IT consultant insurance

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Professional indemnity insurance for IT consultants UK
Professional indemnity insurance for IT consultants UK
Professional indemnity insurance for IT consultants UK
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What is IT consultant insurance?

IT consultant insurance isn’t a single insurance product; it’s several products that, when combined, meet the specific needs of your particular IT consulting business.

Because IT consultants give advice, professional indemnity is an essential cover to have in place. Public liability may also be required if you do a lot of face-to-face work. Consultants can add electronic business equipment insurance if they rely on expensive computer equipment.

How much does IT consultant insurance cost?

Professional indemnity insurance for IT consultants starts at £8.89 per month, and the cost increases based on the required insurance limits, business size, and claims history.

Self employed professional indemnity insurance
Professional indemnity

from £7.67 per month

Provides you with legal defence against claims of professional mistake or negligence causing a financial loss to your clients.

Up to £2,000,000 cover

Zero excess

Dedicated legal team

A+ insurer

Competitive prices

Core cover
Self employed professional indemnity insurance

Professional indemnity

from £8.89 per month

Provides you with legal defence against claims of professional mistake or negligence causing a financial loss to your clients.

Up to £2,000,000 cover

Zero excess

Dedicated legal team

A+ insurer

Competitive prices

Core cover
Self employed professional indemnity insurance

Professional indemnity

from £9.54 per month

Provides you with legal defence against claims of professional mistake or negligence causing a financial loss to your clients.

Up to £2,000,000 cover

Zero excess

Dedicated legal team

A+ insurer

Competitive prices

Core cover
Self employed professional indemnity insurance

Professional indemnity

from £20.41 per month

Provides you with legal defence against claims of professional mistake or negligence causing a financial loss to your clients.

Up to £2,000,000 cover

Zero excess

Dedicated legal team

A+ insurer

Competitive prices

Core cover
Self employed professional indemnity insurance

Professional indemnity

from £22.78 per month

Provides you with legal defence against claims of professional mistake or negligence causing a financial loss to your clients.

Up to £2,000,000 cover

Zero excess

Dedicated legal team

A+ insurer

Competitive prices

Core cover
Commercial legal expenses insurance.
Business legal protect

Cover of £100,000 commercial legal expenses included with your policy subscription.

Protects you and your business against a range of issues not typically covered by professional indemnity or public liability.

IR35 & HMRC investigations

Legal matters concerning your business

Negative PR (£25,000 cover)

Criminal prosecution

Compliance & regulation issues

Unpaid invoices (over £200)

Also includes free telephone advice & help from qualified professionals.

Tax and commercial legal advice

Counselling for you and your staff

Access to a legal template library

Identity theft assistance

Included
Self employed public liability insurance.
Public liability

from +£4.76 per month

Protects your business against claims of causing an accidental injury or property damage to either your clients or a third party.

Up to £2,000,000 cover including products liability

No excess

Expert legal team

A+ specialist insurers

Covers claims against your client caused by your business

Business equipment insurance.
Electronic business equipment

from +£7.00 per month

Pays for repair or replacement if your portable electronic equipment (and accessories) get damaged or lost.

Equipment up to £10,000 cover (£3,500 per item)

Accessories are included (£500 per item)

Hired equipment is covered

Worldwide - your devices are covered anywhere you are

Personal accident insurance.
Business owner protect

from +£10.07 per month

Reimburses your taxable business expenses while you’re recovering from a serious illness or injury.

Up to £2,000 a month

Up to 6 months following the first 30 days of illness

Any tax deductible expenses included

Receive a lump sump payout if you suffer an accident leaving you with partial or total disablement:

£5,000 lump sum

Fast customer service

Quick payout

Answer 4 questions then select the policies and limits you need.
Answer 4 questions then select the policies and limits you need.
What people say
2 March
Extremely impressed

Extremely impressed with the professional and supportive service I received.

Kellie Williams
on Google
16 February
Very efficient

After shopping around for business liability cover, I found suited, I had a few questions and Jana from suited was very efficient...

Chezza
on Trustpilot
14 February
Great!

The website is easy to use and the process is intuitive, clear and easy to follow.

Matt M
on Trustpilot
11 February

I was recommended Suited, because I’d been stalling. Simple to use website, offered clear, concise information and selection...

Mokolada
on Trustpilot
12 December

Really fantastic service by the suited insure team! Always found the insurance side to be a bit confusing but the team took me...

Michael Ryan
on Google
15 September

A simple and flexible service for what I required. Great communication from start to finish.

Matthew Allen
on Google
1 August

I was looking for business insurance this easy to use and very well explained web site made the process simple and painless. Had a quote...

