Employers’ Liability Insurance for PA Employers
What is Employers’ Liability Insurance?
Employers’ liability insurance covers the cost of compensating employees who are injured at work or become ill through their work. If you are a PA employer, this includes people you employ as your Personal Assistant.
If I employ a PA do I need to have Employers’ Liability Insurance?
If you are an employer of a Personal Assistant you are legally obliged to have employers’ liability insurance. You can be fined up to £2,500 for every day you do not have appropriate insurance.
Employers’ liability insurance usually covers:
- the cost of compensation
- any associated legal fees.
However, you need to check to see exactly what any policy covers.
Buying employers’ liability insurance
You can buy employers’ liability insurance directly from an insurance company or from a specialist broker. There are some insurance companies who specialise in employer’s liability insurance for people who employ Personal Assistants.
There are often different levels of insurance cover available. A typical insurance policy will cost anywhere between £59 a year to £95 a year. However, there is a lot of variation in what is covered by different policies and this will affect the final cost of the insurance. You are obliged to have cover for compensation of at least £5 million, but most policies offer cover for at least £10 million.
A typical policy might provide cover for:
- Employer Liability
- Public liability
- Legal expenses
- Personal accidents
- Redundancy cover
- Financial loss
If you want to discuss what level of Insurance might be right for you, you can contact your local Independent SDS Information and Support Service, or local payroll provider. You can find their details by doing a Search in the Find Help tool in this Handbook.
Exemptions
Some PA Employers are not required to have employers’ liability insurance, including:
- PA employers with no employees
- PA employers who only employ family members.
What insurance does my PA need if they’re self-employed?
If your PA is self-employed (they pay their own tax and national insurance) and if you are contracting with them for their support, you do not need to have Employers’ Liability Insurance. However, you may still wish to be covered for Public Liability. Public Liability Insurance provides cover against accidental injury and property damage claims.
The cost of Insurance for self-employed PAs can also vary, depending on the level of cover needed. Costs can range between £75 – £115 a year with a policy typically providing cover for:
- Public Liability
- Personal Accident
- Personal Possessions
- Legal Expenses.
Next steps
Find more information by looking at the resources below.