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What is lifetime pet insurance?
Lifetime pet insurance policies offer the most comprehensive level of cover. Due to this, pet insurance with lifetime cover tends to be the most expensive type of pet insurance policy you can get. A lifetime pet insurance policy is a great option if you want your pet to be covered for a wide variety of injuries and illnesses throughout their life.
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 Score9.7/10
Based on 90,595 reviews
Maximum Vet Fees£15kper policy yearGet a quote Read moreExcess£99dog | cat -
2nd
Review Score9.7/10
Based on 6,036 reviews
Maximum Vet Fees£12.5kper policy yearGet a quote Read moreExcess£105|£95dog | cat -
3rd
Review Score9.7/10
Based on 4,242 reviews
Maximum Vet Fees£3.25kper conditionGet a quote Read moreExcess£99dog | cat -
4th
Review Score9.7/10
Based on 3,253 reviews
Maximum Vet Fees£6kper policy yearGet a quote Read moreExcess£95|£75dog | cat -
5th
Review Score9.5/10
Based on 76,515 reviews
Maximum Vet Fees£12kper policy yearGet a quote Read moreExcess£110|£95dog | cat -
6th
Review Score9.2/10
Based on 4,139 reviews
Maximum Vet Fees£12kper conditionGet a quote Read moreExcess£105|£85Dog|Cat -
7th
Review Score9.2/10
Based on 662 reviews
Maximum Vet Fees£8kper policy yearGet a quote Read moreExcess£75dog | cat -
8th
Review Score9.2/10
Based on 2,769 reviews
Maximum Vet Fees£10kper policy yearGet a quote Read moreExcess£0dog | cat -
9th
Review Score9.1/10
Based on 34,956 reviews
Maximum Vet Fees£6kper condition, per yearGet a quote Read moreExcess£99dog | cat -
10th
Review Score9.0/10
Based on 13,703 reviews
Maximum Vet Fees£10kper policy yearGet a quote Read moreExcess£80dog | cat -
11th
Review Score8.8/10
Based on 4,050 reviews
Maximum Vet Fees£12kper policy yearGet a quote Read moreExcess£100dog | cat -
12th
Review Score8.8/10
Based on 14,409 reviews
Maximum Vet Fees£15kper policy yearGet a quote Read moreExcess£120dog | cat -
13th
Review Score8.7/10
Based on 2,293 reviews
Maximum Vet Fees£10kper policy yearGet a quote Read moreExcess£250dog | cat -
14th
Review Score8.6/10
Based on 15,274 reviews
Maximum Vet Fees£4kper conditionGet a quote Read moreExcess£100dog | cat -
15th
Review Score8.4/10
Based on 434 reviews
Maximum Vet Fees£10kper policy yearGet a quote Read moreExcess£90dog | cat -
16th
Review Score8.2/10
Based on 203 reviews
Maximum Vet Fees£12kper policy yearGet a quote Read moreExcess£100dog | cat -
17th
Review Score7.8/10
Based on 1,249 reviews
Maximum Vet Fees£10kper policy yearGet a quote Read moreExcess£99dog | cat -
18th
Review Score7.0/10
Based on 1,069 reviews
Maximum Vet Fees£10kper policy yearGet a quote Read moreExcess£110|£80dog | cat -
19th
Review Score6.2/10
Based on 207 reviews
Maximum Vet Fees£10kper policy yearGet a quote Read moreExcess£120dog | cat -
20th
Review Score4.9/10
Based on 1,431 reviews
Maximum Vet Fees£7kper policy yearGet a quote Read moreExcess£99dog | cat -
21st
Review Score4.7/10
Based on 7,201 reviews
Maximum Vet Fees£10kper policy yearGet a quote Read moreExcess£50dog | cat -
22nd
Review Score4.4/10
Based on 2,875 reviews
Maximum Vet Fees£4kper policy yearGet a quote Read moreExcess£199|£140dog | cat -
23rd
Review Score3.9/10
Based on 737 reviews
Maximum Vet Fees£8kper policy yearGet a quote Read moreExcess£100dog | cat
Most lifetime 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 lifetime pet insurance?
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Compare lifetime pet insurance
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What does lifetime pet insurance cover?
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Can I claim for the same condition each year?
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Is lifetime pet insurance right for me?
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How much does lifetime pet insurance cost?
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What other types of pet insurance can I get?
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Compare pet insurance providers
What are the pros and cons of lifetime pet insurance?
Pros:
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Covers chronic conditions.
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Covers hereditary conditions.