Piers Field
on Trustpilot
In detail

Why do IT consultants need insurance?

As an IT consultant, at some point, you will come across a client who will contractually require you to have certain types of insurance, such as professional indemnity.

However, contractual obligations aside, it's worth asking, “What other risks do I face?” “Should I be operating without the right insurance?” and “How will it protect me?”

Working independently sometimes doesn’t go according to plan. As a self-employed IT consultant, you will be the one to ultimately face any challenges that come with running your own business. 

Contract compliance

Most contracts you will engage with as an IT consultant will stipulate you must have and show proof of certain types of insurance, but this should never be just a box-ticking exercise.

Accusation of causing a financial loss

An unhappy client may allege your work or advice ended up costing them money, which they now want to recover from you.

Property damage or injuries caused by you

If you work on a client site or spend much time meeting customers face-to-face, you may also risk damaging someone else's property or causing personal injury.

IR35 enquiries and unpaid invoices

If you use an umbrella company or contract directly, you could be exposed to IR35 enquiries from HMRC. Regardless of how you're engaged, you could be subject to late or non-payment of invoices.

Damage to your work equipment

You are likely to use a laptop or computer for your work, and if that gets stolen or damaged, the repair or replacement costs could be expensive.

Professional indemnity insurance for IT consultants

Professional indemnity insurance is the first insurance policy IT consultants should consider due to the advisory nature of their work.

You may be consulting in several areas, such as cyber security, system integration, application migration or architecture, with much of your work being strategic, involving recommendations and a high level of responsibility. 

Working as a consultant comes with inherent risks, so professional indemnity insurance is critical whether or not your contract requires it.

Professional indemnity is a legal cover that insures IT consultants against professional mistakes, accusations of negligence, breach of confidentiality and more. It covers the associated cost of a legal defence and will pay any compensation if you are found liable.

What does IT consultant professional indemnity insurance cover?

Professional indemnity protects IT consultants from legal claims or accusations of wrongdoing stemming from their professional advice or work product.

Cover includes:

  • Giving the wrong advice or recommendation
  • Making a mistake
  • Acting negligently
  • Failing your duty of care

For example:

  • An unclear brief has led to unmet client expectations. The client may demand a remedy at your cost.
  • Your recommendation or advice led to your client’s system failure, costing them money. They are asking you to pay for the loss.
  • Demands of compensation due to delays, errors, or incomplete work causing financial losses
  • The leak of sensitive or confidential information

As an IT consultant, the risk of facing one of the above or another issue resulting from providing advice in the technology space has increased directly in line with the uptake of technology in pretty much every industry.

How much professional indemnity does an IT consultant need?

In the UK, professional indemnity limits can start from £50,000 and go up to several million. The limit is the maximum amount the insurer will pay in the event of a claim.

The appropriate limit for you depends on the nature of your IT consulting work, the size of your client accounts and any contractual obligations you have.

Every contract you enter into is likely to state the limits of liability that both parties agree to. As a starter, think about buying a professional indemnity limit that matches or is greater than this limit.

Remember that legal costs can often accompany any claim against you. For example, if the limitation of liability clause in your contract says up to £1,000,000, you may be required to pay £1,000,000 in compensation to your client, plus you pay your legal costs. So look for a limit which is greater than £1m.

Switching your professional indemnity insurance

Typically, in the UK, if you cancel a professional indemnity policy, you can no longer claim against it.

Therefore, if you switch your IT consultant insurance provider, be sure your new policy covers your past work; this is called “retroactive cover”.

Should I retain professional indemnity insurance if I am between contracts?

It’s wise to keep your professional indemnity if you’re taking a break or retiring from IT consulting. Claims against professional misconduct can surface months or years after you delivered the work.

Remember: If you cancel your policy, your insurance coverage will end, including coverage for any previous work.

How long you keep your cover in place is up to you. Consider the type of IT consulting you did and the likelihood that a client might bring a claim against you. 

Public liability insurance for IT consultants

If you regularly consult with clients face to face or work at their premises, public liability insurance is wise. Public liability protects you against accusations of causing an accident leading to an injury or property damage.

Public liability can be inexpensive protection against unfortunate incidents such as slips, falls, or you causing damage to a third party’s property. Public liability claims rarely result in substantial compensation, but legal defence costs can add up.

What does IT consultant public liability insurance cover?

Public liability is helpful when faced with injury claims and compensation demands.

