Time Limited Pet Insurance

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Part of providing the proper care for your pet is making sure you can meet their needs if they happen to fall ill or get injured in an accident. Chances are, you’ll want your four-legged friend to be back on all-paws as soon as possible, and having the right insurance can help.

Time Limited pet insurance policies can help cover your pet for a range of problems that might arise and support you in paying the related vet bills from the date of their first treatment, for up to 12 months.

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What is Time Limited pet insurance?

 

A Time Limited pet insurance policy is essentially a policy where each illness or injury your pet is suffering from is covered for a set amount of time – usually 12 months. This type of pet insurance policy offers a fixed amount for every illness or injury your pet gets during this time. It’s also one of the cheaper types of pet insurance, as there are limits on how much and how long you can claim.

As soon as the fixed period of cover ends, your pet will no longer be covered for any illness or injury, nor will they be covered if that same specific illness or injury occurs again. You will then be expected to cover the full cost of any vet fees or medical treatment and expenses yourself.

 

Benefits of Time Limited pet insurance

 

Benefits of taking out Time Limited pet insurance include:

  • A good option for accidents and short-term conditions
  • More affordable than other common pet insurance policies
  • Normally doesn’t have an upper age limit – but always check your policy documents to be sure

 

Disadvantages of Time Limited pet insurance

 

Disadvantages of having a Time Limited pet insurance policy include:

  • You can only claim once for each condition until the time period is over or the fixed amount has been reached
  • Not a good option for older pets or those who are likely to suffer from long term conditions

 

What isn't covered by Time Limited insurance?

 

Like a lot of insurance policies, Time Limited pet cover does come with some exclusions and limitations. A Time Limited pet insurance policy does not typically cover:

  • Routine check ups
  • General treatments such as worming
  • Vaccinations
  • Pregnancy
  • Preventative treatments
  • Dental care
  • Pre-existing conditions

 

Other types of pet insurance

 

Aside from Time Limited pet insurance, there are a few other pet insurance policies that are also available to you. These are:

 

Lifetime cover – this is the most comprehensive level of pet insurance that is available, and will cover your pet for life, assuming you renew annually, and your premiums are kept up to date.  

Accident only – as the name suggests, accident only cover is a basic type of pet insurance that only provides cover for your pet when they are involved in an accident.

 

To find the right level of cover for you and your pet, compare different cover types with our handy tool and find what you need here at Asda Money.

Top 12 Month Pet Insurance FAQs:

What does Time Limited insurance pet insurance cover?

One of the major benefits of Time Limited pet insurance is that it can cover your pet for any new illnesses that they might suffer from or accidents they get into which result in longer term treatments over the course of a year, as long as the policy remains in force.

Each new condition that arises can be claimed for up to a pre-selected limit which can help if there are unforeseen complications, and the policy covers each individual condition for 12 months from treatment.

However, once the policy limit has been reached for a condition or 12 months of cover for that condition has been provided, it becomes a pre-existing condition and won’t be covered by a Time Limited insurance policy going forward.

What levels of Time Limited Pet Insurance can I get?

There are 2 different levels of Time Limited pet insurance you can choose from which will give your cat or dog a year of coverage per condition, from the date of first treatment. You can claim for the same types of things on each level of coverage, but the main thing that will differ is the amount you can claim for each thing and the total amount you can claim.

The main decision you’ll have to make is around what premium you can afford and how much treatments might be likely to cost, because once you’ve used up your annual limit for a particular condition you won't get any more support for bills related to that treatment.

The two levels of Time Limited Pet Insurance we offer cover vet's fees for up to £2,000 or £5,000 per condition for up to 12 months from the date of their first treatment.

There's no limit to the number of separate conditions that you can claim for until either the time limit or each of the individual monetary limits has been reached.

As long as the insurance policy remains in force, your pet has your chosen time limit of cover from the date of their first treatment. After the limit has passed, any ongoing treatment required as a result of this condition will be excluded from future claims and treated as a pre-existing condition.

Take a look at our pet insurance comparison table to help you decide which level of cover is best for you and your pet. 

Limitations and exclusions apply, for full details please refer to our policy documents.

Are pre-existing conditions covered by Time Limited pet insurance?

While conditions which occur during the coverage of your Time Limited pet insurance policy are covered, any conditions which your pet already suffers from will not be eligible for coverage. Additionally, once a condition has been covered for 12 months, it will become a pre-existing condition and will no longer be covered by future Time Limited pet insurance policies.

This is where you’ll need to take your pet’s specific situation into account. While Time Limited Pet Insurance can be a cost-effective option compared to Lifetime Insurance and will protect your pet from accident or illness, it will only be on a time limited basis.

What is the difference between Lifetime and Time Limited pet insurance?

A Time Limited pet insurance policy covers your pet for any new illnesses or injuries they may sustain or suffer from at the time of taking out the policy. As the name suggests, it only covers your pet for a specific amount of time, and once that time is up you will have to pay for the vet fees and medical expenses yourself.

On the other hand, a Lifetime pet insurance policy will essentially cover your pet’s injuries and illnesses for life – as long as you renew the policy every year of course. Lifetime policies are typically the most comprehensive level of cover you can get for your pet and provides cover for any illnesses or conditions that your pet may need lifelong care and treatment for.

Pet insurance – Time Limited or Lifetime – both offer your pet cover, however it will come down to the needs of your specific pet and what their requirements are. Choose the policy you think best fits your individual situation. 

Is there a time limit on pet insurance claims?

Yes, there’s usually a time limit involved as a Time Limited policy means you are only covered for a certain amount of time – with most insurers it’s around 12 months. However, the main difference is some policies cover an illness or condition up to 12 months from the date of the first treatment, whilst other policies may start those 12 months from the date of a claim. Always check the finer details of your insurance policy to see what rules and regulations apply.

A quick ‘paws’ for thought…


With pet insurance, as part of the cost, your premium will increase each year at renewal as your pet gets older. We’ll limit the amount it goes up by, but your renewal price will also be impacted by:

  • Any claims you make – this could significantly increase your premium
  • Rising vet fees
  • Insurance Premium Tax increasing
  • Changes you make to your policy
  • Changes we make to our pricing

You can, of course, shop around at renewal. Just bear in mind that any existing conditions your pet’s developed, whether diagnosed or not, may not be covered elsewhere.

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