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Protects you from the cost of ongoing treatment.
Cons:
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Premiums can be costly compared to time limited policies.
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You have to stay with the same provider each year to benefit.
- Once you’ve reached the maximum set limit, you’ll have to pay the rest.
Compare lifetime pet insurance
There are two different types of lifetime pet insurance you can get. Annual limit per condition and condition limit:
Annual limit per condition
Pet insurance with lifetime cover often has an annual limit per condition. If this is the case for your pet’s lifetime cover, you’ll be able to claim a maximum amount for each condition your pet develops. For example, your policy could have a condition limit of £7,000. If your dog developed diabetes and the vet bills for the year came to £5,000, the cost would be covered by the policy. However, if the vet bills came to £7,500 for the year, you’d have to pay out the remaining £500. If you renew the cover at the end of the year, the limit would be reset.
The benefit of having an annual limit per condition is that if your pet is unfortunate enough to develop more than one condition, you can claim the maximum amount for the treatment of each condition.
Condition limit
Pet insurance with lifetime cover that has a condition limit allows you to claim a set limit per condition for life. For example, if the lifetime limit is £50,000, you can claim up to £50,000 for each condition throughout your pet’s life, as long as you renew the policy every year.
What does lifetime pet insurance cover?
This will vary depending on the provider you choose. The best lifetime pet insurance policies will include cover for:
Vet fees
Vet fees are normally covered up to a maximum financial limit per year. The limit is reset each year you renew your policy.
Kennels/cattery costs
If for any qualifying reason you can’t care for your pet for a while, your insurer might cover kennel or cattery costs up to a financial limit pet year.
Third party liability cover
If your dog is responsible for injuring someone or damaging their property, third party liability cover protects you against costs that you’d be liable to pay and any legal fees involved. This cover isn’t available for cats as owners aren’t liable for their actions.
Compensation if your pet is stolen or missing
Lifetime pet insurance policies might contribute towards any costs associated with your pet going missing, such as advertisement campaigns and a reward to help get your pet back home safely.
Compensation if your pet passes away
If your pet passes away due to an illness or accident, you could claim back the price you paid for them. Most policies have an age limit and financial limit.
Euthanasia, cremation and burial
To help relieve the stress and heartache associated with losing your cuddly companion, most insurers will make a contribution towards the costs of these services.
Can I claim for the same condition each year?
Yes. If you have pet insurance with lifetime cover you can claim for the same condition year after year. However, the way this works will depend on the type of lifetime pet insurance policy you have.
For example, f you have a policy with a condition limit, you can claim up to that maximum limit throughout your pet's entire life. If they develop arthritis one year, you can keep claiming year on year for arthritis until you've met the condition limit. Once you've reached the limit, you won't be able to claim for arthritis again, but you can continue to claim for other conditions.
If you have an annual limit per condition, you can claim up to the condition limit each year for the same condition. For example, if your annual limit per condition is £7,000 and your pet develops arthritis, you can claim up to £7,000 in the first year and this limit resets each year after. So, you can continue to claim up to £7,000 each year for the condition, provided you renew your policy.
Is lifetime pet insurance right for me?
Lifetime pet insurance is the most comprehensive type of pet insurance available so it’s hard to think of reasons why it wouldn’t be a good choice for you and your pet. The main reason why you might want to opt for a different type of policy is because lifetime policy premiums are high compared to the likes of accident only and time limited premiums.
How much does lifetime pet insurance cost?
Based on Compare by Review data from November 2020, a lifetime dog insurance policy for a healthy four-year-old Labrador costs £31.30 per month on average and a lifetime cat insurance policy for a healthy three-year-old Bengal costs £13.62 a month on average. Whilst this might seem like a lot of money to pay each month, you should remember that there is no NHS for pets, so if you don’t have pet insurance, you’ll have to pay the entire vets bill out of your own pocket. Lifetime pet insurance is the best way to protect yourself from the cost of ongoing treatment.
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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Maximum benefit pet insurance – protects your pet from accidents and illnesses up to a maximum amount per condition.
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Accident only pet insurance – provides cover for accidents only.
Compare pet insurance providers
Find the best lifetime pet insurance for your pet and compare pet insurance providers on Compare by Review today. We’re the first and only comparison site that ranks pet insurers exclusively on customer experience and product quality rather than price, taking into account lifetime pet cover reviews from real customers. Our full table of providers gives you an impartial and unbiased overview so you can purchase pet insurance from a high-quality provider that you can rely on when you need them most.