Cover includes:

  • accidental injury or death
  • accidental property damage

For example:

  • A client visits your premises and is injured in a slip or fall 
  • You visit your client’s premises and accidentally damage expensive IT equipment 

Other insurance IT consultants buy

As an IT consultant, the additional insurance coverage you require will depend on your situation. It is important to consider if you have the financial capability to replace or repair any computer equipment that gets damaged. Additionally, it is wise to consider how you would handle a legal dispute, as well as what steps to take in case of a tax audit by HM Revenue & Customs.

Commercial legal expenses insurance

Most commercial legal expenses insurance will protect IT consultants against various tax and legal issues you may encounter due to your profession, which are not covered by professional indemnity or public liability.

At Suited, we combined £100,000 of commercial legal expenses insurance with helplines and other tools to better assist IT consultants in dealing with these issues. We call this Business Legal Protect, and it’s part of your subscription.

Business Legal Protect offers qualified advice and assistance with:

  • Legal and accountancy matters concerning your business
  • Criminal prosecution
  • Compliance & regulation issues
  • Unpaid invoices (over £200)

For example:

  • HMRC flags you for an IR35 investigation
  • You need legal help chasing a major unpaid invoice
  • You need guidance on compliance issues for your business

Electronic business equipment insurance

As an IT consultant, you’ll likely rely on everything electronic to deliver your work. As such, you may consider adding electronic business equipment insurance to cover your computer kit.

Electronic business equipment insurance will cover the cost of repair or replacement if your equipment is lost, damaged or stolen.

Business expenses insurance

As an independent consultant, it would be difficult to continue to earn if a critical illness struck you.

Business expense insurance is a good backup plan for such a situation. The cover will provide a financial lifeline for several months until you get well enough to return to work.

We have combined business expense insurance with personal accident insurance in our Business Owner Protect product at Suited.

IT consultants we insure

Suited provides insurance coverage for a diverse group of IT consultants, including:

  • Computer consultants
  • CRM systems consultants
  • Cyber security consultants
  • Database consultants
  • Disaster recovery consultants
  • Software consultants
  • Technology consultants
  • Telecommunication consultants
  • Website/Mobile app consultants
  • and more...

Shopping for independent IT consultant liability insurance

When you're in the market for IT consultant insurance to safeguard your business, it's worth keeping in mind the following:

Cheap IT consultant insurance

Don't just focus on the price of IT consultant insurance. Consider the quality of after-sales service, like accessibility and response time. At Suited, we offer multiple contact options and aim to respond quickly.

The reputation of the insurer is important

It is often tempting to purchase the cheapest deal on the market. Double-check who you are buying from and the insurers underwriting your policy. This information should be made very clear to you before purchase.

Many providers charge fees to amend or cancel

Occasionally, updates to your personal or business details are needed. Check with your provider if there are additional costs to amend or cancel your policy. At Suited, you can change or cancel your policy anytime for free.

Some policy wordings are restrictive or have a high excess

Some providers will offer attractive prices, but it is at the expense of cover given. Suited professional indemnity and public liability have £0 excess.

In this section
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FAQs

Common questions

Do I need retroactive cover with my IT consultant professional indemnity insurance?

You may need retroactive cover if there is a possibility that the work you did in the past may result in a claim in the future. You may also need it if your past contract requires to stay insured for a period of time after you finished the contract. If you're switching from one insurance provider to another, you will have to specify a retroactive date on your new policy if you want your past work insured. This is because the new insurance provider is effectively taking over the risk of a claim from the previous insurance provider.

What is not covered by IT consultant professional indemnity insurance?

You need to remember that PI cover protects from claims of professional negligence or error. Therefore any other issues such as your liability to your employees if you have any, the public or third party property won’t be covered. The same applies to cyber risks.

Can I make a claim after I have cancelled my IT consultant professional indemnity insurance?

You won't be able to make a claim under a policy that is no longer active. If you have finished a contract or wound down your IT consultancy business, make sure you maintain professional indemnity cover for your past work for a period of time. This is often referred to as a run off cover.

What is a ‘run off’ cover in IT consultancy insurance?

When a contract ends, the liability for the work you have delivered still exists and you may be either contractually required or wish to keep professional indemnity insurance in place for a little while longer. In Suited we call this option ‘hibernation’ which means you can change your PI cover to stay insured the past only at a much reduced price if you are not planning to take on another contract.

Answer 4 questions then select the policies and limits you need.
Answer 4 questions then select the policies and limits you need.
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IT consultant professional indemnity insurance
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Go retroactive

Include retroactive cover to insure previous work.

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Holiday mode

Pay less when not working by hibernating your PI cover.

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* 14 day promise is not available online, please speak to a member of staff. Not available if you have reported a claim.

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