Freelancer insurance
Specialist cover for freelancers from £5 a month*
Fast, easy online quote in 90 seconds
Interest free direct debit
No hidden fees or cancellation charges
Our specialist freelancer insurance offers expert cover for freelancers, including consultants, designers and creatives.
As a freelancer, every project can be different. Finding the kind of freelance business insurance cover that fits your various needs, is important. With over 25 years' experience, we offer an unrivalled knowledge of the risks facing your specialism, whatever it may be.
What is freelancers insurance?
There are many benefits to becoming a freelancer. you have the freedom to be your own boss, choosing which clients to work with and when. But this doesn't come without risks. You are responsible for your professional reputation and will need protection should a claim be made against you. Some clients may not consider taking you on without proof that you have arranged business insurance. By ensuring you have freelancer insurance in place, you have peace of mind that you’recovered should things not go to plan.
Contractors’ insurance
Contractors’ insurance is slightly different. As a contractor, if you organise your contract through an intermediary (such as a recruitment agent), this may not absolve you from a claim made by a client. It is important that you have contractors’ insurance in place to protect your business and reputation should a claim be made against you.
If you’re looking for contractors’ insurance, click here.
Why choose Markel Direct for freelancer insurance?
At Markel Direct, we understand the risks that freelancers face. That’s why our specialist freelancer business insurance has been tailored to protect you and your finances. Below are just some of the reasons why you should take out a freelancer insurance policy with us:
✔ Affordable policies
Premiums start at £5 a month*, providing you with affordable freelancer insurance cover.
✔ Cover you can trust
As part of Markel International, a Lloyd’s and London market insurer, we accumulated gross premium totals of £1.09 billion ($1.49bn) in 2020.
✔ Quick quotes
Use our online quote form to get a quote in just 90 seconds. It’s that easy.
✔ A policy to suit you
We offer insurance policies that have been designed to suit the specific needs of freelancers, from sole traders to designers, consultants, photographers and more.
✔ Positive customer reviews
We’re highly rated by our customers at Feefo.com and are trusted by over 200,000 customers.
You can also access free legal services when you arrange freelancer cover with Markel Direct, including:
Get legal advice from our 24/7 legal helpline, run by qualified solicitors around the clock Legal templates and resources with the Markel Business Hub
Access to our fee dispute service to assist with unpaid invoices
Discounted IR35 contract reviews
Expert public relations crisis management from The Counsel House
A specialist cyber response helpline to help in the event of a cyber attack
Discover more about these services.
When it comes to freelancer insurance, you can trust Markel Direct to deliver. Call us today on 0330 822 3540 to discuss your freelance business insurance needs.
What does freelancers insurance cover?
To find out what freelancer insurance covers, it’s important to understand the type of claim that could be made against you.
Do I need insurance as a freelancer?
- If you were to be accused of professional negligence or making a mistake in your work that incurs financial losses to your client, they may hold you responsible for the error and take legal action to cover their losses.
- Should a client or member of the public be injured in the course of your business and you were responsible, they could make a personal injury claim against you seeking compensation.
- A third party or competitor may accuse you of breaching of their intellectual property. This could cost you greatly if they were to take successful legal action.
How much does freelancers insurance cost?
With cover starting from £5 a month*, you have the option to choose from the covers quoted so that with your freelancer insurance, you'll only ever pay for what you want.
How to buy insurance for freelancers
Just fill in our simple online quote form which will provide you with a quote for the type of insurance to consider. Our quote system asks about your role and activities and offers policies that may be of interest. It can take as little as 90 seconds and you have the ability to choose the level of cover to suit your freelancing role.
*Price based on an IT freelancer requiring £1 million of public liability insurance
Customer reviews
4.8/5
Rated 4.8 stars from 351 customer reviews at Google
Policy Documents
Cover starting at £5 a month
Tailor your freelance insurance policy with these covers
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Professional indemnity insurance for freelancers
Freelancer professional indemnity insurance covers the cost of defending your business against allegations of professional negligence (such as giving your client incorrect or wrongful advice) and if unsuccessful, the cost of damages awarded against you. This is a necessity for freelancers, as most clients will require it before entering into a contract with you, and insurance cover is available with limits ranging from £50,000 to £5m.
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Freelance public liability and product liability insurance
Freelance liability insurance covers the cost of defending your business (including damages awarded against you if unsuccessful) if someone is injured, or their property damaged, which arises from you going about your business or supplying products. The legal fees alone could cost your business thousands of pounds. Limits range from £1m to £5m.
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Employer's liability insurance
Employer’s liability insurance is a legal requirement if your business has employees. It covers your business against claims for injury or illness suffered by employees arising from their employment. If you employ staff, this cover is essential. Cover for £10m.
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Legal expenses insurance
Legal expenses insurance covers the costs of defending you as a director or officer of your company against allegations of wrongful acts and any damages subsequently awarded against you. Cover is also provided for the legal costs and expenses of defending actions for disqualification as a director, investigations and extradition proceedings. Limits range from £100,000 to £5m.
