prone to chronic or recurring health problems, or an accident leaves your pet with a lifelong injury.

If this is something that concerns you, it may be worthwhile to look at lifetime pet insurance. This policy type has an annual limit rather than a per-condition limit, and that limit is reset each year. So, your pet will be covered for al conditions for the rest of their life.

Compare pet insurance with MoneySuperMarket

Finding the right insurance provider for you is easy, all you need to do is follow these three steps:

  • Tell us about your pets

    Give us a few details about each pet you want to be covered and the level of protection you’re looking for

  • We’ll do the work  

    We’ll put together a list of providers with appropriate cover for your specific needs 

  • You’re on your way

    Pick the policy that is perfect for you and your pet  

Pros and cons of max benefit pet insurance

  • Tick

    Pros

    • Covers ongoing treatment and medication for your pet

    • Covers both injuries and illnesses

    • Cheaper than lifetime policies with extensive cover

    • No time limit, so you can continue to claim for conditions until your limit is reached

  • Cross

    Cons

    • There is a cover limit per condition, so you can't claim for a condition after the limit is reached, even if it reoccurs

    • Once a limit is reached, that condition is excluded for the rest of the policy's term

    • This policy type doesn't cover pre-existing conditions

Alternative policy options

If maximum benefit pet insurance doesn't give you the right cover, there are other options out there for you to choose from. For more comprehensive, there's lifetime pet insurance, and for cheaper pet insurance, there's accident only pet insurance. Find out more about the different policy types here:

  • Lifetime

    This insurance type has an annual cover limit that renews every year, so you can claim for repeat health conditions for the rest of your pet's life

  • Time limited

    This policy offers time limited cover. You can claim for a condition for up to a limit of usually one year. Afterwards, the condition will be excluded

  • Accident only

    This policy type is usually the cheapest. It will only cover conditions related to an accident and offers no cover for illnesses or long term conditions

  • Multi-pet

    Multi-pet policies will cover multiple pets under the same policy to save you the trouble of managing several policies at once

Saarrah Mussa

Our expert says

"

Maximum benefit pet insurance is a great middle-of-the-road policy type. It offers comprehensive cover for both injury and illness without breaking the bank. However, if you have a young pet that hasn't had any health problems, you may be able to find a good value lifetime policy, which gives almost unlimited cover for your pet's whole life. Compare quotes with us and see for yourself which policy gives better long term value.

"
- Saarrah Mussa, Insurance expert

How to compare max benefit deals with MoneySuperMarket

In just a few minutes, you can compare deals for maximum benefit pet insurance from the top UK pet insurance providers. It's quick and easy!

  • Tell us about your pet

    Give us a few details about your pet and the type of cover you’re looking for 

  • We’ll do the work

    We’ll put together a list of providers with appropriate cover for your specific needs

  • You’re on your way

    Pick the policy that is perfect for you and your puppy  

The maximum benefit you get will depend on your provider. Average limits from UK providers are between £2,000 to £5,000 per condition, although some providers can offer higher cover limits with more expensive policies.

Each provider and policy will also have limits for how much you can claim for additional costs, such as kennel and cattery fees, dental fees, and public liability. Make sure you check these limits carefully when shopping for policies.

When you reach your cover limit for a condition, the condition will officially be excluded from your cover. This means that you will no longer be able to claim on your pet insurance for treatments associated with this condition, so you will need to pay vert fees out of your own pocket. Your insurance provider will usually inform you of when this happens, so you should'nt be caught off-guard when you hit your limit.

The cheapest pet insurance policy type is usually accident only pet insurance. This is because its cover is very limited compared to other policy types that can cover health problems that aren't related to accidents, like illnesses and conditions associated with age.

Accident only pet insurance is better than no insurance at all, but for long-term protection for your pet, it may be worthwhile spending a bit more for a comprehensive policy. Compare quotes with us to see for yourself how affordable pet insurance can be.

Some providers will allow you to switch to a different policy type from maximum benefit pet insurance if you decide you want to change your cover. However, the terms of the new policy will depend on your provider.

If you've made claims on your pet insurance, your provider may consider the conditions you claimed for to be 'pre-existing' conditions. Pre-existing conditions are normally excluded from standard pet insurance cover. To get cover for these conditions, you will likely need to get special pet insurance policies for pre-existing conditions or otherwise take out a policy with those conditions excluded.

But, if you have not sought any treatment for these conditions in the past 24 months, some providers may be willing to cover them without considering them pre-existing conditions. This is something to look out for when you're shopping for policies or switching to a different policy type with your current provider.

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You might be wondering if we work with all the companies in the market, or if our commercial relationships with our partners might make us feature one company above another. We’ve got nothing to hide, and we want to give you clear answers when it comes to questions like these, so we’ve pulled together everything you need to know on this page.