UK · Liability basics
Professional indemnity vs public liability for freelancers
The names sound similar. The exposures they address are different.
UK insurance
Insurance guides for UK freelancers
Explore cover for your professional work, client visits and digital operations, with UK terminology and sources.
Where to begin
Start with professional indemnity vs public liability, then review your client contract. Consider separate questions about employing people and cross-border work.
UK · Client contracts
A UK freelancer’s insurance check before a new contract
Before accepting the next project, make sure the insurance conversation describes the work you are actually agreeing to do.
UK · Cyber insurance
Cyber insurance for digital agencies: questions before you buy
Build the discussion around your access to client systems, not simply the number of laptops in your office.
UK · Before you buy
How to check an insurance firm using FCA resources
A familiar logo or convincing email is not enough to establish who you are dealing with.
Prepare before you buy
US & UK · Buying guides
Compare business insurance quotes beyond the price
Two quotes can look similar on the first page and answer very different questions in the wording.
US & UK · Policy wording
Claims-made policies: questions to ask before switching
The date you performed the work is only one date to discuss when reviewing a claims-made policy.
US & UK · Agency guides
Digital Marketing Agency Insurance: A Coverage Checklist
A useful brief explains what your agency does, what it can access and what its contracts promise.
Professional indemnity or public liability for a freelancer?
Professional indemnity concerns professional advice and services; public liability concerns claims involving members of the public connected with business activities. Read the ABI guidance on professional indemnity and our professional indemnity vs public liability comparison. Your actual wording, activities and circumstances determine what a policy covers.
Do I need insurance as a UK freelancer?
Break this into three questions: what your profession or regulator requires, what your client contract requires, and what risks you want to discuss with a broker. Being described as a freelancer does not answer all three. Take the actual contract clause and a complete service description to the adviser; seek legal advice where the meaning of the agreement is unclear.
- New client contract: use the freelancer insurance contract checklist to record limits, evidence and continuing obligations.
- Digital agency or client account access: read the cyber insurance questions for digital agencies.
- Checking a provider: follow our guide to FCA resources.
How much professional indemnity cover should I discuss?
Record the limit requested by each client, then ask your broker about your actual activities and exposures. A contract minimum is not a complete assessment of your needs. Ask about any sublimits, the excess and how defence costs affect the stated limit. Compare the complete documents with our insurance quote checklist.
Remote work and overseas clients
Explain both your professional tasks and your working environment, even if most work happens at home. For overseas clients, record the contracting entity, work location and jurisdiction. Use our US and UK client questions before assuming an existing policy fits a new project.