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Directors and officers insurance
Directors and officers insurance covers the costs of defending you as a director or officer of your company against allegations of wrongful acts and any damages subsequently awarded against you. Cover is also provided in respect of the legal costs and expenses of defending actions for disqualification as a director, investigations and extradition proceedings. Limits range from £100,000 to £5m.
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Office insurance
Office insurance covers your office buildings, office contents and computer equipment against accidental damage (including theft) whilst on your business premises. You can also choose to cover your business equipment (such as laptops and mobile phones) on a worldwide basis, and insure your business against loss of income and/or additional trading expenses following events such as damage to your property.
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Occupational personal accident insurance
Occupational personal accident insurance provides a weekly payment if you are unable to work due to temporary total disablement (subject to a 14-day deferment period) due to an accident at work, or when travelling to and from work. In the event of loss of limbs, sight, speech, hearing, permanent total disablement or death, a lump sum would be paid out. You should consider this cover if you would struggle to maintain an income following an accident that left you unable to work. Limits from £100/week to £500/week for temporary total disablement (£25k lump sum to £100k lump sum for permanent total disablement).
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Cyber and data risks insurance
Cyber and data risks insurance pays the costs of restoring data and equipment, informing clients, meeting ransom demands and loss of your net profit following a cyber attack. It also pays your legal defence costs and damages you are legally liable to pay to other parties. If you hold confidential information about your clients and their projects on computers and other internet connected devices, you should consider to this cover.
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Self-employed insurance
Very similar to freelancers insurance in many ways, it’s worthwhile looking at self-employed insurance policies and comparing to find the right policy for you and your needs.
Need some help?
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SupportCover starting at £5 a month
Frequently asked questions
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I need professional indemnity insurance to secure a contract - do you provide proof of cover?
Yes. If you purchase your policy with us, your documents are emailed to you instantly and include a dedicated 'Confirmation of Liability Insurance' document (detailing the cover you have with us) which you can present to agencies and clients as proof of cover.
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I work from home - doesn’t my home insurance policy cover me?
It is unlikely that your home insurance policy would cover you for risks arising out of running your business at home. Check with your home insurer to find out. In most cases, you need to arrange separate business insurance.
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What's the difference between professional indemnity and public liability?
Professional indemnity insurance covers against allegations of professional negligence - which means it would cover you if you were to make an error or mistake in a piece of work (such as a project or report) for a client.
Public liability insurance covers against allegations of injury or illness caused to third parties by your negligence. This includes many of the slips, trips and falls that are associated with personal injury claims. In addition, public liability insurance covers against damage to third party property - for example, if you were to damage a client-owned laptop or smartphone.
As they insure against different scenarios, it's important you consider arranging both types of cover to ensure you are properly protected.
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What does business equipment insurance cover and do I need it?
This cover protects portable business equipment such as computer equipment, photographic equipment and mobile phones. Cover applies anywhere in the world (including at your premises) and is on an ‘all-risks’ basis. There are some exclusions so please refer to the relevant summary of cover for a more detailed explanation of the cover we provide. As a freelancer or a contractor, you may want to consider adding this to your policy.
Find out more on our office insurance page.
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What’s the difference between a contractor and a freelancer?
Whilst similar, there are slight differences between contractors and freelancers. Contractors are an external worker usually brought in to complete a particular project, and tend to work on a contract-by-contract basis. A freelancer is not affiliated to a particular company; as such, many freelancers aren't tied into a single contract and can choose how much work to take on. Visit this article for more information.
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Is my past work covered?
We cover past work if you have held professional indemnity insurance uninterrupted prior to arranging your policy with us.
If there was a period of time where you did not have professional indemnity insurance in force (for example, you have never arranged professional indemnity insurance before, you chose not to renew a previous policy or you cancelled a previous policy at the end of a contract) we are unable to cover past work.
If you require further clarification, don't hesitate to call us on 0800 640 6600.
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What limit of cover should I choose?
Many clients and industry bodies with regulatory requirements will require you to have a minimum level of cover for you to undertake a contract, so it's worth checking this before you arrange cover. If you're unsure, give some thought to a worst-case scenario and the likely costs involved in putting your mistake right. We offer a range of limits on insurance, so you're sure to find the right cover for your business.
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Why should I choose Markel’s insurance?
Markel has over 25 years of experience insuring contractors, consultants and self-employed professionals. We insure over 200,000 micro businesses and are highly rated by our customers at Feefo.com.
We are a division of Markel International, a Lloyd’s and London market insurer that wrote gross premium totals of £2.4bn in 2023
To talk about your insurance requirements and better understand our cover, call us on 0800 640 6600 or get a quick quote online.
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How are Markel Direct regulated?
Markel International Insurance Company Limited is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority. Find out more on the Financial Services Register.
Expect more from your insurance provider.
When you take out cover with Markel, you receive these exclusive services as standard:
24/7 access to a legal advice helpline manned by qualified solicitors
Access legal templates and resources with the Markel Business Hub
Access our fee dispute service to assist with unpaid invoices
Receive discounted IR35 contract reviews with your policy
Expert management of public relations crises with The Counsel House
A specialist cyber response helpline to help in the event of a cyber attack