--- title: "Is Pet Insurance Worth It? What the Claims Data Shows" url: https://pawmultiverse.com/is-pet-insurance-worth-it/ description: "UK insurers paid £1.23 billion in pet claims in 2024, an average of £685 a claim (ABI). US premiums averaged $62.44 a month for a dog (NAPHIA). How to weigh premiums against bills, without a sales pitch." source: Paw Multiverse (https://pawmultiverse.com), free to cite with a link --- # Is Pet Insurance Worth It? Published by Paw Multiverse (A.I.T. Multiverse Consulting Ltd) · Last updated 7 November 2026 Quick answer It depends on whether you could pay a large vet bill yourself. The ABI says UK insurers paid a record £1.23 billion on 1.8 million pet claims in 2024, an average of £685 a claim, and that some treatments cost far more: elbow dysplasia can exceed £50,000. NAPHIA puts the average US accident and illness premium at $62.44 a month for a dog and $32.21 for a cat. Most policies exclude conditions your pet already has, so the decision is best made early. From the ABI, NAPHIA and PDSA. Not veterinary or financial advice. [Worried about your pet now?](https://pawmultiverse.com/pet-emergency-what-to-do-now/) ## What insurers actually pay out The Association of British Insurers reports £1.23 billion paid in 2024 across 1.8 million claims, both records, with an average claim of £685 (up 3%) and 4.6 million owners insured. Its examples of expensive treatment: over £50,000 for elbow dysplasia, and around £4,000 for a pet that ate something poisonous such as chocolate or raisins. Source: [Association of British Insurers, Insurance payouts for pawly pets top £1 billion for third year in a row (2025)](https://www.abi.org.uk/news/news-articles/2025/5/insurance-payouts-for-pawly-pets-top-1-billion-for-third-year-in-a-row/). ## What it costs NAPHIA's 2025 report gives average US accident and illness premiums of $749.29 a year for a dog and $386.47 for a cat, based on 2024 data. Details by country: [how much does pet insurance cost?](https://pawmultiverse.com/how-much-does-pet-insurance-cost/) Source: [NAPHIA, North American pet health insurance market reaches $5.2B in written premium (State of the Industry 2025, 22 April 2025)](https://naphia.org/news/naphia-news/soi-report-2025/). ## How to weigh it up PDSA notes that vet bills can run into thousands of pounds. The questions that decide it for most owners: - **Could you pay a bill of several thousand at short notice?** If not, insurance turns a large, sudden cost into a regular one. - **What would the policy actually pay?** The type of cover matters more than the premium: PDSA describes lifetime, maximum benefit, time-limited and accident-only cover, which pay out very differently for a long-term condition. See [pet insurance explained: the four types](https://pawmultiverse.com/pet-insurance-guide/). - **What would you pay yourself?** The excess and any co-payment come off every claim: [excess and co-payments explained](https://pawmultiverse.com/pet-insurance-excess-and-co-payments/). - **Does your pet already have a condition?** PDSA says most policies do not cover pre-existing illnesses or injuries: [pre-existing conditions explained](https://pawmultiverse.com/pet-insurance-pre-existing-conditions/). Source: [PDSA, Pet insurance guide](https://www.pdsa.org.uk/insurance-guide). Advertisement ## If you choose not to insure Some owners put a set amount aside each month instead. That works only if the fund is big enough before a large bill arrives, which the ABI's examples show can be soon and expensive. Whichever you choose, our [vet costs guide](https://pawmultiverse.com/vet-costs-guide/) explains what drives a bill and what to ask for. Source: [Association of British Insurers, Insurance payouts for pawly pets top £1 billion for third year in a row (2025)](https://www.abi.org.uk/news/news-articles/2025/5/insurance-payouts-for-pawly-pets-top-1-billion-for-third-year-in-a-row/). This page is not financial advice. We do not recommend insurers and take no commission. ## Questions people ask Is pet insurance worth it? It depends on whether you could pay a large vet bill yourself. The ABI says UK insurers paid an average of £685 a claim in 2024, and some treatments cost far more, such as over £50,000 for elbow dysplasia. Insurance is usually best decided early, because most policies exclude conditions a pet already has. How much do pet insurers pay out? The Association of British Insurers says UK insurers paid a record £1.23 billion across 1.8 million pet claims in 2024, an average of £685 a claim. Does pet insurance cover existing conditions? PDSA says most pet insurance policies do not cover pre-existing illnesses or injuries, so it advises taking out cover as early as possible. ## Sources - [Association of British Insurers, Insurance payouts for pawly pets top £1 billion for third year in a row (2025)](https://www.abi.org.uk/news/news-articles/2025/5/insurance-payouts-for-pawly-pets-top-1-billion-for-third-year-in-a-row/), read 7 November 2026. - [NAPHIA, North American pet health insurance market reaches $5.2B in written premium (State of the Industry 2025, 22 April 2025)](https://naphia.org/news/naphia-news/soi-report-2025/), read 7 November 2026. - [PDSA, Pet insurance guide](https://www.pdsa.org.uk/insurance-guide), read 7 November 2026. ## Related pages [How much does pet insurance cost?](https://pawmultiverse.com/how-much-does-pet-insurance-cost/), [the four types of policy](https://pawmultiverse.com/pet-insurance-guide/), [excess and co-payments](https://pawmultiverse.com/pet-insurance-excess-and-co-payments/), [pre-existing conditions](https://pawmultiverse.com/pet-insurance-pre-existing-conditions/) and [all pet cost pages](https://pawmultiverse.com/pet-costs/). **Teeth cleaning booked?** What happens and why vets use anaesthesia: [dog teeth cleaning explained](https://pawmultiverse.com/dog-teeth-cleaning-under-anaesthesia/) **Is your pet's food on a recall list?** Check the barcode on the bag against five official registers in the US, UK, Canada and France. [Check your bag](https://pawmultiverse.com/check-your-bag/) · [Recalls this week](https://pawmultiverse.com/pet-food-recalls/this-week/) Advertisement